Katharina Buczek
Then, following an investigation of the area, Kristin’s body was discovered in a cornfield just under a quarter of a mile away from the man’s trailer.
She was found without clothes, soaked from the rain, and had multiple stab wounds. Her throat had also been slashed.
Autopsy and toxicology reports later revealed that Kristin was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of her murder. Authorities also found no indication of assault.
The New York State Police have since shared their belief that Kristin’s murder was a “crime of opportunity”– supposedly having been committed by a random passerby of the upstate town.
Nonetheless, not a single arrest was ever made, and countless rumors have swirled among community members regarding Kristin’s perpetrator.
Cold Case Advocacy: End The Cold Case Backlog, an organization that advocates for reform in New York State homicide cases, created a Facebook group entitled Justice for Kristin O’Connell.
There, Kristin’s family members and the organization’s leaders have shared updates surrounding her case.
And most recently, a GoFundMe campaign was created for the Kristin O’Connell Foundation in order to raise the reward offering for anyone with information. There, the New York authorities’ lack of transparency in Kristin’s case was also highlighted.
“The State Police have recently rejected an offer to participate in a documentary series about Kristin’s murder and refuse to make a comment to the media about their decision,” the campaign began.
“Seneca County District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz has never returned a phone call or responded to an email from the victim’s mother… Please support our efforts to bring justice to Kristin.”
So far, the GoFundMe– which was launched with a goal of seventy-five thousand dollars– has raised just shy of five thousand dollars from fifty donors.
