Cold Case Files: The 2002 death of Karen Sue Bean remains an enigma to investigators over 24 years later

In the normally quiet town of Ola (Yell County) , the morning of January 8, 2002, started like any other for many residents. But for the family of Karen Sue Bean, it marked the beginning of a mystery that has lingered for over two decades.

Bean, a 49-year-old reading recovery instructor at Ola Elementary School, was found dead in her home just outside the city limits. What began as a suspected homicide has since become one of Yell County's most puzzling cold cases, with an autopsy that left more questions than answers.

Karen Bean was a dedicated teacher who had worked in the Ola School District for 24 years. She lived in a ranch-style house off Highway 10 with her two children: 14-year-old son Matthew Pattermann and 18-year-old daughter Alana Pattermann.

Alana was pregnant at the time and expecting Bean's first grandchild. Bean was separated from her husband, Don Bean, who lived in nearby Lamar. Despite the separation, they stayed in touch, and Don called Karen at 7:40 a.m. that day to wake her up for work.

The day took a tragic turn when Bean did not show up at school. Alana's fiancé, Rocky Gist, went to the house around 10:10 a.m. to check on her. The outside doors were locked, so he used his key to enter. Inside, he found Bean lying face down on the floor near her bed.

A cordless phone was under her body, and a comforter was wrapped around her. She was wearing a T-shirt, panties, and bra. Gist checked for a pulse but found none. He called for help, and paramedics arrived soon after. At first, they thought she might have rolled off the bed and accidentally smothered herself in the comforter.

Yell County Sheriff's Office responded quickly. Given Bean's age and lack of known health problems, investigators treated the scene as a possible homicide from the start.

Sheriff Bill Gilkey told reporters on January 11 that he was confident an arrest would come soon. A search warrant was obtained for the home, where Bean and Alana had bedrooms across from each other, and Matthew's room was at the other end of the hall.

Alana had stayed home that day due to her pregnancy and was a heavy sleeper. Her bedroom doors were closed. Matthew had been up late doing homework and did not wake until Gist arrived. Through their attorney, the children said they had no knowledge of what happened.

The initial investigation focused on the details of the scene. There were signs that pointed to foul play, including small bruises on Bean's right arm and left side of her face, an abrasion on her chin, and a bitten tongue.

Early reports suggested suffocation, possibly combined with a seizure. But the full autopsy, completed by the Arkansas State Medical Examiner and released on July 31, 2002, changed the outlook. It found no drugs or alcohol in her system, no evidence of a stroke or heart attack, and no major injuries like a head trauma that could have kept her from getting up.

The report stated, "No anatomic or toxicologic cause of death could be ascertained. The position of the body at discovery suggested an asphyxial mechanism, but this could not be diagnosed with certainty."

One theory from the autopsy was traumatic positional asphyxia. This could happen if someone was knocked down from behind, held face down with weight on their back, and suffocated. There were no petechial hemorrhages in her eyes, which are common in strangulation or suffocation cases, but experts later noted that this does not always rule out asphyxia. Bean's medical history showed no conditions that would lead to such an event on their own.

Even after the undetermined ruling, the sheriff's office kept the case open as a homicide investigation. Six months later, Sheriff Gilkey said his team had "a very good idea" of what had occurred and that the case had been narrowed significantly.

By 2006, lead detective John Foster told local media they were "down to one" unnamed suspect. Despite this, no arrests have been made, and the identity of the suspect has not been publicly revealed.

Bean's sister, Metta Holman, has spent years seeking closure. She turned to Parents of Murdered Children, a support group for families of homicide victims. Through their Second Opinion Services, she consulted forensic experts. Charly Miller, a forensic nurse death investigator, reviewed the case and said the findings fit positional asphyxia but stressed the lack of reliable witness accounts made it hard to confirm.

Dr. Harry J. Bonnell, another expert, agreed Bean was asphyxiated but could not say for sure it was homicide, as other explanations like a fall or seizure could not be ruled out. Holman believes her sister was murdered and has expressed deep frustration over the lack of answers.

The case has haunted the small community of Yell County, where Bean was known as a caring educator and mother. Her death came at a time of family milestones, with Alana giving birth the same day. Holman's grief highlights the pain of unresolved cases: about 37 percent of murders in the U.S. go unsolved, according to FBI data. For families like hers, the wait for justice feels endless.

As of 2026, the death of Karen Sue Bean remains classified as undetermined. The Yell County Sheriff's Office has not released new information, and the case sits cold. Investigators once seemed close to a breakthrough, but without fresh evidence or a confession, it may stay that way.

For those who knew Bean, the mystery is a reminder of how quickly a normal day can turn into a lifelong search for truth.