Karen Severson and Laura Doyle

For the average teenage girl, life is full of angst, uncontrolled emotions, and raging hormones. It’s normal to be jealous of others and envy what they have. However, for Karen Severson she let that jealousy turn into murder. The object of her jealousy? Her childhood best friend, Michele Missy Avila.

Michele and Karen became best friends when they were only eight years old. Michele saw Karen as something of a body guard, protecting her from those who were bullying her. As the two grew up though, they also grew apart. Karen began to see less of Michele, as she was seen as more popular and attractive. Michele began to instead spend her time with boys over her best friend.

Karen became jealous of the attention that her best friend was getting and began to spread rumors about her around school. She said that Michele was sleeping with numerous boys, and some of those boys had girlfriends. These rumors resulted in Michele being beaten by a group of girls who accused her of sleeping with their boyfriends.

The junior year of high school for the girls was no better. Michele began to date a boy named Randy but broke off the relationship after only a month due to his constant partying. Karen swooped in and began dating Randy. At one point she saw Randy pull Michele into his lap and this infuriated her. Michele wasn’t interested in having a relationship with him and even advised Karen that she should end the relationship. Karen promptly stopped speaking to Michele after this incident.

Shortly before Michele’s death the two had a physical altercation at the park. Karen threatened Michele with a broken beer bottle and then pushed and slapped her.

On October 1, 1985, Michele told her mother that she was going out with her friend Laura Doyle. Little did she know that she wouldn’t come back alive. Laura picked Michele up and the two drove to the woods near Colby Canyon. About four hours later, Laura called Michele’s mother, Irene, asking to speak with her. When Irene said that she thought her daughter was with her, Laura explained that she had dropped Michele off with a group of boys and went to get gas. When she arrived back, both her and the boys were gone.

Three days later Michele’s body was found face down in a stream in Big Tujunga Canyon in Angeles National Forest. A four-foot log was laying across her back to weigh her down. Her hair had been chopped off and she had been forcibly drowned.

Irene never suspected that her daughter’s two friends had anything to do with the murder. Laura and Karen both attended the funeral, with Laura sending a sympathy card to the family and $20. Karen moved in with Irene after her daughter’s death.

Karen became obsessed with the investigation. She would frequently visit the creek where Michele’s body was found and had newspaper clippings of the crime and pictures of Michele all over her bedroom’s walls.

The case went cold until 1988, when Eva Chirumbolo came forward with information. With this information, Karen and Laura were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The prosecutors stated that the girls lured Michele to the creek and began to yell at her about how she was sleeping with so many boys. They both accused her of having sex with their boyfriends and told her that she had messed up too many relationships. The two girls then held Michele’s face down in the water and placed the log on her back to keep her down.

In 1990, both girls were found guilty of second-degree murder. The jury hadn’t agreed that the murder was premeditated and rejected the first-degree charge. They were both sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Karen was released in 2011, after serving 21 years and Laura was released a year later, after serving 22 years. Karen found work in telesales and now tours schools and fronts an anti-bullying campaign.

Sources:

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/murderer-killed-best-friend-school-17358828

https://www.dailynews.com/2012/12/10/last-woman-convicted-in-missy-avila-murder-released-from-prison-on-monday/

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