A well-known Washington State chiropractor and her husband have vanished into thin air, but authorities describe the disappearance as suspicious.
On Monday, authorities went to the residence of Karen Koen and her husband Davido, to conduct a welfare check after one of them didn’t show up for work.
According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, authorities determined both were missing along with their car, but the vehicle was located at an intersection about five miles from Koep’s practice.
Joe Blade, who owns a realty company at the same location as Koep, said, “I saw her around Wednesday of last week.”
On Thursday, Koep’s office said in an answering machine that the office was closed “due to an emergency” and directed callers to another chiropractor’s clinic.
Koep’s sister Pauline D Dutton said, “My sister is the strongest woman you’ll ever meet in your life. She is probably selfless to a fault, she doesn’t have the time to take care of herself sometimes because she’s always giving to others.”
“We are in complete shock as a family and have no idea what to do. My sister and her husband were supposed to visit us in Oregon during Thanksgiving week. Its a family tradition,” she added.
In comments to the press release posted on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook page, well wishes poured in from those who know Koep, including many patients.
“I can’t believe I’m reading this! I don’t know what to say or do as she has been an important part of my entire family’s life,” wrote one person who has been her client for more than 20 years.
“She’s a kind and loving person can’t imagine it being anyone who knew her,” wrote another person.
Karen and her husband have been missing for over a week at this time and authorities believe them to be dead.
After further investigation, police think that the couple had an altercation with their tenant and that he might be the murder suspect. On Friday, investigators arrested the suspected killer as he was hiding along a trail not far from the murder scene.
The mans name has not been mentioned by authorities because criminal charges have not yet been filed, but he went before a judge on Monday where probable cause was found for two counts of premeditated murder. The suspect remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
It appears Koep and Davido, who went by a single name, were shot and then their bodies were loaded into the trunk of their car. Court documents say deputies found a blood trail at the couple’s home to the garage that would be consistent with where the trunk of the car would be.
According to court documents, the couple’s credit cards were being used after they disappeared, and there was video showing the man making the transactions. Investigators conducted surveillance and took a man into custody for identity theft. Court documents say the man was carrying a semi-automatic pistol in his pants pocket when he was taken into custody.
The man was ultimately released for lack of sufficient probable cause, but investigators learned he was a tenant at a home owned by Davido. Deputies believed the renter had mental health issues and had previously contacted law enforcement to complain that Davido was trying to evict him.
The Washington State Patrol crime lab then provided a match for the firearm taken from the suspect and used cartridges recovered from the murder scene. Investigators located the suspect again and took him into custody.
“I don’t think this man is stable and I hope he gets the help he needs. I want to hate him but we are a family of faith, and it’s not my job to hate and it doesn’t help the community,” Dutton said. “We just want to be representative of how my sister and her husband were. We are going to continue to keep spreading love and kindness.”
