Despite decades of forensic investigations and a high-profile trial, her missing person case has never been resolved.
With a $1,000,000 reward still on offer, this unsolved mystery continues to captivate investigators and the Coober Pedy community.
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| Karen Williams |
The Day of Disappearance
On August 3, 1990, 16-year-old Karen Williams spent the evening with friends at the Opal Inn bar in Coober Pedy, South Australia.
Later, she attended a private party at Sergio’s Restaurant, a popular spot in the small mining town.
The night seemed ordinary, filled with laughter and music, but soon it took a tragic turn.
In the early hours of Saturday, August 4, between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., Karen and three friends left Sergio’s Restaurant on foot.
They were picked up by a young man in a vehicle and driven to the corner of Medway Drive and Lehman Place.
At this point, Karen’s friends exited the car, leaving her alone with the driver.
A short time later, Karen and the driver were seen at the Caltex Service Station on Hutchison Street in Coober Pedy.
Witnesses reported that the two appeared to be getting petrol before driving off.
The vehicle was then seen heading south along Hutchison Street before turning left onto the Stuart Highway.
This was the last confirmed sighting of Karen Williams.
When Karen failed to return home, her family grew concerned and quickly filed a missing person report with the local police department.
The report triggered an immediate investigation, with police retracing her steps and interviewing witnesses.
Despite extensive searches of the surrounding area, including disused mineshafts and remote stretches of the Stuart Highway, no trace of Karen was found.
The events of that night remain shrouded in mystery.
What happened after Karen and the driver left the Caltex Service Station?
This question has haunted investigators and the community for over three decades.
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| Karen Williams |
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| The cars believed to be involved in her disappearance |
Mr. Nikola Novakovich’s Arrest
More than two decades after Karen Williams vanished, the case took a dramatic turn in 2013.
Nikola Novakovich, a 42-year-old former resident of Coober Pedy, was arrested and charged with her murder.
Novakovich was implicated as the last person seen with Karen on the night she disappeared, making him the prime suspect in what had become one of Australia’s most baffling cold cases.
According to the prosecution, Karen had been given a lift by Novakovich after leaving Sergio’s Restaurant in the early hours of August 4, 1990.
Witnesses reported seeing the two together at the Caltex Service Station on Hutchison Street before they drove off, never to be seen again.
Additionally, the case against Novakovich was bolstered by claims that he had confessed to friends about his involvement in Karen’s disappearance.
One witness testified that Novakovich allegedly admitted to shooting Karen because she had witnessed him and an associate, Aleksander Radosavljevic, commit an armed robbery.
Another witness claimed Novakovich had confessed to raping and strangling her.
These alleged confessions, combined with his being the last person seen with Karen, formed the basis of the charges against him.
Mr. Nikola Novakovich’s Trial
The trial began in 2016, with Novakovich facing charges of murder and, alternatively, manslaughter.
The prosecution argued that Karen’s disappearance was not voluntary and that Novakovich had killed her to silence her about the robbery.
However, the defense highlighted significant inconsistencies in the witness accounts.
For instance, one witness claimed Novakovich had shot Karen, while another said he had strangled her.
Novakovich’s lawyer, Marie Shaw QC, argued that the discrepancies made it impossible to establish a clear narrative of what had happened to Karen.
Justice Tim Stanley, who presided over the trial without a jury, ultimately found the evidence insufficient to convict Novakovich.
In his verdict, Justice Stanley stated, “Having considered all of the evidence in this matter, I am unable to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused killed Karen Williams, let alone that he did so with the specific intent of killing her or inflicting grievous bodily harm.”
He also noted that the lack of forensic evidence and Karen’s body made it impossible to determine how she died.
On August 12, 2016, Novakovich was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter charges.
The verdict reportedly left Karen’s family devastated and the community in shock.
Outside the courtroom, Karen’s brother, Kym Williams, expressed the family’s frustration: “Twenty-odd years we’ve been waiting, and there was a 10-second verdict. How do you think we feel?”
Despite the acquittal, the case remains open, with police continuing to investigate.
Novakovich, now free, has maintained his innocence, and the mystery of what happened to Karen Williams endures.
Ongoing Efforts and Recent Developments
Despite the passage of over three decades, the search for Karen Williams and the truth behind her disappearance has never ceased.
Law enforcement, volunteers, and Karen’s family have tirelessly pursued every possible lead, hoping to bring closure to this haunting cold case.
In the years following Karen’s disappearance, extensive searches were conducted across Coober Pedy and its surrounding areas, including some abandoned mineshafts.
Early investigations focused on these mineshafts, as rumors circulated that Karen’s body might have been disposed of in one of them.
However, despite thorough searches, no remains were found.
In 2012, the case was reopened, and new leads prompted fresh investigations, leading to a trial in 2013.
In recent years, the search for Karen has intensified.
In 2020, the South Australian Police Major Crime Investigation Branch, with the assistance of SES Coober Pedy Mine Rescue volunteers, launched another extensive search of disused mineshafts.
Using aerial photos and satellite imagery dating back to the 1980s, investigators identified several areas of interest.
Over four mines were excavated during this operation, but unfortunately, no remains were recovered.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray, who led the investigation, emphasized the importance of community involvement.
“We know there are people with precise knowledge about the location of Karen’s body,” he said.
“I encourage those people to come forward and assist the police.”
A $1,000,000 reward remains on offer for information leading to the recovery of Karen’s remains or a conviction in the case.
Karen’s family has never given up hope.
Her brother, Kym Williams, has been a vocal advocate for keeping the case in the public eye.
“We just want to bring her home,” he said in a recent interview.
“It’s been over 30 years, but for us, the pain is still fresh.”
If you have any information about Karen’s disappearance, no matter how small, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or visit their website.
Together, we can help bring Karen home and provide her family with the closure they deserve.
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