MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 1979-17
Karen Lynn Zendrosky
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Jurisdiction:
Missing From:
Bordentown Township, NJ
Summary:
Karen Lynn Zendrosky was 16 years old when she was last seen at a bowling alley in Bordentown Township, New Jersey on the evening of October 23, 1979. Foul play is suspected in her case. Zendrosky's case remains unsolved and is being investigated as a homicide.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Karen was last seen at the now-defunct Whitehorse Bowling Alley on Rouge 206 in Bordentown Township, New Jersey on October 23, 1979. Her parents reported her missing a short time later. There were rumors that she had gone to a nearby lagoon with two or three men, then in their early twenties, who used it as a party site, but the stories have not been confirmed. She was last seen wearing overalls and a brown and yellow zip up sweatshirt.
Additional Details:
About seven years after Zendrosky's Oct. 25 disappearance, police began hearing rumors she had been killed in the wooded area behind the sludge lagoon and dumped into the pit's wastewater. The names of several suspects, all Hamilton men in their early 20s, also were circulated. Investigators believe Karen's remains may be buried in a sludge pit in Hamilton, New Jersey. The pit was once used as part of a wastewater treatment plant. Ground-penetrating radar detected spots consistent with organic matter, such as human remains. Investigators began to dig in the area in 2005. However, after a three-day search of the pit nothing was found. They have questioned several suspects in Karen's disappearance and stated that they planned to prosecute if sufficient evidence was located.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
State police begin five-day excavation of sludge pit; no remains found
Ground-penetrating radar conducted at sludge pit; identified three areas of interest
Karen last seen at Whitehorse Bowling Alley in Bordentown Township, NJ in the evening
Parents reported Karen missing
Associated Persons
Unknown U. (Person of Interest) - Unknown
Dianne Z. (Sibling) - Living
Kelly Z. (Sibling) - Living
Family Tree
Why is this important?Missing person
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Missing Person
Missing Person
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