Chris's Crime Forum

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/wells_karen.html

Karen Denise Wells
Missing Since: April 12, 1994 from Carlisle, Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age: 23 years old
Height and Weight: 5'6"; 115 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blond hair; blue eyes.
Wells goes by her middle name, Denise.


Details of Disappearance
Wells was on a trip from Haskell, Oklahoma to visit a friend in Bergen, New Jersey when she disappeared in April 1994. She stopped at the Pike Motel in the 1100 block of Harrisburg Pike in Carlisle Pennsulvania on April 12 and called her friend from there at 7:00 PM. She said she was going to eat at a McDonald's restaurant, then would go to bed. This is the last time anyone heard from Wells. Shortly after midnight on April 13, her friend went to the motel to meet her as planned and there was no answer when she knocked on Well's door. The friend summoned a clerk and they went into the room. Wells's room key, clothing and other belongings were inside. There was no sign of her.
That same morning, Wells's rented 1993 Plymouth Acclaim with Oklahoma license plates was found abandoned in a rural area on Route 274. 35 miles from the motel. It appeared to have stopped in its tracks in the westbound lane. The driver's and passenger's side doors were wide open, the vehicle was scratched and mud-splattered, and it was out of gas. Wells's change purse, containing a small amount of cash, was in a nearby ditch. Authorities checked the odometer on the car and discovered it had been driven 600 to 700 miles that could not be accounted for.
Wells has a prior criminal conviction for forgery in South Dakota. She was unemployed and the single parent of a baby son in 1994. Her mother stated she was handling her life well and loved her child. It is uncharacteristic of Wells to leave without warning. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, which remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police
Source Information
WGAL Lancaster
The Patriot News
WHP CBS 21

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story.a ... E&gsa=true

Cold case reopens
Contributor: Melissa Sadowski
Email: news@cbs21.com
Last Update: 8/15 7:35 am

Print Story | Email Story

After more than a decade a Cumberland County cold case is back open again.

Investigators say they'd like to re-examine the case of Karen Denise Wells, who went missing in April of 1994.

Wells, who's from Oklahoma, had traveled to the Carlisle area and checked into a motel. She had planned to visit with a childhood friend. But, Wells disappeared and her car was found abandoned in a rural part of Perry County, near New Germantown.

With Wells missing, her friend, Melissa Sheppard, offered a public plea when CBS 21 News interviewed her 14 years ago.

Foul play has always been suspected in Wells' case.

The chief cumberland county detective looking into this case tells CBS 21 News that they don't necessarily have anything new to go on. They're just reviewing old reports and looking for anything they might have missed.

Police Reopen Missing Persons Case From 1994
Victim Last Seen At Middlesex Hotel

POSTED: 9:42 pm EDT August 14, 2008
UPDATED: 9:48 pm EDT August 14, 2008


CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. -- Police in Cumberland County are reopening a missing persons case from nearly 15 years ago.

Karen Denise Wells went missing in the Carlisle area in April of 1994.

She was driving from the Midwest to New Jersey to visit family and friends.

She was last seen at a hotel on the Harrisburg Pike in Middlesex Township.

Detectives told News 8 they wanted to finally give her loved ones some closure.
http://www.wgal.com/news/17195709/detail.html

Karen Denise Wells