Family Finds Missing 23-Year-Old Woman's Body in Alabama; Man Charged With Corpse Abuse

A man has been charged with abuse of a corpse after the family discovered the body of the 23-year-old woman who had been missing in Alabama. The victim’s family and friends located her remains after an extensive search operation.

The victim has been identified as Karen Deann Hollis, who was last seen near her apartment complex in Northport on May 8. Loved ones became concerned after they had not heard from her for several days. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) issued a missing and endangered person alert after her disappearance, explaining that Hollis had a condition that could impair her judgment.

“I have not felt good,” said Hollis’s sister, Brandy Hollis, who reported her missing to law enforcement. “I haven’t eaten, I haven’t been able to sleep, I haven’t been able to do anything because I am worried about her safety,” Hollis said.

On the evening of Hollis’s disappearance, she texted her boyfriend, Zackary Slaughter, that she was going to get a Reese’s peanut butter cup from the store. “She texted me at 11 p.m saying she didn’t feel good,” Slaughter told CBS42. “I tried calling her at 4 that morning when I woke up, and then at 5 a.m., detectives were knocking on my door.”

Family and friends located Hollis’s remains on May 16, 2026, in an area of Greene County, more than a week after she disappeared.

Early in the investigation, authorities suspected foul play, and the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit worked jointly with the Northport Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

“Karen Hollis was reported missing to the Northport Police Department on May 8, 2026,” the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said.

"During the investigation, multiple search warrants were executed, and investigators gathered extensive physical, witness, and electronic evidence. A person of interest was identified, but the victim had not been located at that time."

"On the afternoon of May 16, 2026, family and friends located Hollis’s remains while searching an area identified through recovered electronic evidence. Law enforcement immediately detained the person of interest," the unit said.

A 44-year-old man, Randall Lendell Dejourney, has been charged with abuse of a corpse and is being held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond. Dejourney could face additional charges pending an autopsy and determination of the cause of death by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.

No further information about the case has been made public by investigators because it remains ongoing. More details about Dejourney have not yet been released.