The Murder of Karyn (Hearn) Slover
For this case I watched a new show called Cold Blood. On Discovery+, they have seasons 3-6 available, so this is season 3 episode 4 titled ‘Ties That Bind.’
A 23 year old mom is killed, and it would take a few years and dog hair to solve the case.
Background
Karyn Hearn Slover was a 23 year old mom. She had gotten divorced from her son Kolten’s dad, Michael Jr., after two years. Michael Slover, Jr., had been abusive and controlling, which he probably learned from his parents.
Karyn lived and worked in Decatur, Illinois, but she dreamed of being a model. On the day she went missing, it’s reported that she had received a call to make her dream a reality. However, someone else had other plans for her.
Karyn
Disappearance
On September 27, 1996, a police officer found an abandoned car on Route I-72. Macon County is about 40 minutes from Decatur. The car was still running, the lights were on and the doors were open. Sheriff Jeff Thomas ran the license plate, and it came back to a man named David Swann.
When the police called David, he said his girlfriend, Karyn was driving his car. David said Karyn was supposed to leave her job at the Decatur Herald and Review at 5pm, and then pick up Kolten, from her ex-in-laws house.
The police searched the car for more clues. Inside the car, there was a few items scattered around the front seat, but it look stages. The police also found pieces of cinder in the front seat.
The police wanted to do some more testing, so the car was taken in for evidence. This was now a missing persons case, and Karyn hadn’t been seen or heard from since 5pm.
Investigation
The police’s first theory was that Karyn had left town with another man. Karyn’s family and friends said she would not have abandoned Kolten. Kolten was the light of Karyn’s life. She was always gushing about him, and she had pictures of him on her desk.
The police were told that Karyn was supposed to go dress shopping for an upcoming wedding. She was going to leave work, pick up Kolten and then go to the mall. The police went around to various stores, nail and hair salons with Karyn’s picture. No one had seen Karyn.
Karyn’s loved ones put of missing person flyers, and the Herald and Review put out a $10,000 reward for any information. David Swann, Karyn’s boyfriend, also led the charge to search for her.
A Discovery
Two days after Karyn disappeared, a man was out boating at Lake Shelbyville. He found a garbage bag, and wanted to discard it, but when he picked it up it didn’t feel like garbage. The police were called in.
The bag was tied, duct taped, and inside there was another bag. Inside the two bags, a human head was discovered. There were several other bags found floating in the water. The bags were all the same, tied, duct taped and double bagged, and inside were more body parts. The police also searched the bridge above the lake, and found a blood drop and fingerprint.
The body parts were taken to Coroner Lynn Reed. The body was very well preserved due to being inside two bags. Lynn Reed was able to determine that the victim was shot multiple times in the head, which was the cause of death. The dismemberment happened after the victim died, and it was most likely done with a power tool.
Lynn Reed obtained Karyn’s dental records, and it was a match.
There was also something very weird about the bags and the duct tape, dog hair was found in the tape. There was also cinder found, and concrete blocks to weigh down the bags. Someone really wanted Karyn dead, and to never be found.
David Swann
The police now had a murder case on their hands. The first suspect was David Swann, Karyn’s boyfriend. The police were suspicious. David had talked with several TV and media channels, and inserted himself in the investigation. The police didn’t think he was sincere.
It was also discovered that Karyn and David were only dating for about a month, despite David telling multiple people that they were going to get married.
David also had a sketchy background. He had impersonated a police officer, and was arrested for it. He also spent time in a mental institution. The police were suspicious, but they didn’t have proof or a motive.
The police questioned David about his alibi that night. He said he had gone to a dinner rehearsal for an upcoming wedding. However, it was discovered that David had shown up late that night, and his movements were unaccounted for, for about two hours.
David was eventually ruled out as a suspect. He had remembered that he had gone to an ATM that night. The police went to check out the ATM surveillance and David was captured on camera.
The Slover Family
With David ruled out, the police turned to Michael Sr., Michael Jr., and Jeannette Slover. The police discovered that Karyn’s in-laws did not like her, especially after Michael and Karyn divorced. Karyn had gotten custody of Kolten, but the rule was that Kolten had to stay with Michael and Jeannette while Karyn was at work.
The police questioned Michael Jr., about his alibi. He said he was working at his day job at Cub Foods, he left around 3:30pm, and then went to his night job as a bouncer. He said on the way to his second job, he talked to an officer. The police thought Michael really wanted to be seen that day, or were suspicious.
A week later, the police received a tip from one of the Slover’s neighbors. He said that there was suspicious activity going on at the Slover’s used car lot, Miracle Motors. He said that the Slover’s were out cleaning the property, which they never did. He also said they were burning items.
The police wanted to search the Slover’s property, as well as question Michael Sr., and Jeannette about what they were doing that night. Michael Sr., and Jeannette didn’t have an alibi, even though they tried to create one.
The Slover’s denied to take polygraph tests, and hired attorneys.
The Search of Miracle Motors
Two weeks after Karyn died, the police obtained a warrant to search the property, as well as their phone records. They discovered that the three of them talked dozens of times on the weekend Karyn died.
There was no evidence found. The police knew in their guts that the Slover’s were responsible for Karyn’s death.
They became even more suspicious after Michael’s sister, Mary, adopted Kolten. Mary, Michael Jr., and Kolten all moved to Tennessee.
The police didn’t give up, even though Karyn’s case went cold for two years.
The Dog Hair DNA
Something really bothered Detective Michael Maddix, he asked if he could try something different to get answers in this case. He asked if they could look at it from a scientific perspective.
The police hired Richard Munroe, a forensic specialist. He was hired to look at the concrete that was found in the bags. He said that the concrete and dog hair was consistent with the concrete and dog hair from the Slover’s auto yard.
Many pieces of evidence were collected. The police collected soil, and hair from the Slover’s black labs were collected. The Slover’s had put their dogs down after this evidence was taken, which is so so sad.
While the police were examining the soil, which was now in small pieces, they found a button. The button looked like it was from a blouse. The police wanted to exhume Karyn’s body. Meanwhile, the police received a call that confirmed that the hair found in the duct tape matched a black lab named Cassie.
The buttons were also a match to Karyn’s shirt and another one was found matching her designer jeans.
Arrests, Trial and Convictions
On January 26, 1999, Michael Sr., and Jeannette were arrested. Michael Jr., was also arrested, but at his new home in Tennessee. All three said they were innocent.
Michael Sr., Michael Jr., and Jeannette
The police’s theory was that Karyn had received a call at work from a modeling agency, and was going to leave Georgia with Kolten. She told Michael Jr., who was outraged and then he told his parents. The three of them made a plan to stop her from taking Kolten. The police believe that when Karyn came over at 5pm that day, Jeannette shot her multiple times. Michael went to work, and then dismembered Karyn, and threw her body in the lake.
On May 18, 2002, all three were found guilty of first degree murder. They were all given the same sentence of 60 years in prison, but Michael Sr., and Jr., received 5 extra years for concealing a crime.
Other
In 2003, the police questioned if Mary Slover had been aware of the crime or if she was apart of it. Mary lost custody of Kolten, and Kolten is now being raised by Karyn’s parents, Larry and Donna.
The Illinois Innocence Project believes the Slover’s are innocent, and they in 2010, they requested that the fingerprint found at the lake be tested again. It was denied. Shame on them. I feel like this group could find people who are actually innocent to help, these people clearly aren’t.
The Slover’s in a more recent photo
FINAL THOUGHTS
These people are terrible, terrible people. Karyn had every right to pursue her dreams and take Kolten with her. They did not have the right to take her life. They also didn’t think about how this would affect Kolten, nor did they care. I am mind blown that an entire family took someone’s life. These people are monsters and they deserve to rot and die in prison.
Kolten is a victim too, and I hope that he has a better life now that he is being raised by Karyn’s parents.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Karyn_Hearn_Slover
https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2020/12/23/karyn-slovers-killers-an-update/
https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/current/slover/
Correction: I previously wrote that this case took place in Decatur, Georgia. This case actually took place in Decatur, Illinois. We all make mistakes, and I apologize.
