A Connecticut judge has declared a mistrial in the case of an 11-year-old girl who was raped and murdered, following the emergence of new information about evidence from decades ago.
Marc Karun, 60, faced charges of murder and kidnapping in connection with the death of Kathleen Flynn, as reported by FOX 61.
Flynn, a sixth-grade student, was allegedly attacked while walking home from Ponus Ridge Middle School in Norwalk on September 23, 1986. Her lifeless body was discovered in a wooded area along a path leading to Hunters Lane.
The tragic case of Kathleen Flynn, who was abducted on her way home from school in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 23, 1986, saw her body later found in nearby woods. (Norwalk Department of Police Services)
For years, the case remained unsolved until Karun was arrested at his residence in Stetson, Maine, in 2019.
During last week’s proceedings at the Stamford court, prosecutors unveiled an email from retired Norwalk police lieutenant Robert Fabrizzio. The email revealed that shortly after Flynn’s body was found, a state crime lab officer had informed him that she had been placed in a used body bag, according to FOX 61.
Fabrizzio reportedly informed prosecutors that he was concerned about the possibility of evidence contamination in the case, leading Judge John Blawie to declare a mistrial – though he did not dismiss the charges against Karun.
Marc Karun, 60, was on trial on murder and kidnapping charges stemming from the alleged killing of Kathleen Flynn in 1986, according to FOX 61. (Norwalk Department of Police Services)
The state crime lab officer who made the revelation about the body bag was 87-year-old Henry Lee, a famous forensic scientist who previously worked on the O.J. Simpson murder trial and worked as the head of the lab at the time, according to FOX 61.
Lee died last month.
“We’re obviously disappointed by this turn of events, especially for the family members of Kathy Flynn, who have waited 40 years for justice and some degree of closure,” State Attorney Paul Ferencek said in a statement, FOX 61 reported.
Kathleen Flynn was kidnapped while walking home from Ponus Ridge Middle School in Norwalk, Connecticut on Sept. 23, 1986. (Google Maps)
Prosecutors are now working with the medical examiner’s office and state crime lab to verify if the revelation is true.
The information surrounding the body bag was reportedly a surprise to crime lab officials, agency spokesperson Rick Green said.
“This is all a surprise to us. We stand by our testimony in the case,” Green said in a statement to Fox News Digital, adding the agency has no further comment.
Karun previously served 10 years behind bars after being convicted of sexually assaulting or kidnapping four other female victims throughout the 1980s, FOX 61 reported.
DNA testing technology advancements and the case’s similarities to Karun’s other attacks reportedly lead investigators to take him into custody in 2019.
Shortly after Karun’s arrest, police found nearly 90 guns inside his Maine home, which he was barred from owning as a convicted felon, according to FOX 61.
In 2024, he pleaded guilty to federal gun charges stemming from the allegations and is set to be sentenced this summer.
Karun remains in custody on a $5 million bond.
The State’s Attorney’s Office and Karun’s defense counsel did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
