Karyn Kupcinet was a young and aspiring actress who had a brief career in Hollywood in the early 1960s. She was the daughter of a famous Chicago newspaper columnist and television personality, Irv Kupcinet, and the sister of a television director and producer, Jerry Kupcinet. She appeared in several TV shows, such as The Donna Reed Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and Perry Mason, and had a regular role in the sitcom Mrs. G. Goes to College. She also had a turbulent love life, involving an abortion, a broken engagement, and a series of threatening notes.
On November 28, 1963, six days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Karyn Kupcinet was found dead in her West Hollywood apartment. She was naked, lying face down on the couch, with a broken hyoid bone in her throat. The coroner ruled her death as a homicide by strangulation, but no suspects were ever arrested or charged. Her death became one of the most baffling and controversial unsolved cases in Hollywood history.
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The Last Days of Karyn Kupcinet
According to Wikipedia, Karyn Kupcinet’s last days were marked by signs of emotional distress and drug abuse. She had been taking diet pills, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills to cope with her insecurities and depression. She had also been receiving anonymous notes that threatened her life and accused her of being unfaithful to her fiancé, actor Andrew Prine.
On the night of November 27, 1963, she attended a dinner party at the home of her friends, Mark and Marcia Goddard. She seemed to be under the influence of drugs and started crying uncontrollably. She also told an odd story about finding an abandoned baby on her doorstep earlier that day and calling the police to pick it up. However, there was no record of such an incident.
She left the party around 8:30 PM and returned to her apartment. She watched TV with two friends, Edward Rubin and Robert Hathaway, who claimed that she kept falling asleep before she went into her bedroom at 11:15 PM. They left shortly after and locked the door behind them. They went to Hathaway’s duplex, where he happened to be neighbors with Andrew Prine, and the three men watched TV together.
Prine claimed that he called Karyn at midnight and she repeated the same story about the baby on her doorstep. He also said that she sounded happy and normal. He tried to call her again at 1:30 AM but got no answer.
The next day, November 28, was Thanksgiving Day. No one heard from or saw Karyn until November 30, when the Goddards became worried and decided to check on her. They found her door unlocked and her body on the couch. The TV was still on.
The Investigation and the Theories
The police investigation into Karyn Kupcinet’s death was hampered by several factors. First, there was no sign of forced entry or struggle in the apartment. Second, there was no conclusive evidence of sexual assault or robbery. Third, there were no fingerprints or DNA traces left by the killer. Fourth, there were no witnesses or alibis for any of the potential suspects.
The main suspects were:
- Andrew Prine: He was Karyn’s fiancé who had impregnated her and paid for her abortion in Tijuana a few months before her death. He also had a history of domestic violence and cheating on his partners. He claimed that he loved Karyn and had nothing to do with her death.
- Edward Rubin: He was Karyn’s friend who had accompanied her to Tijuana for the abortion. He also had a crush on her and was jealous of Prine. He claimed that he was loyal to Karyn and had nothing to do with her death.
- Robert Hathaway: He was Karyn’s friend who had visited her on the night of her death. He also had a criminal record for burglary and assault. He claimed that he was just a friend of Karyn and had nothing to do with her death.
- Irv Kupcinet: He was Karyn’s father who had a powerful influence in the media and politics. He also had connections to organized crime and the CIA. He claimed that he loved his daughter and wanted justice for her death.
None of these suspects were ever charged or cleared by the police.
Apart from these suspects, there were also some conspiracy theories that linked Karyn’s death to JFK’s assassination. Some of these theories were:
- She knew too much: Some people believed that Karyn had overheard or seen something that implicated her father or his associates in the assassination plot. She was killed to silence her and prevent her from exposing the truth.
- She was a victim of a phone tap: Some people believed that Karyn had accidentally picked up a phone call that revealed the identity of the assassins or their plans. She was killed to eliminate her as a witness and destroy the evidence.
- She was a pawn of a cover-up: Some people believed that Karyn’s death was staged to divert attention from the assassination and create confusion and fear. She was killed by the same people who killed JFK or by their enemies.
However, there was no credible evidence or motive to support any of these theories. Karyn’s father publicly dismissed them as “an atrocious outrage” and “calumny”. He said that his daughter had nothing to do with JFK’s death and that he had no enemies who would want to harm her.
The Legacy of Karyn Kupcinet
Karyn Kupcinet’s death remains officially unsolved to this day. Her case has been featured in several books, documentaries, podcasts, and TV shows. Her story has also inspired some fictional works, such as the novel The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey and the movie Star 80 by Bob Fosse.
Karyn’s parents never gave up on finding her killer and seeking justice for her. They also honored her memory by founding the Karyn Kupcinet International School for Science as part of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The school provides scholarships and opportunities for young scientists from around the world.
Karyn Kupcinet was a talented and beautiful actress who had a promising future ahead of her. She was also a troubled and tragic figure who suffered from insecurity, depression, and addiction. She died at the age of 22 in a mysterious and violent way that shocked and saddened many people. She left behind a legacy of mystery and controversy that still fascinates and haunts many people.
