Brit Prawat
Appearances
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Hi Crime Junkies, Britt here, and today we're hitting our last stop on the East Coast, Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is a city known for many things, but as Crime Junkies know that back in 1996, it was the newly found home to an au pair from Sweden that was looking to explore her dreams in the United States. She was supposed to have her whole life ahead of her, but instead never got the chance.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
I mean, OK, here's the thing. We're looking at I'm looking at it in the light of like. 2017, where my dogs match each other and occasionally coordinate with me and my husband. So I'm like, my filter is off.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
So very far away to just be hanging out walking your dog.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
She could be in the trunk. What kind of car was it? I have questions.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
No social media, no mutual friends, no crossover, nothing. Right.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Pictures of her in the background in pictures from other people at the club. I mean, we've all seen you.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
OK. OK. Wait. I know this is a while back in the story, but didn't she date a cop or something?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
I just pulled it up and I see the picture and it's super spooky. Also, two before it, there's a picture with a white dog wearing sunglasses, which I feel like a Superman dog would also wear. But no, it's a really creepy picture.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
It almost looks like maybe a map or like a fairy tale book. I can't quite tell, honestly. What are your thoughts on it?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Karina Homer? Oh, it doesn't sound familiar. I'm super excited. Britt, you sound a little bit rough today. I am sick, so excuse me if I sound kind of congested and scratchy-throated, because that is exactly what I am, so...
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
It's still someone close to her, close to her family, close to her kids.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Yeah. Yeah, it's going to be hard to forget some of those pictures, honestly.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Well, and you also, at least to me, I also have to question the idea of maybe it's not getting a second or closer look because she wasn't a citizen or a U.S. national. You know, like what would our country be implicated in internationally? True. In the event that like it was potentially someone higher up in Boston, like a police officer in Boston.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Yeah. Wow. That was a really good story. I feel like I'm the little kid in The Princess Bride. Yeah. getting a story told to him while I'm sick. Yeah. I mean, it didn't make me feel better at all. And I have so many questions, but you did a really good job. So.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
And be sure to check out our website, Crime Junkie Podcast dot com.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
We all still had so many questions back in 2018 when we first told you the story, and I wish we had more answers today. But we're resharing this case as a reminder to all you crime junkies, if you have a secret, for the love of God, tell someone, anyone, because you never know what might happen next.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
I thought you said I was going to enjoy this story and it was going to make me feel better. I feel worse now.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
I would also stop and talk to this man for the record.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
So you're saying that Crime Stoppers just takes the tips and helps make arrests?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Karina Holmer in Boston
Or like path of least resistance, for lack of better terms.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Hold up. She went to Mexico to marry someone to get her U.S. immigration papers in order? It doesn't make sense. And now she's supposedly stuck in Mexico or the U.S.?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
OK, none of this BS even explains the car, though. Like, if you're going to tell us a story, tell us a whole story, Jonathan. Yeah.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Mm-hmm. And what does he have to say about that 727 number?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Based on the video, can they tell if he put anything in the car?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
So her family has to regularly interact with the person that they're pretty sure killed their sister and their daughter. Well, not even interact, but, like, in their own home. I mean, that's gotta be, like, absolute hell for them.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
I mean, what more do we need here, people? I know. I mean, arrest this guy already.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
They have camera footage. The fibers. To me, the camera footage is almost better than an eyewitness. You don't have to worry about memories getting misinterpreted from actual footage. Then you have cadaver dogs hitting in the trunk.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Yeah. Yeah. Like you have him lying about her car. You have him pretending to be her over text messages. Like there's so much that's there.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Which is why cases like this have to be taken so seriously from the very beginning.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
And you can follow us on Instagram at Crime Junkie Podcast.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Okay. I mean, unless he's like out of underwear, what's the rush?
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
And it's just like, well, it doesn't seem like he's planning on taking care of Astrid. Like, it seems like he's going to leave her there with Yeneth.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
They say, Hey girl, how are you? Sorry for what I did with Astrid. I'm not going to be able to help Jonathan by myself, please. I'm good, don't worry about me, please. I'll call Jonathan now to tell him how things are. I don't want to talk to anyone for the moment. Give me my space. I just want to put down my thoughts and what I want to do.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Yeah. Like, can he even do that without the other parent there? Like, he's only one of two people who have custody of Astrid.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
Oh, wait, the ones that made him, like, feel so much better. Because nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
I'm going to be honest, I don't think Lizbeth's going to get the message.
Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
And were they close with Jonathan before this? Like, is this kind of, I guess I'm trying to figure out, like, is this in line with what they know about him? Like, do they have, like, any sort of context?