Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 08/20/2001
- Missing From:
- Missing From Lakewood, California
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Female
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 01/01/1960 (65)
- Age:
- Age 41 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 5’7, 130 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A blouse and skirt.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Jana has a half-inch scar above her right eye. Her ears are pierced. Some agencies may spell Jana’s last name “Carpenter Koklich.” Some agencies may refer to her as Jana Koklich and/or Jana C. Koklich.
- Details of Disappearance:
- Jana Koklich disappeared after attending an Eric Clapton concert on August 17, 2001. Her husband, Bruce, said she came home late that night. However, she missed a training appointment the next day, and didn’t return her mother’s calls – very unusual for her.
Bruce said Jana was busy the following days (August 18-20) and missed calls/appointments. He claimed he last saw her around 6:30 AM on August 20th before going to work. He reported her missing around 3 PM that day after she didn’t show up for work and he couldn’t reach her. Her car, a white Nissan Pathfinder, was found abandoned a week later with her blood in the backseat. Teenagers admitted to taking the car for a joyride, finding her belongings inside, and discarding them. They eventually returned some of the items and a gun they had taken.
Police suspected foul play. Though Bruce’s coworkers defended him, he refused to take lie detector tests. Jana’s family suspected Bruce, especially her father, who thought Bruce killed Jana to avoid splitting their assets (including a $1 million life insurance policy on Jana). Evidence of Jana’s blood was found at home, and a pillow and sheet were missing.
Bruce was arrested in January 2002 and charged with murder. His first trial ended in a mistrial, but he was convicted of second-degree murder in a second trial in October 2003 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Jana’s body was never found.
- Agency:
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 562-866-9061
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 08/20/2001