TRAVERSE CITY — Ask Jean Derenzy what she’s most proud of from her nearly 40 years of working in community and economic development, and the answer might be a surprise.
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that night? a couple of months after karen s death, steve was arrested and charged with his wife s murder. what did steve strom do? well, of course, he denied it. he denied being involved. he fought the case tooth and nail. and those investigators remained convinced that their man was steve. yes. but, as the trial approached back at the beginning of the 1980s, none of the evidence from that chaotic bedroom murder scene could be tested for dna. the technology just didn t exist then. what they had instead was a circumstantial case, the testimony of friends and family who would say that steve was sometimes verbally and possibly physically abusive. but kari nirvegs karin wanted out. there was black eyes and bruises that were witnessed by some of their co-workers and friends. but it wasn t enough. not much more than hearsay according to the assigned trial
dismissed the charges and released steve strom to go on about his life. strom lost his friends, his credibility, perhaps only this friend still believed in him. i mean, everybody was saying, you did it, you did it, you did it, you did it. you know? and they chased him. they followed him everywhere he went. cops? yep. i was with him. and that was that. nobody satisfied. certainly not karen s sister coco who believed in her heart, like so many others, that steve had gotten away with murder. and that, decided, coco could not stand. her big sister had been there for her growing up and now coco would do what she could to fight for justice. 27 years. 27 years and it never left your mind? how could it? it s shocking and it s your sister. somebody you love dearly. it s, like, you go and think about it and then you give up and then it s there again. you know, it never goes away.