Unsolved Homicide:

Listen Here

Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Stitcher iheartradio Pandora Anchor Breaker Radio Public

Background:

Kristin was born on January 12, 1965 to Phyllis & Michael O’Connell. She was big sister to Kyle O’Connell and the family lived in Burnsville, Minnesota. Kristin was beautiful, kind, and described by those who knew her as an “old soul”.

She loved horses, nature, and sitting down and getting to know people.

Leading up to Kristin’s Murder

In the summer of 1985, Kristin traveled from her home in Minnesota to Ovid, NY, to visit a young man, Jim. The two had met 5 months earlier in Captiva Island, Florida, and immediately hit it off. After staying in touch through letters and phone calls, Kristin accepted an invitation to stay with Jim and his parents for a week.

Kristin was excited for her trip and hoped she and Jim would enjoy a fun, possibly romantic week at The Finger Lakes. Things took a dramatic turn when Kristin arrived in Ovid. Jim informed her that there was a change of plans and he had rented a small trailer that sat next to The Golden Buck, a neighborhood bar and restaurant. It was later reported by locals that Jim had acted distant toward Kristin and took extra shifts at work, often leaving his guest alone all day.

2 days into her trip, Kristin called home and told her mother she was cutting her trip short. She didn’t elaborate.

The Night of Kristin’s Murder

TOn Wednesday, August 14th, 1985, Jim and several of his friends were drinking and partying at the trailer. Kristin confided in one of the friends, that she felt Jim was ignoring her. At approximately 11:30 PM, Kristin announced she was going for a walk and she exited the trailer. This wasn’t unusual for Kristin as she would often take night walks to star-gaze and clear her head.

Witnesses later reported seeing a young woman walking down the rural road barefoot. She didn’t appear to be in distress. A little after midnight, witnesses heard what they described as a “blood-curdling” scream coming from the area of a cornfield near Jim’s trailer. Nobody called the police.

Kristin didn’t return to the trailer that night and neither Jim nor his friends contacted the police. They finally reported her missing the following afternoon, and a search was underway that evening. In later interviews, friends of Jim would provide contradicting stories on why Kristin left the trailer & why she may have been upset. Some witnesses told investigators that Jim had one or two girlfriends in Ovid and had been purposely avoiding Kristin.

Kristin’s Body is Found

On Thursday, August 15th, upon hearing the news that his daughter was missing, Mike O’Connell got on a plane from Minnesota and headed straight to New York to help search for Kristin. Her worried mother and brother waited at home by the phone.

On Friday, August 16th, just after 5 pm, firefighters and police officers came upon Kristin’s body while conducting their search. She was found in the cornfield adjacent to where she’d taken her walk. She was naked and had been brutally murdered, with her throat slashed and clothes laying next to her. Due to heavy rain the night before, much of the evidence had been washed away.

Current Status

It’s been almost 40 years and no arrests have been made. Through the years, Kristin’s case has passed through the hands of many investigators. DNA has been mishandled, the original investigator had a BCI report hidden in a drawer that wasn’t found until 20+ years after Kristin’s murder. Private investigators have interviewed over 100 persons of interest and witnesses.

Ovid, NY is a tiny village with just over 600 residents in 1985.

Someone knows something.

If you have any information about Kristin’s case and want to submit a tip, please do so by contacting:

The New York State Police:

(585)398-4125

A petition started by Advocate Jolynn Rice calls for

NYS police to provide an exemption to Othram Labs

so they can assist in testing case evidence in the

Unsolved homicide of  Kristin O’Connell,

murdered in upstate, NY in 1985.