“Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer is revealing the harrowing truth behind the brutal 1975 murder of his 18-year-old sister, Karen Grammer — a tragedy that changed the course of his life forever.
In his newly released memoir Karen: A Brother Remembers, Grammer shares painful memories and deeply personal revelations about the horrific crime that has haunted him for nearly five decades.
📚 A Crime That Changed Everything
When Grammer was just 20, he received devastating news: his younger sister, Karen, had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered in Colorado Springs.
Karen, described as a “funny, free-spirited” teen, had moved to Colorado shortly after high school. On July 1, 1975, she was abducted by a group of men during a failed robbery attempt at the Red Lobster restaurant where she worked.
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She was stabbed 42 times, nearly decapitated, and left to die.
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Despite her injuries, Karen crawled nearly 400 feet seeking help.
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She knocked on a trailer door — but her final plea for help went unanswered.
😢 A Brother’s Endless Grief
Grammer flew to Colorado the next day to identify Karen’s battered body — a moment that marked him forever.
“The murder killed a corner of my heart,” he writes.
In his memoir, Grammer reflects on the deep bond he shared with his only sibling. He recalls their childhood together and shares the guilt he still carries for not being able to protect her.
“She was the love of my life… I was supposed to save her. I could not.”
🔍 The Chilling Truth About Her Final Moments
For years, Grammer believed that someone had tried to help Karen in her final moments.
But during a 2022 visit to the crime scene, he uncovered a gut-wrenching truth — the man who found her didn’t help. He merely called the police after leaving her to die on the stoop.
“Her legs still on the steps, her head on the ground… a clenched fist pointing — to nowhere.”
Karen’s bloody fingerprints traced her path along the trailer walls, showing her desperate final crawl.
🔒 Justice and Forgiveness
Freddie Lee Glenn, one of the killers, is still serving a life sentence. Though Grammer once said he forgave Glenn, he has always opposed his release.
“You may live with remorse, but I live with tragedy every day,” he told Glenn during a parole hearing.
The memoir, Grammer says, is also “ammunition” to ensure Glenn remains behind bars.
🎭 Fame, Pain & Healing
Grammer’s grief led to years of substance abuse during his time on Cheers and Frasier. His co-stars even staged interventions to help him recover.
“It’s remarkable that I survived,” he shared.
Despite his fame and Emmy wins, the pain of Karen’s murder never left him.
🌅 Honoring Her Memory
Grammer's emotional return to Colorado Springs in 2022 was part of his healing — and a tribute to Karen’s short but radiant life.
“She was a poem, a light,” he writes.
“This is your story, Karen. I hope you like it… It holds our love. Forever yours, Kelsey.”
