Vigil Marks 15 Years Since the Unsolved Murder of Karen Bodine

Event Also Honors Life of Case Advocate Who Recently Died

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Friends and family of Karen Bodine, a Thurston County woman who was murdered in January 2007, were prepared for the 15th anniversary of the day Bodine’s body was found on the side of a road in Rochester to be a difficult reminder of the woman they’d lost and the fact that her murder has not yet been solved. 

But the anniversary was difficult for another reason: It was held one month after Mitchell Davidson-Link, an avid supporter of efforts to raise awareness for Karen Bodine’s cold case, died unexpectedly at the age of 33. 

“I just think every one of us should think about how precious life is. Because in the instance with Mitchell, it was very sudden and fast, no one expected it to happen,” said Colleen Eshom, at a joint vigil held for Karen Bodine and Davidson-Link at Karen Bodine’s memorial near Rochester on Saturday.

Davidson-Link was the fiancee of Karlee Bodine, Karen Bodine’s oldest daughter. 

“Karlee has been so great at advocating for mom and doing podcasts and all the interviews and just relentlessly trying, but … it takes two to make something happen, and Mitchell allowed her to do that, it was something that he felt passionate that she pursue,” said Taylor Bodine, Karen Bodine’s youngest daughter. “It was because of him … that we are probably here right now, and it's something I’m so thankful for,” she added. 



Karen Bodine, a 37-year-old mother of three, was found dead at the entrance to a gravel pit near Rochester on Jan. 22, 2007. She was naked and positioned on her back, her head resting on an abandoned vehicle seat. Authorities have ruled strangulation as the cause of death. 

“Unfortunately there’s still no answers or anything, that’s why we’re here,” said Karlee Bodine. 

The case has been featured on numerous podcasts and, most recently, on Investigation Discovery’s show “Still a Mystery.” The episode highlighting Bodine’s case, titled “A Community Betrayal,” aired Wednesday, Dec. 15, and is available to watch on multiple streaming services, including Discovery Plus and Hulu Plus.  

Anyone with information about Bodine’s case is encouraged to contact Detective Mickey Hamilton at the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office by calling 360-786-5500.