Overview

Last Seen Alive:
Karen was last seen on September 17, 1987 in Colorado Springs.

** disappearance:**
She was reported missing by her family after failing to return or make contact.

Body Discovered:
On May 10, 1988, her remains were found in a field near Curtis Road and Falcon Highway in El Paso County.

The body was discovered after being spotted from the air by pilots, and subsequently identified through fingerprint records by authorities.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Name: Karen Denise Aguilera
Age: 23
Location: Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, USA
Case Type: Homicide (unsolved cold case)

📅 Timeline of Events

Last Seen Alive:
Karen was last seen on September 17, 1987 in Colorado Springs.

** disappearance:**
She was reported missing by her family after failing to return or make contact.

Body Discovered:
On May 10, 1988, her remains were found in a field near Curtis Road and Falcon Highway in El Paso County.

The body was discovered after being spotted from the air by pilots, and subsequently identified through fingerprint records by authorities.

⚖️ Investigation & Cause of Death

– The cause of death could not be definitively determined due to the advanced decomposition of her remains, but investigators are treating it as a homicide.
– The case remains open and unsolved.

🧠 Case Characteristics

– Aguilera was described as about 5′0″ tall and 100 pounds at the time of her disappearance.
– At her death, she was 23 years old.
– News reports and cold case files indicate she had prior contact with law enforcement, including a 1986 conviction for selling LSD and a 1987 bench warrant for failing to meet probation requirements, but there’s no public indication these are connected to her homicide.

🧩 Current Status

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation list this as an unsolved homicide cold case and continue to seek information from the public.

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Facebook Post for Criminal Case:

Karen Denise Aguilera was last seen September 17th, 1987 in Colorado Springs, Colorado and her body was discovered May 10th, 1988 in a field outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her murder remains unsolved 39 years later.

Karen was last seen alive in the area of Pikes Peak Ave. and Academy Blvd. on September 17th, 1987. She was reported missing by her family in October. It was unlike Karen to be out of contact. Karen was the mother to three young children – 5, 4, and 2, at the time. She had recently pled guilty to selling LSD in November 1986 and had been put on 4 years probation. Karen never missed a probation meeting until she disappeared. Karen had also been arrested for sex work in August 1986 along S. Nevada Ave. in Colorado Springs. She was known to frequent Acacia Park at the time.

On May 10th, 1988, pilots were flying low over a field near Curtis Rd. and Falcon Hwy when they spotted a body. They landed, walked in, discovered a deceased woman and called in police. Cause of death was undetermined due to the state of the remains but it was labeled a homicide. It had also been determined her body was in the location for at least 6 months. She was identified via fingerprints.

Karen was deeply loved by her four siblings and her parents. They wrote and shared birthday wishes for Karen in local newspapers after her homicide, advocating for justice for her, and sharing their love for Karen.

Please contact the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office at (915) 538-2292 with any information in the murder of young mother Karen Denise Aguilera, referencing case # 88-3053.