23-year-old woman’s loved ones found her dead in trash bag on side of Alabama interstate

Newly released court records have revealed harrowing details regarding the discovery of 23-year-old Karen Deann Hollis, whose remains were found inside a large black trash bag along an Alabama interstate.

The Disappearance and Investigation

Hollis vanished on May 8 from Northport, where she was last seen around midnight near 43rd Avenue. At the time of her disappearance, Northport authorities noted that Hollis was believed to be living with a condition that could impact her judgment, leading the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to issue a missing person alert.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy confirmed that early investigations suggested foul play. The TVCU and Northport Police Department have collaborated closely throughout the case.

Connecting the Evidence

Charging documents against 44-year-old Randall Lendell Dejourney, who is currently charged with abuse of a corpse, reveal that investigators used security footage from Hollis' neighbors to trace her final known movements. The footage showed Dejourney with Hollis and subsequently leaving her apartment complex carrying a large tote containing a big black bag.

Key evidence was recovered after a crash notification from the Life360 app alerted authorities to the location of Hollis' phone on I-20/59 westbound at exit 62. Digital forensic data, including cell tower pings and cellphone tracking, placed Dejourney at the apartment and showed his phone moving in tandem with Hollis' device along the interstate.

Discovery and Next Steps

Hollis’ loved ones located her remains on Saturday, roughly 10 to 15 feet off I-20/59 eastbound in Greene County, after searching based on the data from her phone. Records confirm she was found encased in a large black trash bag consistent with the one seen in the surveillance footage.

Capt. Kennedy stated that the remains have been transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. While the investigation remains ongoing, authorities indicated that additional charges are possible pending the results of the forensic findings.