Skip to content
Unsolved homicide

Killing of Deborah Frank

Year
1978
Where
Woodbridge, Virginia
Source
Virginia State Police
Evidence
1
What the record says

On June 24, 1978, in an incident dubbed 'The Dale City Triple', Karen, along with two other woman, Sharon Lake and Deborah Frank, were found dead inside a Ryland Homes sales trailer in Woodbridge at approximately 6:45 p.m. Karen had just graduated from high school and started her first job at the location. An autopsy revealed all three women died from a gunshot wound.

From the Virginia State Police cold case database. Records change. The source is the authority.

Where to start

Got ten minutes? Do one of these.

What does the record establish, and what has never been explained?

  • Read the source and write down every date, place and name it gives.
  • Find the earliest news report you can and note what it says that later accounts dropped.
  • List what has never been explained. One line each.

New to this? Read the field guide. Five short lessons.