Central Florida mother advocates for change after daughter’s body dumped on road

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — State lawmakers will soon hear a bill that’s meant to create stiffer punishments for people who illegally dump a body or fail to report a death.

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Currently, Florida law says dumping a body is a first-degree misdemeanor.

SB 768 would make the crime a third-degree felony.

The charge would apply when someone fails to report a death or moves a body “with the intent to alter the evidence or circumstance surrounding the death.”

Read: Marion County deputies continue search for suspect in salon owner’s death

The bill was introduced by State Senator Linda Stewart and will be heard for the first time in the Criminal Justice Committee Tuesday.

As the bill works through Tallahassee, one Lake County family is strongly advocating for the change.

28-year-old Kaitlyn Karlowicz’s body was dumped from a moving truck onto the side of an Orange County road in November of 2020. Her body was discovered when someone walking by Allison Dr. in East Orange County called 911.

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Karlowicz’s mother, Paula Khoenle, is hoping a change in state law can spare other grieving families’ additional pain.

According to a police report, Karlowicz died of an overdose. An autopsy found she had cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in her system at the time of her death.

Khoenle remembers getting a call from an Orange County detective letting her know her daughter was gone.

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Khoenle said it was tough enough to grieve her daughter’s death and process that Karlowicz’s then 3-year-old son Ryder would grow up without his mother. However, the details uncovered by an investigation into Karlowicz’s death made it worse.

According to a police report, neighbors’ doorbell camera captured a truck that dumped Karlowicz’ body on the side of a road.

“I can forgive a lot of people anything. I cannot forgive someone that did that to my child,” said Khoenle. “They dump these bodies like their garbage and the fact that it’s a misdemeanor is ridiculous.”

Read: Officials: Woman’s body found dumped on side of road

Khoenle is now fiercely advocating for a law that would up that crime to a felony.

She believes the change could deter others from making the same choice to discard a body and adds that the change also provides more accountability.

“There’s really no repercussions for what they’re doing. If it’s a misdemeanor, what do they care? They get caught and get a hand slap or a small fine,” said Khoenle.

Read: Teen accused of killing father, dumping body charged with murder

She hopes the bill moves swiftly through both the House and Senate and becomes law this year so other families can be spared future pain.

“You want to have closure.  If they’re dumped them in the woods, and no one finds them for a year, you have no closure,” said Khoenle.

Khoenle remembers her daughter Kaitlyn Karlowicz as a fierce protector and a fun-loving mother.

Aside from advocating for this new law, Khoenle is the director of Project Noelle in Lake County.

The organization advocates for the youngest victims of the Opioid epidemic: children left behind after their parent’s overdose. Khoenle said that the work was inspired by her grandson Ryder.

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