LA County sheriff's seeks public's help in solving murder of woman whose body was found burned

SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators are asking the public to help them solve the 2022 murder of a woman whose burned body was found in Bakersfield.

Karla Terron, a 27-year-old mother of two children, was last seen mingling with acquaintances at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3834 in San Fernando the night of Dec. 16, 2022, according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

The following morning, investigators say her torched body was found dumped along an off-ramp of State Route 99 in Bakersfield.

"Although her body had been burned the medical examiner determined her cause of death to be from multiple stab wounds," sheriff's Lt. Michael Modica said at a news conference Thursday.

Investigators determined the victim was murdered near the VFW post before her body was dumped miles away.

"She went to a residence in the city of San Fernando where she was murdered," Modica said.

Authorities believe a vehicle, described as a white 2021 Honda CRV, is key to cracking the case as they close in on possible suspects. Modica said the car is believed to have been used to transport Terron's body from San Fernando to Bakersfield.

"Detectives impounded and examined that vehicle. Detectives were able to identify DNA evidence that Carla's body had been in the rear cargo area of that vehicle," Modica said.

Authorities are seeking any witnesses who may have seen the car on the day of the murder or the day after.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Sheriff's Department at (323) 890-5500.