The disappearance of Rodney Lynn Grissom and Karen Jean Lee remains one of Oregon’s haunting unsolved missing persons cases. Rodney was only 14 years old, and Karen was 15, when the two teenagers vanished in May 1977 after reportedly planning to run away together. Their story began as a teenage escape, but it soon turned into a decades-long mystery involving a final phone call, a remote wooded area, and belongings found miles away from where they were last known to be.
Rodney Lynn Grissom is most often listed as missing as of May 24, 1977, while Karen Jean Lee is generally listed as missing as of May 26, 1977. Although the official missing dates and locations have sometimes varied across summaries, one of the most important places connected to the case is Lebanon, Oregon. That is where the teens made what is believed to be their final known contact before they disappeared completely.
Their case has continued to draw attention because of the unsettling details surrounding their disappearance. They were young, they were believed to be hitchhiking, and their possessions were later discovered in rugged terrain near the Highway 20 corridor in Linn County, Oregon. No confirmed remains have ever been found, and no one has ever been convicted in connection with what happened to them.
Two Teenagers Planning To Leave
Rodney Lynn Grissom was a teenager with ties to Oregon communities including Albany and Hillsboro. He was 14 years old when he disappeared. He was described as small in build, with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time he went missing, he was believed to have had a backpack with him, reportedly marked with his name or initials.
Karen Jean Lee was 15 years old and had ties to Cornelius, Oregon. She had moved to Oregon from Wisconsin and was described as a teenage girl who had struggled with the transition in her life. Like many teenagers, Karen wanted independence and a sense of control over her future. Rodney and Karen reportedly became close and discussed leaving Oregon together…