On January 11, 1996, seven-year-old Karen Grajeda vanished while playing outside her Tucson, Arizona apartment complex. The lively first grader had spent the afternoon riding her bike, playing Nintendo, and skating with her younger sister before stepping outside one last time—never to return. As darkness fell, panic set in, and a massive search effort began. Despite scouring the area, knocking on hundreds of doors, and chasing down leads—including reported sightings and a suspicious white compact car—no trace of Karen was found. In the years that followed, convicted predator Rodolfo Sedeno Morales emerged as the prime suspect, since Karen fit the profile of other young victims. Yet, in 2023, investigators announced they were looking into new persons of interest, keeping the hope alive that Karen’s case may still hold answers.

*** If you know anything about the disappearance of Karen Grajeda in January of 1996 - or her whereabouts today - please call the Tucson police at 520-791-4444 ***

Sources:

Tucson Citizen, Arizona Daily Star, The Arizona Republic, and KOLD13 News.

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