A Woman Walked Away From A Party 16 Years Ago And Was Never Seen Again, Authorities Say

Authorities are raising awareness about a missing person case involving a woman who walked away from a party 16 years ago in the area of Grundy and LaSalle counties and was never seen again.

Karen McGovern was last seen late Sept. 26 or early Sept. 27 of 2010 walking away from a house where she had attended a party in the 600 block of East Bluff Street in Marseilles, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

McGovern lived in Seneca with her husband and daughter, and she was believed to have been heading back to Seneca the night she disappeared, but it was her mother who reported her missing over a month later after she had not heard from her daughter for an unusual length of time, the sheriff’s office said.

McGovern’s cellphone was last used around Marseilles the night she vanished and there has been no bank activity associated with her, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted foul play is suspected.

McGovern, who also went by the name Karen Kurecki, was 53 with brown hair and eyes when she disappeared, authorities said, adding she was 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 150 pounds.

“Our Office has a dedicated team of investigators focused on missing persons cases that have gone unresolved for an extended period of time,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 773-674-9490 or email ccso.missingpersons@ccsheriff.org.