Candlelight vigil to mark 19th anniversary of Karen Bodine’s homicide in Thurston County

A candlelight vigil has been planned for the case of Karen Bodine, the 37-year-old mother of three from Thurston County who was found dead near a gravel pit in Rochester on Jan. 22, 2007.

“This gathering is not only an opportunity to honor Karen but also a solemn reminder of the enduring impact of unsolved cases on families and communities,” wrote Vance Lehnherr, a forensic genetic genealogist and cold case victim advocate.

The vigil will take place on Jan. 22, 2026, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Littlerock Road and Sargent Road in Rochester.
“Family, friends and supporters will come together to stand against the silence that surrounds her story,” Lehnherr wrote. “Karen Bodine’s children have spent nearly two decades without their mother, and those responsible for her death remain unidentified. This vigil underscores the lasting pain of unresolved cases and the urgent need for justice.”

The public is encouraged to attend.

Authorities have ruled Bodine’s cause of death strangulation but have not made an arrest in the case in the 19 years since her body was found.

Evidence from the crime scene was sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for advanced forensic testing in March 2023, and Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders committed that same year to meeting quarterly with Bodine’s family to provide updates and ensure continued communication.

In June 2024, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office launched a two-person dedicated cold case and missing persons unit dedicated to working on cases like Bodine’s.

Sheriff Derek Sanders last year renewed the TCSO’s commitment to solving Bodine’s case.

“It’s one of those things where we can never guarantee outcomes for law enforcement, but with the right public support, we can guarantee effort,” Sanders said during a vigil held on Jan. 18. 2025, pledging that “the effort from the sheriff’s office will be there” in 2025.