Photo courtesy of Lambton OPP, depicting clothes worn by Karen Caughlin in 1974.

A bizarre twist in a more than 40 year old cold-case in Lambton County.

OPP are revisiting the case of 14-year old Karen Caughlin, whose body was found by the side of the road near Petrolia back in 1974.

Officials say that while at the time it was assumed her death was intentional, recent investigations suggest the teen may have been accidentally hit by a car, but then moved to the spot where her battered body was found, 22 kilometres away from where she was last seen.

“Karen Caughlin’s family has endured this tragedy for 43 years and have missed experiencing annual gatherings, celebrations and life events that form the lives we aspire to live,” says Detective-Inspector Chris Avery. “We know people know what happened to Karen and strongly urge them to come forward. The family deserves the resolution we have been seeking.”

To help determine what happened, authorities have put together a seven-minute, case chronology video that can be found on the official OPP YouTube channel.

Anyone who might be able to help is urged to call Lambton County OPP at 1-519-882-1011, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit information online at https://www.tipsubmit.com/.