A six-year old girl, missing for just fifteen minutes, is found dead within yards of her home.
Katherine Korzilius
Katherine was lying in the street
CASE DETAILS
At the age of 6, Katherine Korzilius seemed to be leading a charmed life. She lived in a good neighborhood in Austin, Texas, with her loving parents, Nancy and Paul, and her brother Chris. Her father was a personal manager for rock star Jon Bon Jovi.
How did her body get to where it was found?
Nancy and Paul’s world came crashing down on August 7, 1996. It was Paul’s birthday. He was working at his office in New York City. Nancy and the kids had spent the day running errands around Austin, picking out a gift for him. According to Nancy:
“It was very quiet here in our neighborhood, as it usually is. In fact, I can remark that it was exceptionally quiet that day.”
On the way home, they stopped to pick up the mail. It was a ritual Katherine looked forward to. As usual, Katherine asked if she could walk home and Nancy said that would be fine. Nancy said she knew it was Katherine’s way of saying she was a big girl:
“I had allowed Katherine to do that because I knew she was ready to be more independent, and she had done it before.”
Most assumed Katherine was a victim of hit-and-run
Nancy and Chris drove home one way, while Katherine walked home in the opposite direction, which was the shorter way home. Nancy said that both her children had made the same walk before:
“It’s a short walk, probably less than a quarter of a mile. When Chris and I got home, we unloaded our car and we started putting our packages away.”
Chris told his mother that he could not find Katherine at home. So Nancy told him to go out to the road to find her. According to Nancy:
“He came back in just a very short period of time, a few minutes, and he was crying, and he said, ‘She’s not there, Mom.’ We got in our car and drove right next door to our neighbors. I ran down the steps to their front door and knocked on the door. Their son answered.”
Medical examiner’s report
The boy at the door said that he had not seen Katherine. It was at that moment that Nancy and Chris said they knew something terrible had happened. Minutes later, Nancy found Katherine’s body in the street:
“I could tell that she was unconscious, but she was breathing. I knew it was too hot to leave her on the pavement. I know that it’s never a good idea to move somebody if you don’t know what their injuries are, but I just couldn’t leave her there. And I think having driven her to the emergency room before, knowing the way very well, I felt confident that I was able to drive that drive.”
“Katherine was on a ventilator to keep her breathing, but she was brain dead. It wasn’t a matter of her being in a coma or being unconscious. Her brain had died.”
Katherine’s father, Paul:
“I arranged for a charter aircraft so I could come directly home, but in the end it was too late anyway. I arrived at 12:30 in the morning, and I believe she was pronounced dead at 11:30 that night, an hour before my arrival.”
A plaque for Katherine
From the start, everyone assumed that Katherine was the victim of a hit-and-run driver. However, as police searched for the suspect, other disturbing theories began to surface. Katherine had left her mother’s car headed in one direction on Elder Circle, but less than ten minutes later she was found on the opposite side of the circle half a mile away. And the medical examiner’s report only deepened the mystery. He determined that Katherine had not died from a hit-and-run accident. According to R. Bavardo, the Medical Examiner of Travis County:
“The injuries that Katherine sustained could have been the result of either jumping from a moving vehicle, being thrown from a moving vehicle, or falling from a moving vehicle. The type of injuries that we expect in these circumstances would have been the same.”
If Katherine did tumble from a moving vehicle, whose vehicle was it? And was she pushed or did she fall? Katherine’s father recalled a theory put forth by the authorities:
“One of the theories that investigators proposed was that somehow Katherine had jumped on the back of our vehicle without Nancy’s knowledge. And as the vehicle drove around Elder Circle, she had fallen off, which was a way to explain where she was found in Elder Circle, which is completely opposite of where she would’ve been on her normal route.”
The Korzilius family was stunned. Was it possible that Nancy was responsible for her daughter’s death? Paul and Nancy hired their own private investigator, Barbara O’Brian. According to Barbara, that scenario was hard to believe:
“The problem with that is, it’s a hot August day. This whole car would’ve been very, very hot. There’s only one place to hold on to. And the door is the only other place to hold on to. And it opens when you get a-hold of it. She also had a broken left thumb and she had a splint on her thumb. So it would have been extremely difficult for her to get a hold on anything, and her mother would’ve seen her in the rear-view mirror.”
The Korzilius family has their own theory. They believe their daughter was abducted and murdered. A search of a vacant, overgrown lot just 30 yards from the mailboxes may have provided a crucial clue. According to Barbara:
“A few days after Katherine’s death, the investigators did bring in the K-9 unit and search the area. They did pick up her scent over in this vacant lot, which would indicate that she was coming in this direction from the mailboxes, taking the most direct route home. The scent was lost, however, which tells us that this may have been the point where she was abducted or the injury took place, but she was then later moved where she was found by her mother.”
Nancy said that it seemed as though Katherine had been placed on the street deliberately:
“Her hair was smoothed down. Her shirt was straight. Her shorts were straight. Her toes were pointed straight. Her sandals were on. I know someone moved her, and I know someone laid her there for me to find.”
After all the investigations and speculation, the cause of Katherine’s death remains a mystery. In the quiet neighborhood on Elder Circle, her memory lives on. Katherine’s neighbors have planted a tree and placed a plaque in her name. Family friend Jon Bon Jovi:
“I think if Paul and Nancy, as parents, knew how it happened, perhaps it could help them with the closure of this tragic event. Nothing that anyone can say or do is ever gonna bring their daughter back to them, but it’s twice as hard not knowing what happened.”
Nancy Korzilius:
“I think of families of people who are missing in action. Well, they’re not here, but what happened to them? And that’s exactly, to a certain extent, how I feel about our daughter. I had Katherine’s body, but something happened in the last 15 minutes of her life and I don’t know what that was.”
Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season ten with Robert Stack and in season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.
Charles
This is too unbelievable to be taken at face value. The mother is definitely hiding something.
Anonymous
The abduction theory is most certainly possible. However based on the evidence the evidence does gives away other hints. When I was a kid I used to try to sneak on the back of mail trucks. The driver never allowed it however. The k9 unit going by the mail boxes showing where her scent was gives that hint. There would have been nothing to hold onto from the bumper. But if she was abducted she would have intentionally escaped that way. I’m leaning more towards jumping on the mail truck bumper. Because of the time of day. The injuries don’t look like the vehicle was going top gear.
Jeff
Here is a guy on youtube sharing his theory as to what could have happened to Katherine
https://youtu.be/qTkxChlhAS8
eric
Thanks for the video. I can see why the man in the video (his dad) suggested maybe she sat on the car’s bumper – thus when she fell off she landed head first onto the street as opposed to holding onto the back of the vehicle and then later falling off landing on her back. I disagree because she would not have landed perfectly (so to speak) on the ground and how she was later found by her mother. Even with severe pain after the fall where she cant move much at all – she would still try to move/wiggle around with her hands or fingers or feet. and that didnt happen. This is definatly a mystery
Anonymous
I don’t think her mother’s car had anything to do with it. She has a witness that saw her go that direction. But it looks like bumper injuries.
Thomais
Hello Jeff, could it be possible that the neighbors had something to do with it. Because think about ita boy next door answered the door isn’t that a bit dangerous like we’re are the parents? Also they said Chris brother came back crying could it be possible he saw the neighbors hit her by accident or he saw something? I am just wondering ask your dad kids that young don’t answer the door like that it’s the parents that answer. Plus they said the neighbors called 911 there is no record of that. Just curious.
Jeff
Thats definitely a possibility. I have no more information on this than anyone else I am a long-time viewer of Unsolved Mysteries. It seems with every theory there are unanswered questions. May Katherine and Chris Korzilius rest in peace.
Allison
That is an interesting idea about the brother seeing something but that would have meant that she was hit close to her house since the brother was only gone a few minutes and I have a hard time believing that even if he saw her get hit that he wouldn’t say that or say something about Katherine laying close to the house and then not being there, when they went back outside being moved
Frank
I remember watching the episode when it first showed on unsolved mysteries. I really feel that one of the neighbors hit the little girl and said nothing about it.
Lyzi
Although i’m really late to this thread, hear me out. I DO NOT believe the mother or family were involved in any way. We’re so preconditioned these days to think the worst of the parents in unsolved cases. There’s simply no motivation for mom to kill her. It was a seemingly safe, gated, affluent community. That can bring about a sense of safety or feeling untouchable. It’s the ol’ “Bad things don’t happe here” mentality. For all anyone knows they’d been watched for a while by someone. Maybe a mentally ill Bon Jovi fan? Someone thinking they’d get a ransom because of their affiliation with the singer? Or simply a pedophile that fancied that little girl without any knowledge of the families connections? Who knows? Fact is mom can’t be in 2 places at once, nor the son.
Looking at the injuries I personally feel like someone she knew or recognized did this. I think it was an abduction gone wrong. This little girl fought back, hard. I think they pulled up next to her in a car & for whatever reason she approached the vehicle. They attempted to pull her inside the car window. She struggled to break free & was likely screaming her head off! With her lower half still hanging mostly out of the window the driver begins to panic & starts driving away. In the struggle(I hope she gave them absolute hell!!) they’re dragging her down the street beside the car. The driver either lost grip, let her go, or she broke free. She then fell directly onto the street face/head first covered in abrasions from the struggle. She wouldn’t be able to protect her head when falling like that from a moving vehicle. The type of head injury I’m describing is a recipe for permanent brain damage, skull fractures, & brain death on impact. The ladder she sadly succumb to.
I also think the sick-o likely admired or was attracted to her in their twisted way. A stalker pedophile type. Infatuated enough to get out of the vehicle after the abduction gone wrong & check out her injuries. Realizing they’re too bad they abandoned the entire attempt. Not before one final sick moment spent freaking fixing her hair & clothes!! Worse, they posed her body, straightened her freaking legs, & put her flip flops back on!! Ffs! I’ve read about this exact behavior with other pedophiles/killers & their victims. They truly believe their sickness is actual love. Their final act of care & tenderness by fixing the victim up! How twisted is that shit! Oof!
This girl deserves justice. She’d be in her 20’s today. So sad.
Duh
*30s
Just Suppose
I think this little girl was the victim of a hit and run plain and simple. Maybe even hit by someone who knew her. It was 4:30 PM. That is the time of day people get off work,are coming home from the grocery store with groceries for dinner and etc.The driver probably didn’t see the little girl and gave her a glancing blow that sent her flying into the air. Her little body came down in that vacant lot, bouncing on the ground and hitting her head very hard on that sun baked “concrete like” Texas ground.The driver might have panicked, picked her up and placed her where they thought she would be quickly found, trying to divert attention away from themselves. The smoothing of the hair and the clothes suggest a woman. A man most likely wouldn’t do that. I think it was just an accident. It is possible the driver might have been drinking and driving or under the influence of drugs. They may have had multiple driving offenses and didn’t want to loose their license. The events happened very quickly.that day. They didn’t say the little girl was sexually abused so I don’t think she was abducted. Plus there wasn’t enough time for an abduction. At 6 years old, I don’t think she would have had enough knowledge to jump onto or out of a moving car. As for the mother’s seemingly lack of emotion, the episode was filmed at least a year after the little girl died.. The mother was probably on an antidepressant or valium. She probably had been questioned time and time again by the police and had put so much blame on herself she had nothing left. but emptiness. Whatever happened, this family sufferd trajic losses in 1996 and then again in 2020 with loss of their son.
Emily D.
Martin,
If you read the brother’s obituary, it states the parents are not together and his stepmom is listed as one of his survivors.
Heidi climb
My husband and I revisited this show last night and a lot of things don’t add up. First off let’s say I believe what the mother says. If the mom took the opposite route, why wouldn’t you stay in the driveway until you seen the child at least walking down the street and heading the direction to your home. If the daughter wanted to walk home from the mailbox, usually a parent tells the other sibling to accompany them as a safety measure. She also could have let her walk by herself but stayed at a distance while still watching her by going in the same direction. She could have given her a head start. Also no one is a witness to her story since she moved the child, and drove her to the hospital. She never yelled for any of the neighbors or had her son run to a neighbors house. To me, by her driving the child to the hospital she was covering her tracks so that it couldn’t be fully determined how she died, so basically she threw the crime scene off. Then why would someone place her body neatly on the ground unless it was someone who wanted her to be found because it was an accident. I think personally it was an accident and maybe she’s trying to cover up her tracks or her child.
Nic
Yes!! This is exactly what I thought. First of all, who allows their SIX year old child to walk home unattended?! She was still a baby! Secondly, putting that baby in the car to drive to the hospital sounds like a great way to cover your tracks if her blood, dna, etc was ALREADY in the car from this “accident”. Smart thinking if you ask me. My only question is, what about the brother? I was unaware he was in the car at first, so now this makes me
Unsure of this theory as a child is very unlikely to be able to (emotionally) keep up with a lie if threatened. Unless maybe he was the one who threw her out of the car? Idk. It also makes sense that someone who knew her/loved her (family member, neighbor) put her somewhere to be found immediately, and “fixed” her appearance. So sad.
Jen
Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Doesn’t prove a damn thing.
eric
Hi, if she covered up the accident how come her son never came forward later in life to tell on his mom? or at least secretly tell his best friend or later his girlfriend what really happened? and then one of them tells the police? I think it was an accidental hit and run especially with the curvy roads in that neighborhood.
eric
her mother probably drove into the driveway of their home and (with her son) brought in all the groceries. She probably didnt wait for her daughter because maybe she assumed the daughter would maybe stop at a friends house on the way home or play in a nearby creek on the way home….?
james thomas
This case has always stuck with me. Just learned that her brother died at the age of 32 in March 2020 in a car accident on his way to work. He was a law enforcement officer.
Sonic
Here listening to Bon Jovi’s song August 7 4:15 on the anniversary. This case always stuck with me after I first saw it as a teenager on unsolved mysteries back in the early 2000’s. Hopefully one day this case will get solved.
Jason
Did anyone stop to think the Mom’s hiding the fact she’s pissed her daughter died? Maybe she blames herself? I’ve bever seen so many people jump to conclusions on this site before.
My guess is she was abducted, she fought back, and the abductors pushed her from a moving vehicle. Clearly dad had money and I’m sure many knew it.
Jenny from the Block
This seems to lean toward one of two likely scenarios. Either the mother had something to do with the daughter’s death or the son did and the mother is helping cover it up. From the time they stopped at the mailbox until they found her body in the street is stated as being 15 minutes, but the write-up about all that happened during that time would take MUCH longer. Additionally, in that short span of time we’re supposed to believe she somehow went from the mailbox to a vacant lot and then back down the neighborhood street toward home in the opposite direction that she’d been heading? She was probably horseplaying in the car, with or without her brother being involved, fell from the vehicle, and then mom and brother start the cover-up. It snowballed from there.
Jeff
I am sad to have just learned that Katherine’s brother Chris was killed in a car accident back in March…may they both RIP
Harley
Someone mentioned there would be blood on her if she was run over. Wouldn’t that be true if she was thrown, fell from, or jumped from a moving vehicle. Also you would think someone would have heard her scream. Also she had a broken thumb, that could be painful, and require pain medication. Is it possible that she was given some or took some on her own and had a reaction to it, passed out and stumbled onto the road? Or maybe she passed out in the vaccant lot and someone put her on the road to be found but was afraid to come forward. Also how did the brother not see her when he went out to look for her the 1st time?
Emily
Michelle, I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I posted was a link to her brother’s death.
Mike Robb, wasn’t even talking about that.
Everybody else, look up her brother’s obituary…Paul is clearly remarried. So if you’re saying he and Nancy are still together, then no, you know nothing about the case.
Emily
In an odd twist of events, her older brother, Chris, recently passed away in an automobile accident. Read about it here: https://www.odmp.org/officer/24501-senior-deputy-christopher-korzilius
Michelle
What makes you think that the whole story isn’t fabricated? The UM episode made mention that the mother took the “short” way home and the daughter took the “long” way home. If you look at the map, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The mother said this as an effort to not put herself at and/or distance herself from the so-called “crime scene”. The injuries could have been sustained at any point during the day. The location where the mother found her could merely be a pre-planned spot.
I’m thinking that this was an accident due to careless parenting that turned into a tragedy, and a cover up for the mother.
Mike Robb
This article says the mother took the long way home, the daughter the short way….
August 7, 4:15
The mom seems like she was hiding something. I don’t know if a day would seem more quiet than usual, if my kid was killed and basically left to rot in the sun or if Nancy Korzilius said that to cover her tracks. (I can’t say that I have a kid in the first place. It’s just hypothetical.) She was clearly abducted, and the abductor had something that covered up their scent, once they reached the lot. Maybe perfume or Cologne. Sounds like Mommy is the culprit, but we’re missing some key ingredient to the concoction.
Charlie
I’m seeing parallels to the McCane case which we know there was no abduction.
Rhonda
I agree with the commentor Tim. The mother and even the father in the episode are so calm and talking so matter of factly. That’s not normal. I definitely think it was accident and mom was ashamed so made up a story to keep it that way. She has to live with that for the rest of her life. Dumb B.
Rob 245
One problem with getting run over, where’s the mess?. If she had been run over on the head then wouldn’t there be blood all over her?. There’s now way she could’ve been killed that way and not have blood on the ground in the area or on her. I think the abduction theories are more possible. Anyone thinking this woman is lying is being completely ridiculous. I agree 6 is young to walk alone, some parents try to be lenient with their kids on some things. Poor kid and her family.
August 7, 4:15
I don’t know if I’m gonna be told to cut the spamming or WHAT, but I was learning about abductions and kidnapping, and there’s something that kind of points at the mom, again. (The statistics are from 2017. I’m gonna see if I can get the stats from 1996.)
“There are three distinct types of abductions that vary depending on who the abductor is. The first, and most common type of abduction, is family abduction. It is estimated that family abductions account for forty-nine percent of all abductions in the United States. In these types of cases, a child is most often abducted by a relative that they are close with. The perpetrator is most often a parent who may be attempting to settle their own issues, and they take the child to make a statement to the other partner. This type of abduction, and crime in general, ‘involves a larger percentage of female perpetrators…than other types of…offenses,’ making the case for parents involved in custody battles more plausible for this sort of abduction. As there is no specific pedophilic attraction or diseased motive for this type of crime, as with most other crimes involving children, this type of abduction ‘equally victimizes juveniles of both sexes.'”
Jeff
Both of her parents still together…at least at the time…I don’t know about now…so there was no custody battle going on or anything like that
August 7, 4:15
I’m really getting into this case, and I find it strange that there are several constants in regards to the death of Katherine. (Facts that I’ve seen on every sight; not theories) 1. She’s coming home from shopping with mom and her brother, and she goes to get the mail. I ask what if the car never came to a stop and she got out when it was still at a dangerous speed? 2. She is last seen at the mailbox. Sticking to the hypothetical narrative I’ve made so far, how about trying to get back in the car and it whirs past her, but she grabs the door handle for just a little more than a moment before taking back her now broken thumb. (It’s far fetched, I know), opens the mailbox by pulling it open with the four functioning fingers. 3. She takes the shortcut home. Rather than getting hit by a car, she has a heat stroke, and before she passes out, she staggers further away from the mailbox, passes out on the boiling hot pavement, and slowly (or perhaps quickly) dies, and mom finds her right before she dies, and panics, and drives her to the hospital, where she later dies. Jon Bon Jovi makes the song August 7, 4:15, a tree is planted with her name on it. And there’s only one thing in my flaw: the mom should be able to see her in her rearview mirror. Even if it’s just bad parenting, it’s still theoretically the mom’s fault. Shed be 21 today.
August 7, 4:15
Rose, that’s admirable
August 7, 4:15
Is it just me or does the mom know WAY more than Jon lets on in the song? I’m no Columbo or even Jacque Cluzoe, and I’m not saying that the mom murdered her daughter, but she knows more than what I’m comfortable with. Also, as pointed out previously, having your 6 year old daughter walk home is just irresponsible. And did the mom,the son, local cops, the doctor, or for that matter Jon Bon Jovi consider she had a heat stroke, and somebody accidentally ran over her face? That would explain the fractured skull. I live in Texas, and am intentionally posting this on August 7th. It can get way hotter than the song lets on. Also, how old was the son? If 7+, he could have covered for his mom. And assuming that the mom theory is wrong, did they not ask any other neighbor? Did anybody notice a strange/new car lurking around? Were there any other deaths that month? (Particularly shortly after Katherine’s) It’s likely that this has been a mystery since 1997 because the murderer is dead. Committed suicide. And why didn’t the dad (poor guy. What a birthday present.) Use his nexus with Jon Bon Jovi? The guy could have half the nation’s cops investigating with the snap of the finger. What did Jon do besides write the song and (this is an assumption) went to her funeral? She was found all nice, straightened clothes, combed hair, etc. The mom couldn’t have been the killer, because she can’t be in two places at once. And as far as I know, the boy stayed at home. My best guess is either the neighbors or a cunning guy (or guys plural, perhaps) who offered her a ride home. But, with all the evidence pointing at the mother, well, I’m more in denial than calling her innocent.
Josh
The suburban has auto locking doors. Therefore she could of held on to the trunk handle and not opened the rear hatch.
Jovi Rocha
Just want to say that this song by bon jovi really bugs me 15 years ago and now i can finally say its been answered.
Emily
wow, some of these theories are ridiculous. This “murder” is not related to JonBenet Ramsey, and please think logically people. Look at how tiny the neighborhood is, compare that to where she was found, the direction the mother drive in, the direction katherine took, the spot where the scent stopped, how long it took to find her, where her house is, and amount of time before finding her body. Think about it: Katherine goes the opposite way, gets abducted, (for some reason) doesn’t get sexually assaulted, somehow sustains a head injury in the vacant lot, gets put into a car, is thrown out, and get laid out nice and neat without anyone seeing it? You mean to tell me during the amount of time that Chris and Nancy came home and unloaded the car, Chris canvassed the neighborhood, and then Nancy canvassed the neighborhood no one saw any of this going on? Nancy is so full of – is covering for being a careless mother. Get over yourself and admit it. What kind of kidnapper kidnaps someone then throws them out of the car then lays them out nicely? Also, if Nancy thought someone did something to her why didn’t she call 911? A 911 operator would have assisted in caring for Katherine before EMS arrived. The only way a parent drives a kid to the emergency room is if they’re in immediate health danger, or to cover up something.
thinkingoutloud
can anyone else confirm besides the mother that katherine was found in the streets? for all we know something accidentally or purposely happened and the mother is trying to cover it up. the only thing i can’t explain is the fact that her scent was in the vacant, but that isn’t to say she did pass the lot / venture in the lot while she was walking back home. the only witness we have is the mother claiming she found her lying in the street…. can anyone else say that? maybe there was an accident at home and the mother rushed her to the hospital and made up this story so she didn’t get blamed.
how old is the brother? was he too young to remember anything or was he not involved at all?
X24mom
See…. that’s my first thought also! There was an accident with the mom… maybe she never stopped at the mailbox? Maybe she left the kid in the hot car while she put the groceries away or whatever… came back out to the car and realized what she did, panicked, told the brother to see if she was down at the mail box (this plants the seed in the sons mind “she was down at the mailbox”), the mom then goes to “look for the daughter” and places her in the abandoned lot but changes her mind because she doesn’t want it to take a long time to “find” her, so she lays her on the road, her hair is brushed and her clothes are neat etc etc cause mom did it. Meanwhile mom is repeating the story over and over to the son ,”you remember she wanted to check the mail? And then when you went to look for her she was gone” etc etc … if you tell someone (especially a child) something happened a certain way and you pound it into their head so many times that they get confused as to which of their memories of the events are what really happened cause he has his memory which is different than moms, but she convinces him that he was “confused” about abc and tells him that what really happened was xyz, so then he has his memory which he doubts now cause mom said so, and joined with that, the story that mom has been feeding him and grillling him about non stop, which gives him the narrative hes been force fed, and convinced is the truth. after a while, memory of certain events seems like one big dream with conflicting details in their mind (but the account they give everyone is the same account mom has because if that’s the way mom remembers it then that must be what happened). I apologize for the redundancy and rambling. Basically, and quite simply, THE MOM DID IT
Amy Swanson
I never really thought of the idea of her leaving her in the car on a hot day. The fact that the little girl was found with her clothes perfect. Makes me think that. It was someone close to her because they didn’t want to see her dead in that way. . Because a stranger would have never taken the time to make sure her clothes were perfect. They would have dropped her and left immediately.
Jeff
The problems with that theory is that Katherine was 6 she could have got out of the car by herself and your theory doesn’t explain all the injuries on Katherine’s body
DragonWolfe
Her Brother just died at 32 making him about 4 at the time of her death.
Siobhan
He was actually a year older than her, born in 1988. She was born in 1989.
Dee
What about the fractured skull?
Dee Allen
The whole story the mother gave confuses me her thumb was broken. How did she check the mailbox with broken thumb. The brother became a Texas police he is dead now and this case most likely will never be solved.
Tim
I lived, in Austin, when this happened, work in the music business, peripherally know the husband and am very familiar with the area where it happened. It was no secret, at the time this happened, and to those who knew Paul in the Austin music business community, that the child fell off the car and the mother knew. Not intentional, but a tragic accident. Katherine got on the back of the car and fell off. She was found on the side of the ‘circle’ that the mother and her brother drove towards the home on and way past the route Katherine would have ‘walked back’. And it was in an area where she would have been turning and Katherine was thrown from the car. As to whether the mother knew she was on the car and this was a normal “thing” that they did (coming back from the mailbox) or whether Katherine jumped on the back unbeknownst to the mother remains a mystery to those not intimately involved. However, I’ve talked to enough people that feel like they did this from time to time and it was a an occasional thing they did that just turned out horribly wrong. She went back to the house and panicked and then was the one that ‘miraculously’ found her. The private investigator brought in was to help the mother save face (in the community) and keep her from being charged with involuntary manslaughter or vehicular homicide. This wasn’t a hit-and-run or an abduction. This is a quiet, sleepy neighborhood, which at the time, was out in the middle of nowhere. These are seven figure homes in a private gated community. The whole thing about the car being too hot or her thumb in a split was a smokescreen to cast doubt and muddy the investigation. The coroner had it right. The family didn’t want the mother to go to jail for a tragic accident and fracture the family further.. Subsequently, the net effect of this was that Paul and his wife divorced not long after and he has since remarried and lives in Vancouver. He still works with Bon Jovi, the son would be a young adult now and I have no idea where the mother is. End of story.
Unsolved Viewer
I’ve always thought something was fishy with the mother’s telling of the story on UM. She seemed not to show any emotion at all, and the story was just not adding up or making sense. I always thought you had something to do with it from the beginning. I guess money can buy you anything. Tragic. Wouldn’t the son know what happened then? Has he spoken about this or is he keeping mum?
Mark Houghtaling
I am not a detective but I believe she tried to ride in the back of the van but it was too hot she couldn’t hang on and she fell off suffering the blows to the Head wrist would correspond with that kind of fall I’m not an expert but I have heard similar stories children falling off the back of vehicles not having the exact injuries but I thought that then when this story first aired back in 96 till now I believe she fell off her mother’s vehicle that would explain why she was in the opposite direction and what she left at I’m not a Columbo or Perry Mason but it didn’t take much brain cells to understand that it’s very sad she’s dead but I’d life lesson that some people must pay with with their life
X24mom
I’m curious, was the mother’s car ever checked for fingerprints at the locations where it’s thought the child may have attended to grab and hold on?
Michelle
What makes you think that the whole story isn’t fabricated? The UM episode made mention that the mother took the “short” way home and the daughter took the “long” way home. If you look at the map, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The mother said this as an effort to not to put herself at and/or distance herself the so-called “crime scene”. The injuries could have been sustained at any point during the day.
The location where the mother found her could merely be a pre-planned spot.
I’m thinking that this was an accident due to careless parenting that turned into a tragedy, and a cover up for the mother.
Martin
I am afraid you are factually incorrect. Firstly Where the body was found was after the car would have been turning. Secondly Paul and Nancy remain married to this day and thirdly their son Chris died in an automobile accident while working as a Deputy with the Travis County Sheriffs Office. So you are not that “familiar” with the area.
Manda
Umm they posted that in 2017
Nicola
Martin, I think it’s you that’s talking a ‘load of crap’. Nancy and Paul did indeed divorce. Paul is now married to a woman named Patti and they live in Vancouver. Nancy still lives in the Austin area.
If you want ‘proof’ of this then take a look at the obituary of Katherine’s brother, Christopher Scott Korzilius, who sadly passed away in 2020. The obituary makes mention of his stepmother Patti and shows Nancy and Paul are no longer together and living in different places.
victoria
Paul and Nancy are divorced and have been for years
Marin
What a load of crap. All hear say and dare I say made up by you. Where Katherine was found was after “where she (Nancy) would have been turning”. Paul and Nancy remained married long after the incident. The son was killed last week in an automobile accident on his way to work for the Travis County Sheriffs Department. SO don’t mind this “End of story” garbage as if you are an authority on the subject. Like it or not none of us know what happened and all we have are theories and speculation on the topic.
Richard Hayes
Well said and 100% agree with this scenario
Chris
What about the son, was he questioned? If the mother is guilty was he covering for her? Maybe if he was questioned all these years later he would provide some new clues. Also, maybe the police should investigate friends of the neighbors who would have been periodically coming and going and wouldn’t have looked suspicious.
Stefanie
Why wouldn’t the family beg Jon Bon Jovi to get publicity for this case? As a rock star, he could easily get tons of people to pay attention to this case and help get it solved. I’m sure he was willing to do so… Maybe the family told him not to? Maybe the family is more guilty than they let on?
Samantha
Her mother said she would not have gotten into a car with someone she didn’t know I thank it was someone she knew and knew well. Because of the way she was layed out on the road like whoever put her there layed her out to be found. He was feeling guilt . It was someone she knew and knew well.
Pmorris
Look INTO THE MOTHER! SHE KNOWS MUCH MORE THAN SHE IS SAYING AND WAS MORE THAN LIKELY THE REASONING BEHIND WHY HER THUMB WAS BROKEN TO BEGIN WITH. SHE WAS FOUND ON HER FATHER’S BDAY! HER MOTHER GOT MAD HER FATHER WAS GONE.
LOOK INTO THE MOTHER.
Anonymous
It’s just a theory, but if someone picked her up, and offered to drive her home, and she accepted. Perhaps when they passed her house she knew she was in danger and jumped from the vehicle. The person may have gotten out to retrieve her, realized she had serious injuries, and driven away.
I would suggest looking into other abductions around the time of her death, with in a hundred miles or so. The kidnapper may have just underestimated little Katherine, and hadn’t expected her to jump out of a moving vehicle. If they were out to kidnap a child around that time, chances are, they found another target, and they wouldn’t have made the same mistakes twice. Who else disappeared, or was murdered in the area that same month? That will be your killer.
Anonymous
I’m sorry, but letting your child walk by themselves at 6 years old is absolutely absurd and so, so irresponsible. I don’t care if the child is ‘old’ enough to claim their independence in doing such a thing; it’s not a mystery that there are awful predators in this world that would leap on the opportunity to do horrible things to a girl of that age. This makes me furious. It could all be avoided if the parents had waited longer for their child to age and have a decent chance of defending herself. I understand there’s no point saying this now, and I don’t mean it to guilt the parents, but honestly; common sense.
amonymous
well it was a different time back then
Anonymous
More importantly, was the mail still in box? Was mail delivered that day? Simply ask the postman! Very simple…if mail was delivered.. And she grabbed it…there would have been strewn mail on her route home…..as she held on then fell!!! Jeeze! If the there was mail, and it wasn’t in the box , and it wasn’t found on the road leading to the house……then she was abducted…or offered a friendly ride…and she jumped or thrown out…and they took the mail …. Is this not clear cut if the mailman confirmed a delivery??
Anonymous
In the piece, they showed her hand the mail to her brother through the car window when she asked if she could walk home.
eric
Hi. I forgot. I should she dropped off the mail in the mail box for her mom and then walked home. I have to watch again.
Anonymous
Great call about the mail, Elliott. If it was a simple hit and run accident, the mail would have been in Katherine’s hand or near her body. Nobody’s going to stop and take mail out of her hand. That suggests a more sinister encounter with a predator type individual. The window of time such a small amount of time…It’s amazing her body ended up on the other side.
eric
no, she dropped off the mail in the mail box. then she walked home
Anonymous
The story doesn’t mention it, but I was wondering if the neighbors remember seeing any strange car or people/person around the time it happened. (Or at least in the before it happened.) It just seems bizarre that even if it was “unusually quiet” and a hot day, someone would’ve seen or heard something. No one else it their own mail at the time? No one was out walking their dog or something like that?
Anonymous
The 1990’s were wild, even for Austin. Metaphorically speaking, the fastest gun in the west, 1990’s. This case is just 20 y/o. Thanks.
Elizabeth Ellerbe
If the investigation of the girl’s murder is still open, the police are not allowed to divulge any information about the case to anyone except the girl’s family. You people really need to start thinking.
Anonymous
i had a dream about this and i didnt know about this
Someone
I lived on elder circle for a many years. I would have NEVER allowed my young children to walk home from our mailboxes without me. The way the street curves down to her house would make me apprehensive to a car not seeing a child due to the turn, PLUS there is no side walk which made it more dangerous. NO WAY I would let a young 6 yr old child walk home alone from the mailboxes on Elder Cir. Also, these home are on acre lots and not close to each other like a regular neighborhood. So the walk was quite a bit longer.
Jen
Good for you? This isn’t about you.
Beccaboo
I just watched the segment on YT with Dennis Farina. I don’t know I get a bad vibe from the mom. In my opinion she can’t look at the camera very long, she’s always looking away. I would never let my 6 year old walk home alone, I don’t care how safe the neighborhood is. Something isn’t adding up. Did the mother ever take a polygraph?
Jason
I agree. I just watched the episode. I noticed the mother wasn’t very emotional. She was very matter-of-fact about her “brain dying” and her other injuries. I detected guilt. Idk if it was b/c she let her kid walk alone, etc. Anyways, she sood out to me and they didnt go into much depth
Rinea
Left a bad feeling on me too her always looking away like she was nervous and absolutely no emotion
Unsolved Viewer
I agree. Mom is lying or hiding something. No emotion what so ever.
Jennifer
If you watched the segment Katherine handed the mail to her mother through the car window then asked if she could walk home.
Mike
Is there anyway she asked to walk mom said no and she jumped out the car or threw a.fit cause more. Said no got pushed out of car maybe that’s when mom turned around and seen her lying there she fixed her hair and.clothes then took.her to the hospital
Brittany Howard
Is it possible that the familys suburban had the automatic door lock feature. Where the doors would lock as soon as the Suburban was put into drive. I know my car has that feature. The private investigator said it would be impossible for her to hold on to the handle in the back of the Suburban because the door was opened. But if the door had automatic lock features the door would not open which could have been how she feel. Very sad. When I was 4 years old I got my finger stuck in the bumper of my dad’s older car. I can’t remember the make or the model but I know that since my fingers were so small they got stuck there is a possibility that she could have held on to somewhere your fingers got wedged and when she was finally able to let go that is how she got the head injury. I do wish that investigators would we look into the case forensic has come a long way between 96 and now
Rinea
I thought that same thing wouldn’t the back door be locked. I know in my car they automatically lock not sure if that was a feature they had back then.
Brittany Howard
I know the investigator said that she could not have held onto the door because if she would have held on to the handle the door would have opened. But I do know in some cars as soon as you put the car into drive all the doors locked is it a possibility that the mother’s Suburban had that feature. That could explain how she felt and why the door did not open. I know in our car it is set up that way it was that but the car and drive all of my doors lock. Or by chance out of habit maybe the mother locked the door as soon as she went to pull away. That being how she held on without the door opening.
Kandalina
Ok it’s almost 2017 why is this case not being relooked at? Everyone who sees this lets do something for this little girl.
Anonymous
it is not getting solved cause they are involved with a celebrity. its all about the money. and btw the story that katherine’s mother has sold us is a total fabrication.
Someone
YES! I agree, let’s help reopen this case. Its 2020! Unfortunately, in March of this year, the only other person who knows the truth, Katherine’s brother, Chris, was killed in a car accident. So terrible. Ironically, he died on Bee Cave Rd. which is the main rd leading to his mother’s house on Elder Circle. Does anyone know the steps in reopening a case?
Gary
Look for a neighbor with a pickup truck. The driver offered her a ride. She got in, but fell out as soon as the truck started forward. The driver panicked, believing her to be dead and dragged her to the weeds to hide her, then realized she was alive and decided to leave her at the side of the road to be found.
shamorderdotcom
I would put the mother on a polygraph. letting the girl walk home sounds like a lie, she also was the one who found the body (that was carefully arranged, showing it was by someone who cared for her).
nikky
she did not find her ”body” she found Katherine unconscious. Katherine died in the hospital after her mother refuse to call 911 when she ”found” her on the ground, tampered with her body by putting her in the car and went to the hospital that took 30 minutes to get to. wow. she made up the story about her being leyed out nicely with her hair all ”smoothed down”.
btw i tried to find an interview with the mother or any kind of video of Katherines family and there is Nothing. the only time i saw the mother speak was on unsolved mysteries and i cringed. truth will come out.
Havaneiss Dei
I once owned a small airfreight and expedited freight company; after our principal customer (we were contracted with Emery Worldwide) collapsed, we downsized in an effort to scale expense to revenue. Anyway, this move put me often behind the wheel of a “cube van.” The cargo floor of the van was dock-high when the van was empty.
The rear door was a roll-up type, the “apron” at the base of the door extended about half a foot (the van body was 16 feet long), and there was a 1500-lb. (capy.) tuck-under lift at the rear. When I returned from a trip, I’d scan the parking area; it appeared empty, and being eager to get out of the cab, I’d rush backwards into the parking space.
My (now ex-) wife would often hide nearby, and as I raced backwards, she’d slip through my blind spot and perch on the apron to surprise me; I still have no idea how she remained on the apron, or how she so expertly avoided my detection, or why she continued doing that after I explained the danger it presented.
Anyway, the point is that a 64-inch-tall woman — having a remarkably sedentary lifestyle and being not in any sense athletic — managed to jump from the ground and onto a tiny ledge of slick steel, and stay there without any assistance, while I braked to a stop in the minimum distance possible without crashing into a concrete wall.
My ex did this on the hottest days of Mississippi summer, and on days when the apron was covered in snow or ice.
I think it is reasonable to believe that Katherine playfully jumped onto the back of the SUV, and that she lost her grip and fell to her death, and that it is reasonable to conclude that the occupants of the SUV were unaware of her presence on the vehicle.
vini
that’s a nice story about your ex wife but at this point i think most of the people wonder Why was the Family Not Interested in solving the case. IT is not anymore(after all these years) about how she died but Why this case never got solved!! if you are reading this please give us your opinion on why you think this case never got solved!
Heather
My theory of what happened: I agree with some of you. I think someone followed this little girl after being dropped off at the mailboxes, I think that they grabbed her and put her into their vehicle, where she either struggled and fought to get free or screamed and yelled loud enough that the perpetrator pushed her or threw her out of their vehicle. It doesn’t take a lot of force for a child or anyone for that matter to fracture their skull and die from that kind of force. I also think that with the crime scene being basically in a circle, that someone from the neighborhood did this to this little girl. Either a neighbor, or someone visiting a neighbor. Most people would not travel in that direction if there is no clear way out. Most people want a through street, not a cul de sac/circle. They were purposely there. Rest well Katherine.
Anonymous
sorry but you are clearly not educated enough about this case. you have to remember that at the time of her death Katherine’s parents where wealthy and yet they have done nothing to help this case gets solved. why? why? yes this case is on unsolved mysteries( thankfully)
but other than that nothing more has been done about this case. just check Jacob Wetterling case and the depth of families involvement witch finally led to it being resolved. i know every case is different and people are different, but if you lost your child and you do not know to this day what happened to her aren’t you itchy??? AREN’T YOU ITCHY MOTHER????? TELL US THE TRUTH AND RELIEVE YOUR SOUL.
Anon
And somehow you believe you’re educated enough? Clearly you shouldn’t be telling people they aren’t educated enough to have an opinion. Your opinion is not fact, and you can’t even string it together with proper English. Get off your high horse and get a grip on the attitude. You think way too highly of yourself, princess.
Katherine's friend from valley view - Jordan
Was any DNA collected that would verify a potential perpetrator?
Laura
Im sorry but Everytime I see this story my finger goes to the singer BJ…….. watching this story and seeing how over involved he was and when he was interviewed he never looked at the camera. Everyone interviewed looked up but not BJ. After seeing this story I couldn’t listen to that man’s music no more. Seeing him back then and seeing him today just gives me chills. Rock and roll legend or not famous people have killed before. #Robertwagner. #Durst. The list goes on. Personally I think the investigators should have looked deeper.
Anonymous
Yes you are not the first one. Have you seen his last commercial? JBJ sings… ” YOU SEE WE GOT THE POWER TO TURN BACK TIME/THE SHOW YOU MISSED, LETS GO BACK AND FIND/AND LETS GO BACK AND CHOOSE SPICY INSTEAD OF MILD/AND MAYBE RECONSIDER HAVING THAT SECOND CHILD/SEE? THAT’S THE POWER TO TURN BACK TIME” It was one of the most disturbing things i have ever come across. Most people do not know about the connection between him and this case. ALSO i am highly suspicious of the mother. It could be that JBJ and Katherine’s mother had an affair and she saw them somehow. that would explain why they would want to get rid of her. it would have destroy JBJ’s singing career cause lets not forget that Katherine’s father was JBJ’s manager at the time of Katherine’s death.
Lang
You folks are nuts…Bonjovi was not chasing a middle age, mom of 2 and having an affair with her. Did you see the mother, she was not anywhere near attractive. Bonjovi was busy having hot vixens around. Highly doubt he was sniffing around the frumpy old lady…get a clue.
joey
Did they ever updates this
LUIS FREEH
SHE GOT PUNCHED IN THE HEAD FIRST SO SHE WENT TO THE NEIGHBOUR’S AND SLIPPED DOWN THE STEPS? “I” TOLD “U” HER MOTHER WAS “PUNISHING HER” THAT’S WHY SHE WALKED HOME LIKE THE OTHER DIBLINGS AND CHRIS STARTED TO CRY AND HER MOTHER “KNEW” SHE’D “TRY TO HIDE AT THE NEIGHBOURS HOME”.
sami
THINGS ARE VERY SUSPICIOUS. WHY WOULD HER BROTHER “CRY” AFTER HIS MOTHER ASKED HIM TO CHECK ON KATHERINE OUTSIDE AND HE COULDN’T FIND HER? MOST YOUNG KIDS DO NOT HAVE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS LIKE ADULTS DO. (WHY WOULD HE THINK SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO HIS SISTER) THAT MAKES ME THINK THAT THE MOTHER IS ALREADY TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAD HAPPENED TO KATHERINE. SHE IS CREATING A STORY FOR US TO BELIEVE. ANOTHER THING– SHE SAID THAT SHE FOUND KATHERINE FACE DOWN ON THE PAVEMENT WITH HER HAIR SMOOTHED DOWN, HANDS CLOSE TO HER BODY… LIKE SOMEONE LAYED HER DOWN FOR HER TO BE FOUND. AGAIN SHE IS CREATING A STORY AND TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT SHE WAS NOT THE ONE WHO HARMED KATHERINE, THAT IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE. ALSO THE MOTHER SAID SHE TOOK A CAR AND HER SON TO GO AND LOOK FOR KATHERINE. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SHE BOTHER TO TAKE THE CAR (BRING HER SON WITH HER) TO GO LOOK FOR KATHERINE IF SHE CLEARLY SAID THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE MAILBOX WHERE NOT THAT FAR AWAY. WELL….. SHE TOOK THE CAR AND HER SON WITH HER BECAUSE SHE ALREADY NEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO KATHERINE AND THAT SHE WILL BE BRINGING HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND SO THAT IS WHY SHE BOTHERED BRINGING HER CAR AND HER SON CAUSE SHE WAS FOLLOWING HER PLAN. SHE SAID THAT BOTH OF HER KIDS HAD WALKED ALONE FROM THE MAILBOXES TO THE HOUSE MULTIPLE TIMES. SO THAN WHY WOULD YOU JUST NOT LEAVE YOUR SON HOME ALONE FOR COUPLE OF MINUTES TO GO AND LOOK FOR KATHERINE YOURSELF?? IF YOU WHERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO ASK YOUR SON TO GO OUT ON THE ROAD ALONE TO LOOK FOR KATHERINE THAN WHY NOT JUST GO AND LOOK FOR KATHERINE YOURSELF AND LEAVE THE KID IN THE HOUSE?? WHY?? WHERE YOU UPSET AT KATHERINE AND YOU WANTED TO PUNISH HER BY LETTING HER OUT OF THE CAR SO SHE CAN WALK HOME THE REST OF THE WAY NOT KNOWING THAT SHE WOULD BE HARMED BY SOMEONE??
DID YOU ACCIDENTALLY STRUCK HER WITH YOUR CAR?
THERE IS NO PROOF THAT YOUR SON WAS CRYING, THERE IS NO PROOF THAT SHE WAS NEATLY LAYED OUT ON THE PAVEMENT, THERE IS NO PROOF THAT SHE WANTED TO GET THE MAIL…..
WHY DID YOU TAMPER WITH HER UNCONSCIOUS BODY?? WHY YOU DIDN’T CALL 911 WHEN YOU FOUND HER?? WHY WAS YOUR EGO MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR DAUGHTERS SAFETY???
THERE IS NO NEWS ON THIS CASE, THERE IS NO MORE THAN THREE PICTURES OF KATHERINE ANYWHERE, THERE ARE NO VIDEOS ON THIS CASE AT ALL, SHE CANT SOLVE HER OWN CASE CAUSE KATHERINE IS NOT ALIVE, WE ARE….
Abby
Yes!!! I was thinking the same thing. That mother had not a tear in her eye! I don’t care how you handle things when someone dies but when it’s your daughter and she’s in a interview like it’s rehearsed! I’m also wondering since she said she let the kids walk together if the brother walked with her this time and had did something to her where he knocked her unconscious and he came back crying to his mom like I think I killed her and then thru went and picked her up made up a story and drove her to the hospital! Sick and sad rih babygirl
Austin
My mother knew a woman who lived in the neighborhood that Katherine died in at the time. The woman’s theory was that the little girl was trampled by deer crossing the street. There are a lot of deer in that area and Katherine was found with her upper body in the fetal position, as though she was trying to protect herself. If you google “trampled by deer” you can find a lot of youtube videos showing how violent they can be. A little girl walking by herself could have seen the deer and run up to them excitedly, putting them on the defense. My only reservation with this theory is that I feel there would be more bruises on her body, but perhaps it didn’t take much for a girl of her size to be incapacitated in that way.
Julianna
I live in the Austin area and in the summer it is extremely hot. Roads and sidewalks here are so hot that walking barefoot on them can cause 1st to 2nd degree burns.According the UM show she was found laying face down on the road, bothers me because according to the ME there were no burns. if she was laying down for as long as the mother says there should of been burns. that makes wonder if the mother knows more then she is saying.just a thought…..
Ika
the mother knows much more…..there are so many problems about this case it is just unbelievable
Claire
I would closely look at the people living in that street where she lived. I see it as a hit and run, or else some pervert living in the same street who had seen Katherine walk home this way before and took the opportunity to abduct her. I would have taken DNA samples from her clothes, too…..
Tammy Thomas
It’s not that I haven’t considered the Mom but I keep thinking that if the mom and the brother were trying to keep their stories strait the police would have tripped them up at some point. It’s easier for me to believe that the mother alone or even the brother alone know something.
Annonymous
Any new leads on this case?
Anonymous
Am I the only one so skeptical of the mom that I think she could have deliberately hurt Katherine and made up the whole story and now gets away with murder? Would a son not lie to protect his mother or in fear of suffering a similar fate? 6 is too young to let them walk .25 mile alone.
Sally
I think when the mom pulled away she accidentally hit the girl who got caught upon the car and was dragged. At the turn the vehicle shifted and the girl fell off the car.
Jeff
That doesn’t explain her head injury, the coroner said her skull was so severely fractured she had to have been hit in the head several times with an object
Jmilli
This case is too bazaar. I hate to blame the parents. Although I suspect her. I would never let my child walk home after we are all in the car getting mail what’s the purpose? I don’t believe that story. She probably was thrown out of her own car could of been a sibling? After she cooled off went to get her no witnesses if how she was placed. Not in minutes time frame. That would explain the no witnesses. She retrieved her before anyone noticed. This way she won’t be charged. Despite the mystery its a very sad traumatic case. Rip .
Anonymous
Moms story doesn’t add up
Roth
20 year old case this year…….wow
I’ve often thought that maybe it was a ex client of Paul that had a grudge agaisnt him and wanted to get him back for something that may have happened in the past. Also this happened on Paul’s birthday. Weird and sad.
Lauren
Ever since I’ve seen this case on Unsolved Mysteries, it became a REAL unexplained death to me. How could Katherine be found at the different part of the street even though she took the short route back home? Why was her hair and clothes straighten out when her mom found Katherine? These were the questions that left me confused.
However, after seeing this case again, I’ve been piecing the information about how Katherine could have died: I believe that Katherine MAY have been abducted by someone and took her inside a vehicle. She may have screamed, yelled, or struggled to get out of there, so the abductor pushed or threw Katherine out of the vehicle that fractured her skull. And for some reason, MAYBE to make it not look like a horrible crime scene, the abductor layed Katherine on the street, straighten her hair and clothes so it won’t look so serious. The other information I could not explain.
This is MY theory of what might have happen to Katherine, so if there are doubts on what I’ve said, that’s ok; I’m just trying to help out.
I hope Katherine’s family have their case solved.
Ruthie
What about the brother? Could he have pushed or tripped her, maybe hit her by accident, then placed her in the road so he wouldn’t get in trouble?? I know he was only 9, but he strikes me as suspicious…..each time I’ve seen this story, it’s the thing that sticks most with me- the BROTHER.
Jeff
Her brother was with their mother other than when he went to search for her….and the coroner had said her skull fracture was so severe she had to been hit several times with an object
Jeff
TO EVERYONE ASKING WHERE THE MAIL WAS….IN THE REENACTMENT SHE HANDED THE MAIL TO HER MOTHER THEN ASKED IF SHE COULD WALK THE REST OF THE WAY HER MOTHER SAID YES THEN DROVE HOME IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
Stacyjean
What a terrible loss! At least the poor little girl didn’t suffer for long.
pizzik
no no do not say that. talking from emotions is just going to get you in trouble. Katherine had suffered the pain that you and i could never possibly imagine. you never knew her or her short life. therefore you do not know how long or how hard she had suffered. instead of underestimating this case and her pain we should be enhancing it so it can get solved already.
Johnny
Real mystery case. I think Mom would have heard or seen Katherine on back of van. She had the broken finger too. Nothing seems to make sense. They traced the scent to the vacant lot area but her body on the opposite side from the mail boxes. It must have been botched kidnapping type abduction. 1 person operation but failed. I think if 2 people were involved they would have secured Katherine in a van or car and left with her out of the area.
Ariannarose1112
I have been fascinated by this case ever since I first saw this air on UM. I sporadically follow this case other message boards and by no means am any type of expert, but I feel it necessary to mention a few points that people on here seem to be missing:
First, she gave the mail to her mom before walking away, so there would be no mail in her hand to be possibly thrown in the road IF a hit and run occurred. However….
Second, the ME reports that her injuries were consistent with a fall from a moving vehicle, there was no trauma that would indicate she was hit by a vehicle.
Third, her mother was the only one to report that she was placed nicely in the road and in such a panic how sure an she be? Human memory is not infallible, so I don’t place much validity in that statement.
While I feel that many of these theories are great and even plausible, the one thing that bothers me most is that she was 6. A 6 year old being allowed to walk alone. I don’t care how safe, and secure the area is, bad things still happen in areas such as these. And plus in the UM video the mom reported her daughter not being back for almost an hour. An hour?!?! One would think she’d be worried long before.
I feel that in some way she sat on the back or jumped on the back of the vehicle (perhaps something she’s done many times before), snd her mom knew she was there, so she drove slowly. Her body was found by the turn, so this would be the place to fall off and lost her grip since she was injured. When she fell off, her mother knew about it and panicked like anyone would, so she fabricated the story about allowing her to get the mail. I work in a hospital and have seen horrendous head injuries (and yes even death) resulting from minor head trauma. And a skull smack to unforgiving concrete is by no means minor. This is just my opinion and I would love to hear what others think. That’s what makes this case so interesting, yet so frustrating. In the end, I think her mom knew about it and was accidentally involved in some way. The most compelling and objective evidence in this case is the ME findings: her injuries were consistent with that of a fall from a vehicle. Ok, I’m done.Thanks for reading!!
Jeff
Hi please am not trying to make an argument or say you are wrong but a private investigator noted that Katherine’s thumb was broken and in a splint making it impossible for her to hang on…the investigator also pointed out that it was a very hot day in august and the back of the vehicle would have been extremely hot…all im saying is that seems to disprove that theory…but at the same time I don’t any more than you
Johnny
Great Discussion Elliott and Joe. My guess the mother asked her if there was mail in the box or saw the mail in her hand. Otherwise, she would have just hopped back in the van. There has to be a way to solve this case. In the recreation, the way Katherine was just positioned neatly means she couldn’t have been thrown from the vehicle. She had to be placed there which means a possible witness out there. Hope they solve the case.
Elliott
I can moreso believe that a child of her age would want to deliver mail over just walking home from the mail boxes. Where did the mail end up? That’s my question. Even after all these years, with no resolution, we don’t see details in minutia, which would be important to include… So I’m thinking she had the mail (maybe not the important things, but maybe so) and whoever went and murdered this sweet innocent girl took the mail?
Johnny
I find it strange that Nancy would let Katherine walk home with the mail. 6 is very young even in an excellent neighborhood. It was a hot August day and she could have just picked up the mail and hopped in the van. I know Katherine had done it before. Nancy probably haunted by that decision. When I was young, I walked to the convenience store with my older sister or mother. Sometimes with a few friends. Never alone. They showed the picture of the vacant lot in the Unsolved Mysteries recreation. It looked overgrown with some trees. Would have been a perfect place for a criminal perpetrator to hide and attack. Who knows how long he stayed there. Probably 10 people got their mail but the young girl was the perfect target. It was a small window of time. Don’t know how Katherine’s body was on the other side of the road. A real mystery. But then again…The criminal type could have seen a woman with 2 young children pull up to the mailboxes and attacked at that time. Could have forced her to go home and robbed the place. Seems like this criminal was familiar with the area and the family.
Johnny
I was a big fan of the Unsolved Mysteries series in its prime. Remember this show vividly because it was a real mystery. Anybody could have been hiding in that vacant lot. There would be skid marks or broken grill work maybe glass if a car was racing around the complex. It sounds more of a predatory crime. Some man watched the girl a few times getting the mail and decided to act. From the small window of time, it suggests a possible abduction kidnapping gone wrong. She could have known this man. I remember in my old Psyc and CRMJ classes that placing the body in that position shows a sign of guilt and remorse. A real mystery like that Unsolved Mysteries case in Fla who disappeared. Can’t remember her name but was in the Spring Break movie.
umfan
I think you are talking about Tammy Lynn Leppert. She went missing from Florida back in ’83. She was in that movie Spring Break as well as having a bit part in Scarface. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Anonymous
A hit-and-run would have left skid marks somewhere, if she was hit by another mother which was mentioned as a theory because of the way the child was laid out, she would have slammed on the brakes and tire marks would have been near the body. Possibility of being in the wrong place at the wrong time maybe someone in a parked vehicle, opportunity was there, grabs her quickly, when she was in the vehicle she gave that person a hard time, he or she slammed her head against the window to possibly knock her out to quiet her, if the door wasn’t closed all the way she may have fallen out. If it was sexual I don’t think she would have been placed the way they say. A woman who abducts children for adoptions, sex slavery, or herself may have.
traci
Hard to imagine that this mystery hasn’t been solved yet?
Malinke
Vers sad story…
I find it odd that the mother decides to drive the girl to the ER instead of calling 911.
Malinke
Very sad story… I find it odd that the mother carry the little girls injuried body into the car and drive her to the emergency room, instead of calling 911. Especially when she’s aware of the risk of moving a injuried person of making it worse. But maybe that is what a mother in panic would do.
justice for Katherine!!
that is what a sicko mother would do. killer mother.
Anonymous
They can’t say that no on saw or heard anything you would think if she was abducted she would be screaming or calling for help. Someone must of known something. Just doesn’t make sense.
Jeff
Unless she knew and trusted the abductor and therefore got in their car willingly
bob
Has anyone else thought about some words in this story like: she had a broken finger and having been to the ER before knowing the way very well? Sounds kind of abusive to me.
Jeff
I should hope that any parent would know the way to the closest ER….kids get sick or fall and stuff like that…just saying you shouldn’t be so quick to assume things
Maris
My theory is that maybe someone who was aware that Katherine’s father was Jon Bon Jovi’s manager planned a kidnapping involving one of the Korzilius kids in order ask for a hefty ransom knowing that possibly JBJ (a multi-millionaire celebrity) would help his manager out with the money. This case is mind-boggling…
Nonyma
Wow…Amber Hagerman (who inspired the amber alert) was murdered in Arlington in January of 1996. Then of course there’s Jonbenet-3 young girls mysteriously killed in the same year, does anyone else suppose it could be the same person?
Justin Mays
Disturbing but its very likely. i personally think a pedophile serial killer murdered all three girls. whoever it may be i don’t know. much like the Zodiac, Jack the Ripper, the black dahlia murder, there’s theories on suspects but none have been solved. JonBenet haunts me cuz i was just 7 myself in 1996. bothers me that the murders of the three children you mentioned still haven’t been solved after 20 years
Kerry M
It doesn’t make sense to me that a homicidal maniac would just happen along at precisely that moment and choose to quickly murder a little girl. It makes much more sense that someone hit her, accidentally, checked on her, thought she was dead so arranged her from maybe a very awkward position?, then left. It could be a young person who did not know how to check for vital signs. She may have been crossing the street just as they came along, at too high a speed?
This is just such a sad and mysterious case.
Luigi
This is the most intelligent answer I’ve seen yet. I cannot believe some of the wild conclusions others have drawn. For the parents, at this point they need to stop agonizing over how the hammer came down or why. What matters is that she is gone and they need to deal with that and begin healing. Closure is a psycho-babble myth that parents in this situation will tell you gives you temporary relief but it’s the actual loss and not the circumstances around it that ultimately matter. What if a video showed up of her being hit by a deer showed up. Would that make it better?
GWEN DESMOND
DO THE FAMILY KNOW SOMEONE NAME JR OR JB OR JOHNNNIE RAY BOSEWELL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME TO ME I DONT NO IF THIS MEAN ANYTHING OR NOT.BUT EVERY SINCE THIS THAT NAME NEVER LEFT MY MINE.
Anonymous
I recently say the preview with the unsolve crime I don’t know but feel A connection with the name BJ too and not JB they really need to look into this case it has stayed unsolved for too long and the guilty person needs to be caught please the guilty person needs to clear their conscience and come out and I feel that it’s someone connected to the family
curious commenter
I suspect she was hit accidentally by someone in the neighborhood, or a worker who may have been an illegal. The person panicked and laid her where she would be easily found. Maybe even another mother in the neighborhood. A person in panic mode doesn’t necessarily think straight. :/
umfan
I wondering was Katherine ever examined to see if she had any DNA on her? Maybe if she had been a victim of a possible sexual attack or even she had struggled with her abductor she would have skin cells under her fingernails if she had tried to scratch or claw at them.Very sad case, I have lived in Austin and have lots of family there so this story kinda hits home
Jeff
Police said there was no evidence of sexual assault
Cowboys
Yes but she said she wanted to be independent so she probley would have said no
tweety
My thoughts on case is maybe if someone in neighborhood who knew the family with a truck, may have offered her a ride and maybe she accidentally fell off. If so, this may be why they placed her so neatly in the road because they felt badly about what happened.
Caitie
I don’t buy the theory that she jumped up and grabbed the back of her mom’s car. Especially with a broken finger, it doesn’t make sense. Something else happened to her….and somebody knows something.
Angie
I am responding to tweety’s comment. That’s exactly what I heard when I watched that documentary all those years ago, about the mystery of her death. Somebody had said, I don’t remember who, I think it may have been Jon Bon Jovi, because he was doing some of the talking on the show, that he believed, or somebody believed, that the little girl was picked up by someone that she knew, either a family friend, or possibly a neighbor, and that she had somehow fallen out of the back of the vehicle, and the person felt bad, because it was an accident, and they neatly, gently laid her on the road where she could be found. I don’t remember if there was any sexual trauma found on her, I don’t think so. But I do remember that Jon Bon Jovi had composed a special song for the little girl, in her memory, and I remember how uncomfortable he looked as he sang it. I guess he was too upset to cry.
Angie
I am adding a comment to the one I made earlier. Upon reading more about Katherine’s death, I just came up with a last minute thought or idea that may or may not be any kind of consulation. I am totally in complete respect, and understanding, about this dear little girl’s parents wanting to solve this mystery, and to know what happened to her. But if this was not an accident, then the guilty person is not confessing, and maybe it might be better if they didn’t know exactly what happened, because the truth might be too horrible to have imagined, maybe the details about her death are too overwhelmingly awful, worse than they could have handled, and maybe it’s a good thing they don’t have that image in their minds. I know that I myself would not want to know all the gory details, if something like this had happened to my daughter, who’s 18. I just know I couldn’t handle it. It would torment me, and eat at me, if I had those images in my head, for the rest of my life. But if they ever caught the guilty person, or persons responsible, then the detectives would eventually find out all the details, via the questioning and interrogation. It’s a terrible thing no matter how you look at it. I’m glad that there has been so much effort and support, from her parents friends and neighbors, and even from Jon Bon Jovi.
Rebecca
Who could have driven up and took her? Was it someone she knew from Elder circle, maybe the hired help or a stranger? It seems the individual or individuals knew the area vey well, she was on the other side of Elder circle when they found her, the individual or individuals committed this crime without been seen or caught and left the area. Very strange. Someone knows something they’re just not talking. So sad for that child and her family.
jms
This has bothered me for years since i was a young girl watching the tv show with my family.
I remember the play out of everything.
Still bothers me to this day what happened.
I hope her family gets closure one day.
press
I feel the same way. This show aired when i was a small child and her death still bothers me to this day.
Motomom
Ann I see you used the word “They”! How do you know it was more then one person?
Jeff
I believe some people tend to use the word “they” whether they mean more than one person or not
franky
This murder is really but really weird and theres something weird and fishy about this because first of all she gets murdered in 1996 at the age of 6 in august 7 and later theres the murder of jonbennet ramsey in december of 1996 and she was also 6 years old and her birthday was on august 6 the day before katherines murder so i know this 2 murders are related.
johnny depp fan
Thanks for pointing this important information out, as I was not aware that Katherine and JonBenet were both the same age at the time of their deaths.
And I certainly was not aware that they were both murdered the very same year.
MJ
You don’t know that they’re related. You’re basing this assumption on them dying in the same year, being the same age when they died, and Katherine dying the day after JonBenet’s birthday. If they’re related, then what is the connection? Why is it significant that Katherine died the day after JonBenet turned six? Why not kill her on JonBenet’s birthday if the date is significant? Really, there are a lot more differences here than similarities, and it seems to me that instead of looking at the two cases separately and seeing similarities, you’ve looked at the cases as related and tried to make this fit by grabbing at tenuous straws such as two girls – who seem to have been otherwise unrelated – dying in the same year, who happened to be the same age.
Mel
The best theory I found so far was that she was running from a abductor, ran into the empty lot (where the hounds found her scent) where she was subdued and taken to a vehicle. In the vehicle she suffered the head wounds and either jumped or was pushed out of the car, beeing that she really was making too much of a fuss.
Ann
“They” could have prevented her from screaming, physically or with a verbal threat. She could have also accepted a lift from someone she knew – then realized she was in danger. When you look at Elder Circle on Google Maps, the blocks are fairly large with the houses set back from the street. If there was a vacant block in 1996,that could mean that the area was still being developed and maybe not all of the houses were occupied. It was a Wednesday, so most people would have been either coming home from work or still working. It was also a hot day, so if people were at home they would have been inside keeping cool instead of hanging around outside. Unfortunately it doesn’t take much for a opportunist to take advantage of an unguarded moment.That’s why they’re opportunists. Even at 20 mph you can still crack your head on the pavement and sustain a fatal head injury or an injury that can result in you not been able to breathe properly and as a result have the oxygen supply to the brain cut off resulting in brain death.
Steven
Im supprised at the lack of evidence and eye-witnesses, was there really no one around when this happend, if she was abducted she would of screamed and someone would of heard it, this is a residential area, someone should of been there.
Aaron
I was thinking the same thing. My mental image is of a residential street with houses next to each other. But if you look above in the “map” of Elder circle, it only shows their house and the vacant lot. Maybe they just didn’t include them because it was pointless, or maybe there were no other houses around them. After all, they seemed well off financially. I wish this post was more detailed. Many things just don’t seem to click. Like driving down a residential street, what were they going 5-10mph? How could anyone die from falling off of or out of a car going at that speed? Even if they were going 20 mph, it’s still hard to swallow.
And if it was a hit and run, why wasn’t that car seen by anyone at all, considering it was “exceptionally quiet” that day? AND the fact that this all happened within a ten minute time frame. Minus the minute or 2 it took them from the time she dropped the girl off to when they pulled into their driveway, and the minute or 2 it took her to get in the car and drive over to find her. That leaves a 5 to 7 minute window for someone to see this poor girl, decide to kill her, and take off. I don’t know what everyone else thinks about this, but to me it just seems like something is way off. It just doesn’t make much sense.
Rose
I have been doing research about the whole thing for a week now
boiii
wtf