"Helped me get to a new place” - Kelsey Grammer opens up about his sister’s death in his new book

Kelsey Grammer's sister, Karen, was r**ed and killed in 1975. The tragic incident was deeply unsettling, leaving a painful void and wound. At 18, two weeks before her birthday, Karen was stabbed to death. The actor was 20 years old then.

The Cheers actor has recounted his sister's terrifying murder, its sorrowful aftermath, and more about his life in his forthcoming memoir, Karen: A Brother Remembers.

In a recent conversation with People for a print issue, Kelsey Grammer, 70, reflected on his book and how it has impacted him.

He shared:

"For a long time, the grief was so dominant that I couldn’t access happiness. The book helped me get to a new place with that."

Everything we know about Kelsey Grammer's sister’s brutal death

In 1975, Karen relocated to Colorado Springs with her boyfriend. During that time, she was studying at a Georgia college. In her last conversation with Kelsey on June 30, 1975, she opened up about her decision to take a trip back home to Florida. She was supposed to return after July 4.

While Kelsey Grammer waited for his sister to arrive, he felt suspicious on not receiving further calls from her. Presently, he informed the local police about Karen. Following investigations, cops discovered the truth — Karen had been r**ed and murdered by Freddie Glenn and other men.

Karen worked at Red Lobster, and after talking with Kelsey, she headed to the restaurant for her shift. Glenn and two men attempted to rob the place around the time. However, her presence there turned out to be a problem for their botched-up robbery attempt.

They pointed a gun, dragged her to Glenn's car, and tied her up. Later, they went to one of their houses and r*ped her. Following the inhumane assault, they took her to a desolate area and stabbed her 42 times. Although she had tried to seek help to save her life, she passed away right after on July 1.

A probe into the harrowing incident revealed that Glenn had also killed several other people in the locality. He faced conviction for the cruel crime against Karen. Presently, he is imprisoned. His next hearing is scheduled in 2027. Meanwhile, his request for parole was rejected four times.

Kelsey Grammer has spoken about his loss in multiple interviews before. Although he admitted to forgiving the murderer of his younger sister, he refuses to absolve Glenn of responsibility. He expressed:

"You don’t want to eat yourself to pieces because you can’t forgive somebody."

He continued:

"But it’s hard to forgive a person who consciously decided they wanted to murder somebody you love. This wasn’t just some temperance issue with him. It was deliberate. I can give you forgiveness, but you’re not going to get out of paying for it."

In his memoir, Kelsey Grammer has also spoken of his dear sister as an affectionate woman, paying tribute to her life and spirit.

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"I wanted to breathe life into her and welcome her into the world. We were Kelsey and Karen, brother and sister," he said.

This new book is scheduled for release on May 6, 2025.

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