Karen Beaudin

Author and International Public Speaker

Beaudin’s previous books:

A Child is Missing: A True Story

A Child is Missing: Searching for Justice

Children's Book: The Kirby Boys Adventure Searching for the Lost Key

Contributing Author

Grief Diaries: Surviving Loss by Homicide

Grief Diaries: Project Cold Case

The Transparency Project: Survivors

Karen's sister Kathy was brutally murdered in 1971. The case was reactivated in 1983 and again in 2004. In 2006, Kathy's remains were exhumed for DNA.

The first book, A Child Is Missing: A True Story; covers the emotional journey coping with the murder of her sister. Kathy. It exposes the reality that murder follows a family throughout their entire life. Future events often loop back to the day when a loved one's life was snuffed out by the hands of a murderer. The book is used in training sessions with law enforcement and victims’ advocates.

The sequel, A Child Is Missing: Searching for Justice was the result of six years of research and interviews. Retired and current investigators spoke freely about the difficulties they faced while working on Kathy's murder investigation.

"I didn’t always get the information I wanted. The unobtainable brought frustration and disappointment, but the knowledge I acquired was valuable. Embracing the journey as a path of change instead of defeat was critical in getting to the finish line."

Karen speaks to law enforcement officers, victims' advocates, and criminal justice students at universities about their role in a murder investigation. Some of her speaking engagements include Ohio's Homicide Initiative Training Sessions, 10th Annual Missing Persons Conference in North Carolina, Plymouth State University and Suffolk College in the UK.

Karen's media interviews include Elizabeth Vargas from ABC 20/20, Bob Ward, Crime Reporter from Fox News Boston; Sean MacDonald, Andy Hershberger, and Ray Brewer from WMUR TV. In 2009, Karen and her sisters were influential in establishing New Hampshire's first Cold Case Unit.

During Victims' Rights Week, 2010, the Gloddy family received a certificate of appreciation from Governor John Lynch for their outstanding service on behalf of victims of crime. In 2012, the Ohio Attorney General recognized Karen for her advocacy in promoting Cold Case Units. Also, the Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio for her valuable contribution to Ohio's law enforcement community and the Ohio Unsolved Homicides Initiative.

Through adversity, Karen desires to make a difference, through her faith, she finds strength.