Karen Elizabeth Knichtel Mero
Missing Since: February 28,1997
McCloud, California
Date Of Birth: May 21, 1969
Age: 27 years old
Height and Weight: 5’8, 170 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, green eyes. Mero has a scar on her face near her nose and a surgical scar on her lower abdomen from a liver transplant. Her upper front row of teeth are capped. Some agencies give her name as “Karen Knichtel Mero” or “Karin Elizabeth Mero.”
FACTS OF THE CASE: Karen had a liver transplant in 1994, and she must take anti-rejection medications, she had not refilled any prescriptions since her disappearance. She has been declared deceased.
Mero was last seen in McCloud, California on February 15, 1997. She was apparently last seen at the residence of Ed Henline Sr. and his wife Deborah. The couple lived on East Minnesota Avenue in McCloud at the time and Mero formerly lived at their home as well. She has never been seen again. Mero was not reported as a missing person to law enforcement until October 1997, eight months after she disappeared. Ed and Debbie Henline were convicted of welfare fraud for cashing Karen’s disability checks and using her ATM card and not reporting the extra income to welfare. As Karen wasn’t there to file a report about them stealing her money, they were not charged with grand theft or any other crimes related to stealing Karen’s money.
Karen’s dad died on May 23, 2011…her mother is still alive and waiting for Karen to come home.