Cold Case Files: Did testifying in 2005 drug trial in Tulsa lead to foul play against 42-year-old Oklahoma woman?
- Dennis McCaslin
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
On the night of December 26, 2005, 42-year-old Karen Faye Heim vanished from west Tulsa;
A familiar face in local courtrooms, Heim had testified earlier that year in a methamphetamine trial involving her ex-husband and others. Her own legal history included a 2001 felony arrest, reportedly alongside several individuals acting “in concert.”
Whether her cooperation with authorities played a role in her disappearance remains an open question.
Karen was last seen around 10:00 p.m. leaving her parents’ home. Witnesses later placed her in both Tulsa and Sand Springs the following day, but those sightings remain unconfirmed.
On December 27, her tan 1988 Buick Electra Park Avenue (Oklahoma plate TNM937) was discovered abandoned on Farm-to-Market Road 1159, roughly twelve miles north of Clarksville, Texas--over 200 miles south of Tulsa.
The scene was chilling. All four doors of the vehicle were open, and the car had been wiped clean of fingerprints.
Inside were Karen’s personal belongings: her purse, keys, Social Security card, driver’s license, cash, and a toll receipt. There was no sign of struggle, but the circumstances strongly suggested foul play.
Karen had no known ties to the Clarksville area, and her family was baffled as to why she would have traveled there. Despite a history of depression, those close to her said she had been in good spirits leading up to her disappearance.
She was described as 5'4", 135 pounds, with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a tattoo of a cross on her ankle.
Nearly two decades later, Karen’s case remains unsolved. The Tulsa Police Department and the Red River County Sheriff’s Department continue to investigate, but no solid leads have emerged. Her disappearance is one of many haunting cold cases that straddle the line between personal tragedy and possible retaliation.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Karen Faye Heim, please contact the Tulsa Police Department at (918) 596-9122 or the Red River County Sheriff’s Department at (903) 427-3838.
