Warning: This article discusses the topic of rape, which some readers may find upsetting.
Kelsey Grammer has shared his experience regarding the tragic murder of his sister, which occurred five decades ago.
The 70-year-old actor has opened up about the loss of his sister, Karen, in his recent book. He discusses how her death profoundly affected his family over the years.
At the age of 20, Grammer was informed by police in Florida that a body found in Colorado Springs was suspected to be that of his 18-year-old sister, Karen.
Grammer and his family traveled to Colorado the following day to confirm that the unidentified body was indeed Karen’s.
They discovered that she had been brutally raped and stabbed 42 times on July 1, just weeks shy of her 19th birthday.
It was determined that her death was caused by Freddie Glenn and his accomplices, who were on a killing spree in the state in 1975.
In his book, “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” Grammer recounts the terrifying details of his sister’s last moments and the ongoing impact on his life for 50 years.
Grammer’s last conversation with Karen was on June 30, during which they planned to reunite in Florida after the Fourth of July. Tragically, Karen never made it.
After not hearing from her again, Grammer contacted the police.
The Golden Globe recipient later found out that just hours after their phone conversation, Karen had gone to work at Red Lobster. She was waiting outside when she encountered Glenn and his two accomplices.
Initially intending to rob the restaurant, they instead pulled a gun on Karen and forced her to go with them.
According to police records, she asked, “For what?”, which Grammer describes as a reflection of her typically bold demeanor.
The robbery was abandoned, and Glenn then tied Karen up, taking her to an apartment where the men raped her in turns.
Glenn stabbed her multiple times in an alleyway, almost decapitating her, before leaving her behind.
In a desperate attempt to seek help, Karen managed to crawl approximately 400 feet from the stabbing site, but she succumbed to her injuries at a home’s doorstep.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Grammer stated, “For a long time, the grief was so dominant that I couldn’t access happiness. The book helped me get to a new place with that.”
The actor grappled with the decision to include the ‘graphic’ details of Karen’s murder, ultimately concluding that while it is ‘not pleasant or comforting,’ it serves as ‘ammunition to keep Freddie Glenn in jail’.
Glenn, the serial murderer and rapist, is currently serving a life sentence, with his next parole hearing scheduled for 2027.
Grammer also struggled with the concept of forgiveness following her death, saying, “You don’t want to eat yourself to pieces because you can’t forgive somebody. But it’s hard to forgive a person who consciously decided they wanted to murder somebody you love.
“I can give you forgiveness, but you’re not going to get out of paying for it.”
Beyond the tragic loss, Grammer wrote the book to ‘breathe life’ back into Karen, calling her a free-spirited soul.
“We were Kelsey and Karen, brother and sister,” he said.
Grammer’s life has been marked by additional tragedies, including the 1968 shooting of his father, Allen, and a 1980 shark attack that killed his half-brothers, Billy and Stephen.
“Karen: A Brother Remembers” is set to be released on May 6.
If the content of this article has affected you, you can reach out to The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7, or chat online at online.rainn.org.
If you have experienced a loss and need someone to talk to confidentially, contact GrieveWell at (734) 975-0238 or email [email protected].