The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking public assistance in solving the 1981 murder of Karen Lynn Douglas, offering an increased reward of $6,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. The reward applies to tips received before the next Texas Rangers cold case is announced.
Douglas, 22, was found stabbed to death in her Harris County residence on January 6, 1981, following an apparent struggle. Her mother discovered the body when she arrived to take Douglas to a doctor’s appointment. Douglas, a stay-at-home mother, was caring for her infant at the time of the attack, while her husband was at work. She had been last seen alive two hours before her body was discovered.
Investigators note that in the months surrounding Douglas’ death, other unsolved home invasions occurred in the area. In these cases, women who were home alone were attacked by an assailant armed with a knife. The suspect in these crimes was described as a young, slender white male, but it remains unclear if these incidents are connected to Douglas’ murder.
To be eligible for cash rewards for this case, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) or the Crime Stoppers of Houston hotline at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website by selecting the victim’s name you have information about.
- Call the Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243. Your information will be forwarded to the Texas Ranger assigned to this case.
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
