she survived a serial killer. now what? I kara robinson chamberlain returns

content warning: the conversation covers child abduction, sexual assault, and violent crime.

she survived a serial killr. now what?

kara robinson chamberlain was fifteen when she was abducted and assaulted by a serial killer for eighteen hours. kara managed to save herself — and remembered enough to hand police the man who did it. yep. all of that. at fifteen.

for most people, that's the story. for kara, it was chapter one.

she's worked in law enforcement. then a mom. now a host — making two true crime shows at once, with a two-year-old at home, because apparently sleep is optional for kara.

here's the part i can't let go of: she connected with the ex-wife of the man who took her and messaged her— "i hear we have something in common." they host a show together now, the serial killer connection. i'm not making that up.

on her other show, somebody knows something, she sits with families whose cases went cold. and this time, she lets herself feel it. after years of disassociation from her trauma, she's able to connect and cries with them.

she's learned the hard way that life doesn't wrap up neat.

"if you're hanging your hat of healing on closure or the justice system — i got bad news for you."

so no, this isn't really about true crime. it's about healing — the real kind. messy, no map.

it's what you do with your life after the worst thing in it.

the labels people stick on you. how you get back up anyway.