This week’s featured missing person is Kara Enid Vaughn, a 40-year-old woman missing from Natchitoches, Louisiana since November 3, 1993. Her car, a white 1978 Honda, is missing also.
She had previously threatened to drive into the river, but searches of the river turned up nothing. The circumstances of her disappearance are unclear. If still alive, Kara would be 66 today.
The Charley Project Blog 
I wonder if there are other bodies of water in the general neck of the woods. Also, would her medical condition cause her to have some mental health issues. There are a number of missing persons cases, where the vehicle is also missing.
I checked Google Maps, and saw that their are bodies of water in the area. There are two lakes Sibley Lake and Chaplin Lake. Also, the Red River is a major river that is located further east of Natchitoches. Also, she is driving a car with California license plates, yet, there is no plate information. I wonder if she ever lived in California. I wonder if the authorities ever made a effort to check for plates through California.
As always more questions then answers. However, its interesting that they searched over 30 some miles of Cain or Cane River.
I searched for more information online. I came across a public comment on ‘The Berkeley Daily Planet’, by a woman identified as Paula deJoie, dated December 16, 2017. It appears that Paula, was Kara’s roommate in college in California. Kara was also, the first woman, she knew that had been raped.
Kara, also joined the Black Panthers, but found out all they wanted from her was sex, and to get hamburgers. So, Kara, quit the group. It appears she told Paula, that she might return to Louisiana. This explains the California connection.
Paula, goes on to comment, about her own exposure to sexual harassment while working for a law firm, with the intention of becoming a civil rights attorney. So, I guess Paula, decided to look her her friend online, and found out she was missing. However, she disputes the color of Kara’s hair on her missing person poster. She claims it was it (red).
Also, I came across an obituary for a Mrs Mildred Vaughn Lewis, who died on January 8, 2012, in Natchitoches. It appeared that Mrs. Lewis, had earned several degrees and taught school. She went with her two daughters to Los Angeles sometime in 1961, and taught in schools there. At some point in time she returned to Natchitoches and spent time with her second husband along the shore or a local lake??
On Ancestry, it shows that someone posted an obituary for Kara in Shreveport, Louisiana, on August 20, 2009. It appears that she died on November 11, 1993 in Natchitoches. I also found a U.S. Public Records Index entry for Kara, showing her as some point in time at 107 Main Street, Grambling, Louisiana. There was no indication when that was. But their records normally run from 1950’s to 1993. Grambling is way north of Natchitoches.
The Lake reference in the obituary for her mother is known as Cane River Lake. It is an oxbow lake formed from the Red River. Which is referenced in Wikipedia entry on Natchitoches. It was an important route for shipping goods many years ago. So, I would be searching some of that river also.
The average depth of Cane River Lake is only about 8 feet and the max depth is 15 feet. It is appears that their is commission that sort of operates the lake. Also, it appears that a Women’s Bass Fishing Tournament,has been held there. So, I sure her vehicle would have been found by now, if it was in that lake.
It interesting that he mother died at her home in Marietta, Georgia.
Thank you for your research. Her car and body were found yesterday, March 15, 2021 in the lake. Her mother lived in Marietta, GA with her daughter.
Diana Alvarez’s remains was found
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/crime/2020/03/14/remains-found-yeehaw-junction-identified-diana-alvarez/5046513002/
Marsyao, thanks for the update. It appears that a family friend was the guilty party on this case. I recently read an interesting report titled ‘Serial Murder Investigations & Missing Persons’, that was published in Police Practice & Research, in August 2015. It is very critical of police missing person investigations mainly in regards to those serial killers appear to target the mostzdx such as drug addicts, and sex trade workers.
One of the serial killers mentioned was a Clifford Robert Olson,who confessed to killing 11 children and teenagers in British Columbia. He was missed because he killed children of both sexes. Investigators did not recognize they were dealing with connected murders since they assumed sexual predators targeted victims of specific gender and age groups.
They found her body & car in Cane River recently. A fisherman reported.
I believe they found Kara today along with her vehicle, but I do not think it is 100% confirmed… I wish there was a better way to do this and I mean no harm, but here is a link: https://www.ktbs.com/news/human-remains-presumed-to-be-woman-missing-since-1993-found-in-cane-river-lake/article_f93188c4-85ab-11eb-83e7-5361612503b8.html