Murdered Teen's Family Still Seeks Answers Eight Years Later

Family of Marissa Karp returns to Hallandale on anniversary of killing

A day before the eighth anniversary of the murder of his teen daughter in Hallandale Beach, dad Gary Karp is still searching for answers.

August 19 marks the 8-year anniversary of the murder of 17-year-old Marissa Karp, who was shot in the head and her body stuffed into a plastic bag and dumped in the Everglades.

For Karp, the memories of daughter Marissa are still fresh, even if there are no fresh leads in the case.

"We're not going to forget about the case, we're going to stay on top of this every day of every year until we get these people put behind bars," Karp said Wednesday. "And believe me, we will do it."

To help with Karp's search for his daughter's killers is an 80-foot digital billboard off I-95 at Hallandale Beach Blvd., put up just last week. It features a huge photo of Marissa with the question, "Who murdered Marissa Karp?" in big white letters.

As of now, there are no suspects and no motives in the murder. Brother Josh Karp, just a few years older than Melissa, said catching the killer is consuming the family's lives. 

"It means the world, nothing's more important, nothing," he said of his sister's murder investigation.

The Karp family will be holding a news conference to discuss more details in the case later Wednesday. Whether or not a killer is caught, it's clear the family will never forget their loss.

"One of the most amazing things in this world and she was taken from us," said an emotional Josh Karp. "Can you imagine living with that for the rest of your life?"

Anyone with information about Marissa Karp's murder is asked to call Broward County CrimeStoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

Contact Us