Five years later, family still seeks answers in the disappearance of Karena McClerkin

Karena McClerkin was 18 when she was last seen on Oct. 11, 2016, in the 1000 block of South Washington Street in Kokomo, Indiana. Since that night, her family has continued to fight for answers.

Five Years Without Answers

Karena’s grandmother, Gerry, has pushed relentlessly to uncover what happened to her granddaughter. Before she vanished, Karena told her grandmother she planned to attend a party with a boy she was meeting that evening.

“The last thing my granddaughter said to me – she held my hand and said, ‘I’ll be alright, grandma,’” Gerry told WRTV.

However, Karena never made it home. In a 2019 anniversary report, WRTV revealed that she left the party and walked to a nearby BP gas station. Surveillance cameras captured her there. Witnesses later claimed they saw her get into a vehicle in an alley, but the car and the people inside remain unknown.

After five years, Gerry fears Karena’s case has not received the attention it deserves because Karena struggled with drugs and is of mixed race. Karena had been making plans to seek help for her drug use, but she disappeared before she could begin treatment.

Family Continues to Plead for Community Support

“I just want the community to step out for her. Five years is too long,” Gerry said.

Karena is a sister, aunt, daughter, and granddaughter. Her three‑year‑old niece is named after her. During these years, the family has searched tirelessly.

“Over 500 miles in and around Kokomo… We have covered every woods we’ve driven by. We’d stop and knock on the door to see if we can walk through their woods,” Gerry told WRTV.

Investigators Pursue Leads but Find No Breakthrough

Police executed search warrants and followed leads over the past two years, but none produced new information.

In 2018, the McClerkin family hired four private investigators to help pursue additional leads. Despite these efforts, Karena’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Description of Karena McClerkin

Karena McClerkin

At the time of her disappearance, Karena stood 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed between 130 and 135 pounds.

• She is biracial (Black and White) with red or auburn hair and brown eyes.
• She wears prescription glasses and has pierced ears.
• She also has two tattoos: a round symbol on the inside of her right forearm and “RIP” with angel wings on her upper right arm.

Karena goes by the nickname “Ree.” She was last seen wearing a black midriff shirt, a gray hooded sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and brown sandals.

$50,000 Reward Still Offered

A $50,000 reward remains available for information that leads to answers in her case.

Anyone with information should contact Kokomo Police at 765‑456‑7017 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317‑262‑8477.

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