Karen Kollar:1976, Cleveland, Ohio

   

     Karen Kollar was born in rural Ramey, Pennsylvania in 1968 to Georgetta and Bernard J. Kollar. She had two older brothers, Thomas and Joseph. Ramey, Pennsylvania is in coal country. Even with coal mines in the area; jobs were scarce. The following year her family moved to Ohio to seek a better life and better jobs. 

  Karen was a typical child growing up. She was eight years old in 1976 and looking forward to starting third grade at Clark Elementary School in Cleveland. Her mother described her as a tomboy and a happy child.

  Karen was almost kindergarten age when 18 year old Christine McWeeny was abducted raped and murdered in 1973 just a few blocks away while on her way to work. Lee F. Schroeder was a married man and a father but none of that kept him from committing abduction, rape and murder. 

  Karen Kollar was a second grader in 1975 when another neighbor girl, Melissa D. Hinke, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by John A. Johnson. She had gone to buy milk just down the street. Melissa was only a year older than Karen. 

  I wrote about the murder of Melissa D. Hinke on my blog in December of 2024. In researching that crime I came across the story of Karen Kollar. I couldn’t stomach writing about Karen’s murder at the time because it was so awful, so senseless and so cruel. But, I now think it is important to face these past cruelties as our country becomes increasingly cruel and seemingly tolerant of cruelty. 

  Karen’s parents probably warned her about strangers after Melissa Hinke was abducted and murdered. But, Karen knew her neighbors. She and the other kids played in their neighborhood and they knew who was who. So, Karen was probably not worried about the people who lived there. 

   Some of Karen’s neighbors had been in trouble with the law. But, it was relatively minor stuff and not unusual for that time and place. One young married 16 year old, Susan Tart Zytowiecki, had been in a bit of trouble. She was on probation for driving a car with stolen license plates. She was supposed to attend regular meetings with her probation officer. Susan missed one and her husband, David, found out and was upset. (Just how upset he was I do not know. But, more than likely he yelled and screamed and maybe even hit Susan over the missed appointment.) David Zytowiecki had eloped to get married in West Virginia when he was 20 and she was only 15. 

   Somehow Susan thought that 8 year old Karen had tattled on her. 

  Karen had been earning extra money for her family by running errands and doing chores for neighbors. Her Dad had been injured at work and no money was coming in. They were hungry. (This was before jobs offered workman’s compensation insurance and long term disability insurance.) Karen’s Mom was working as a waitress nearby to feed her family. So, Karen helped too. One of the people that she helped was Susan Tart Zytowiecki. 

   When 16 year old Susan felt that Karen had tattled on her…she wanted to punish her. Instead of not hiring her to help around the house or run errands; Susan decided to kidnap Karen. She invited Karen to go for a walk on June 25th 1976. 

   Karen asked her Mom for permission to go. Georgetta Kollar said yes. So, Karen walked off with the married girl who was only 8 years older than she was. Susan and two accomplices then tied Karen’s feet and hands and beat her. Karen was so terrified that she lost control of her bladder and bowels in Susan Zytowiecki’s apartment. This enraged Susan even more. She and the two teen accomplices, Dallas Stuckey and Guy D. Frehmeyer then took Karen Kollar to an abandoned building. The boys agreed to take Karen and kill her. They made their way to the roof carrying the bound child. They threw her off the roof. Karen did not hit the ground at first like they planned. She landed, very injured, on a metal awning. One young man climbed up onto the awning and pushed Karen off. They went to her body, now on the railroad tracks. Karen Kollar still was not dead. They then picked up bricks and large rocks and stoned 8 year old Karen Kollar to death. 

   Georgetta Kollar was already looking for Karen. She did not expect the walk with Susan to take this long. She found Susan Zytowiecki and asked her where Karen was. Susan said she didn’t know. 

   Searchers and police officers reacted quickly. Melissa D. Hinke had been abducted, raped and murdered a few blocks away just the year before. They were hoping to rescue Karen from a creep. 

   The truth was very quickly revealed. Karen’s mutilated body was found where Dallas Stuckey and Guy D. Frehmeyer had left her. 

   All three were arrested, tried and convicted.  Susan Zytowiecki claimed to know nothing about what the two teen boys had done. Both of them testified that it was Susan’s plan and they followed her orders. 

  When we, as a society, casually commit and accept violence in our everyday lives we are creating a place where crimes like this take place. When we see people treated cruelly everyday and we just shrug our shoulders and say there’s nothing we can do; we create a space for cruelty to thrive. How did Susan and Dallas and Guy so quickly resort to murderous violence? They grew up in it. 

  I grew up in it too. In the 1920’s through the 1980’s, in many places in the United States, you could  spank or whip a neighbor child for serious misbehavior and that would be okay with the child’s parents. 

  Violence was everywhere. It was laughed at on television cartoons. It was cheered on in movie theaters showing westerns, war pictures, and crime stories. 

  We think of hippies calling out for love, peace and kindness as the predominant culture of the 1960’s. But, the peaceniks who wanted an end to war and violence were the anomaly. The predominant culture was not opposed to beating your children. The predominant culture wanted all the men to be as tough as John Wayne. Kindness and empathy were looked down on. Boys were supposed to be tough. 

  When I started first grade in 1976, our normally sweet teacher held up a wooden paddle on the first day and told us she would spank us with it if we misbehaved. We were terrified. When I became a teacher we were taught ways to positively reinforce good behavior. We learned ways to speak and to model positive behaviors. We learned to set up a classroom culture that never needed a paddle. We learned how to coach young children to regulate their own emotions and to talk out conflicts. Guess what? It works. Violence doesn’t have to be the norm. 

   Dallas Stuckey was convicted in September of 1976. He was sentenced to death. That sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1978.

   Guy D. Frehmeyer was sentenced to life in prison. 

   Susan Zytowiecki was tried and convicted and at age 17, sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. Her husband divorced her in 1978 when she was 18.

   8 year old Karen Kollar was buried by her family back in their hometown of Ramey, Pennsylvania. 

   Are there lessons to be learned? Yes. Practice kindness and peace. Don’t give in to your anger and violent tendencies. If someone asks you to commit violent acts for them…refuse. Walk away. Don’t marry a child and expect them to think and act like a grown up. (-Even if marrying a child is legal in a nearby state.)

   

   Rest in peace Karen Kollar.