Rodney ”Rod” Grissom & Karen Lee
Missing: May 1977 Last Seen: Hillsboro & Albany, Oregon Ages: Rod (14), Karen (15)
Rodney Grissom, known as “Rod” to his family, was a typical 14-year-old living in Hillsboro, Oregon, navigating life in a blended family with its challenges. In 1977, he met Karen Lee, a 15-year-old who had recently moved to Albany, Oregon, from Wisconsin. Despite living 80 miles apart, the two formed a bond strong enough to hatch a plan, they would run away to California for what they hoped would be a better life.
On May 24, 1977, Rod left home. Karen followed two days later, on May 26th, 1977. At one point, Karen called relatives in Wisconsin. During the brief phone call, she told them they had to go because their ride had arrived, and then abruptly hung up. That was the last time anyone heard from either teen.
Police were notified, and searches began. But it wasn’t until November 1977 that the first clue surfaced: items belonging to Karen were found in a remote area. Reports vary, but some say the items—a blouse she made for a school project, a single-tied shoe, and a journey or notebook—were discovered strewn about or bundled together. Her purse was also found nearby; loggers reportedly emptied it and discarded it.
Five years later, items belonging to Rod were found in the same general area about a quarter-mile away. These included his wallet (with ID and money), a watch stopped at 4:50, a jacket with cigarettes and a screwdriver in the pocket, a keychain with a house key, and a pair of Levi’s still buckled. His large, bright orange aluminum-framed hiking backpack, labeled “R. Grissom,” was missing. It was later rumored to have been pawned in Bend, Oregon, though there was no record of who pawned or purchased it. The backpack remains missing to this day.
In 2018, the Netflix documentary Ghosts of Highway 20 brought national attention to the crimes of John Ackroyd, who was linked to several disappearances and murders along the Highway 20 corridor during that same era. Could Rod and Karen’s disappearance be connected to him, or is someone else responsible? The questions remain.
Rod and Karen have never been found. Their families still search for answers, holding onto hope and justice.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Rod or Karen, please contact the Linn County Sheriff’s Office at 541-967-3950.
NCMEC ~ #1190160
NamUs ~ MP14013
411GINA.org ~ #12-275 & 77-7725
The Charley Project
Thank you to Rod’s cousin, Deni Watson-Grove, for the story and some of the pictures!!
Ongoing Search for Rod & Karen
Each year, when the weather allows, Ryan quietly returns to the area where some of Rod and Karen’s belongings were found, searching the dense, unforgiving terrain for any sign of them. He does this not as part of a job, but from a place of deep commitment and care. With the help of a small, trusted team, he continues to walk the woods, hoping to bring answers and peace to a story that has remained open for far too long.
While their remains have never been found, the search continues.
