138: Lois and Karen Williams: A Mother, Daughter, and the Shadow of Melvin Chelcie Carr

In January 1967, Lois Williams and her 17-year-old daughter Karen disappeared from their apartment on East 21st Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Inside, everything appeared untouched: coats hanging in the closet, a lamp left burning, and Karen’s schoolbook still open where she had been studying the night before. Neither woman was ever seen again. Years later, investigators would begin to suspect local service station owner Melvin Chelcie Carr — a man accused of violence against women and girls spanning decades, including rape, coercion, kidnapping, and sexual assault. After Carr’s shocking death in 1977 alongside the bodies of three murder victims, authorities reopened older disappearances connected to him, including the case of Lois and Karen Williams. Police excavated Carr’s garage and backyard searching for evidence. They never found Lois or Karen. In this episode, we examine the disappearance of Lois and Karen Williams alongside the disturbing pattern of violence surrounding Melvin Chelcie Carr, a man some investigators feared may have been responsible for far more crimes than were ever proven. More importantly, we remember Lois and Karen themselves: a mother and daughter whose lives were interrupted, whose absence was deeply felt, and whose story deserves to be told with care. This episode contains discussions of sexual violence, coercion, violence against women and children, and suspected serial violence. 📍 Indianapolis, Indiana | January 25, 1967 📖 Featuring an original poem written in her honor, read by Megan Storm, host of the podcast A Simpler Time. ➡️ Help bring attention to missing and unidentified women—subscribe and share this episode. 📍 Find us on Instagram & Facebook. 📚 Get Aimee’s book, Doe, now available via University of Akron Press, Bookshop.org, and Amazon. 📰 For more women-centered true crime content, subscribe to Aimee’s newsletter, GIRLHUNT. More about Megan Storm: Megan is the creator and host of A Simpler Time True Crime, a podcast that revisits unsolved cases from decades past and challenges the idea that a simpler time was necessarily a safer one. Through thorough research and a victim and survivor-centered approach, Megan explores forgotten mysteries, overlooked victims, and the lasting impact these cases have on families and communities. Her interest in true crime began long before she ever picked up a microphone. Growing up, Megan spent evenings watching true crime shows with her mom while her dad worked night shifts, an experience that sparked a lifelong fascination with criminal investigations, unsolved mysteries, and the pursuit of justice. One of Megan's favorite parts of podcasting is partnering with victims' families, survivors, and advocates to help tell stories with care and accuracy. She is passionate about amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard and working alongside those closest to a case to support their shared goal of keeping stories alive and answers within reach. In addition to hosting the podcast, Megan has spent more than 15 years working in human services leadership. Her background in advocacy, investigation, and problem-solving informs her approach to storytelling, helping her examine cases with both curiosity and compassion. When she's not researching a case, Megan can usually be found training for a race, trying a new recipe, planning her next trip, cheering on Buffalo sports teams, or driving her two kids from one activity to the next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices