The Killer Was Among her Friends: The Michele "Missy" Avila Case

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Michele "Missy" Avila with me today. In October 1985, 17-year-old Michele “Missy” Avila vanished after going for a ride with her close friends, girls she trusted implicitly. She never came home. Three days later, her body was discovered face-down in a shallow creek within Angeles National Forest, her waist-length hair hacked off and a heavy log placed on top to hold her down.As the investigation turned cold, grief wove into betrayal. One of Missy’s supposed best friends, Karen Severson, even moved in with Missy’s grieving mother, portraying herself as a comforting presence while hiding unimaginable guilt. Three years later, another teenage peer, Eva Chirumbolo, broke the case wide open, leading authorities to arrest Karen and another friend, Laura Doyle, for second-degree murder.Both were eventually convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life. Karen Severson was released in December 2011 after serving 21½ years; Laura Doyle followed in December 2012 after 22 years behind bars.