Dave and Christie Carlsen
Real Name: Karen "Katie" (last name unrevealed)
Case: Lost Daughter
Location: Mason City, Iowa
Date: June 22, 1974
Case[]
Details: In 1973, 18-year-old Dave Carlsen and 16-year-old Christie Wismer were high school sweethearts who dated for six months. Shortly after they broke up, Christie discovered that she was pregnant. She soon told Dave and they talked about getting married. Four months later, however, her father discovered that she was pregnant; he was furious and told her that she had to give the child up for adoption. She was not allowed to see Dave, so marriage was out of the question.
On June 22, 1974, Christie gave birth to a baby girl, but she was immediately taken away. Christie's mother walked her over to the nursery and they were able to get a brief glimpse of her. The next day, the adoption agent showed up and had Christie sign the adoption papers. She and Dave never saw their daughter again. Both went their separate ways; they each married, had children, and later divorced.
In 1995, Christie returned to Iowa for her high school reunion. She learned from friends that Dave wanted to see her. They spoke on the phone a short time later and reconnected. They began dating again and on June 22, 1996, they were married. Now, they want to find their long lost daughter. All they know is that she was born on June 22, 1974, at a hospital in Mason City, Iowa, and may have been named "Karen".
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired on the September 13, 1996 episode and was updated in the September 27, 1996 episode.
- It was excluded from the FilmRise release of the series.
Christie, Katie, and Dave reunited
Results: Solved. On the night of the broadcast a woman named Mary Jacobs saw the story and believed that her daughter-in-law, Karen "Katie" Jacobs, was the daughter that Dave and Christie were searching for. She lives in Fort Myers, Florida and is married with a child of her own. That night, Christie was at the telecenter and talked to her on the phone.
Three weeks later, she, her husband, Rick, and their daughter, Michaela, were reunited with Dave and Christie.
Links:
- Karen on Unsolved Archive
- Karen Update on Unsolved Archive
- 6 Mysteries That Were Solved After Being Featured on Unsolved Mysteries - June 13, 2018