On June 18th, 2019, a man named Dave made a frantic 911 call, his voice heavy with worry. His friend, 68-year-old Mary Kay Wolfarth, affectionately known as Katie, was missing. Katie, an antique dealer, was supposed to meet Dave that afternoon but never showed up. Her neighbors reported last seeing her the previous evening, which was highly unusual for her.
This wasn’t the first time Dave had contacted the police about Katie’s strange disappearances. Just days prior, he had reported a similar incident. With a growing sense of dread, Dave informed the officers that the last place he knew Katie was headed was her storage unit at Leslie Floor Sanding on East Talmage Avenue in Akron, Ohio.
However, one of the officers seemed dismissive of Dave’s concerns, stating that a missing person report couldn’t be filed. He argued that as an adult, Katie had the freedom to go wherever she pleased and that there was no evidence of foul play. Despite the officer’s disheartening response, Dave remained unconvinced. He knew something was terribly wrong.
Determined to find his friend, Dave went directly to Leslie Floor Sanding hoping for answers. He inquired about Katie’s whereabouts on three separate occasions between June 17th and the morning of June 19th. His persistence seemed to strike a chord with an employee who decided to review the facility’s security footage on June 19th.
What he saw sent chills down his spine. The footage showed a man entering Katie’s storage unit. Without hesitation, the employee dialed 911, informing the dispatcher of the unauthorized entry and the unsettling feeling that something bad had happened.
Summit County Police arrived at the storage facility that same day. Richard Leslie, the owner of Leslie Floor Sanding, met with officers and guided them to the units. He pointed out footage of a man later identified as Michael Olsen, the son of another storage unit renter, James Olsen. The video showed Michael Olsen talking with Katie before eventually driving off in her 2012 Kia Sedona. Police now had a suspect and a missing vehicle.
The search for Olsen and Katie’s missing van intensified. Later that afternoon, Olsen was apprehended in the basement of a home near his father’s residence. He was taken into custody on an unrelated burglary charge, completely unaware of the investigation closing in on him.
Frustrated, uncomfortable, and seemingly putting on a show for the cameras, Olsen paced the interrogation room while muttering to himself and the officers. After 40 agonizing minutes, investigators finally entered, ready to unravel the truth behind Katie Wolfarth’s disappearance.
Olsen, in an attempt to appear cooperative, offered a rambling explanation about helping a neighbor with a stuck bedroom door, claiming he had been staying at their house. However, investigators had already spoken to the neighbors, who denied his claims.
As the interrogation progressed, detectives shifted their focus to Katie Wolfarth. They revealed that they had been in contact with Olsen’s father, who contradicted Olsen’s alibi about his whereabouts on the day of Katie’s disappearance.
Despite being caught in his lies, Olsen continued to deny any involvement in Katie’s disappearance. He claimed to have last seen her days earlier, but surveillance footage told a different story. The detectives then revealed a crucial piece of evidence – they had recovered Katie’s keys from the basement of Olsen’s father’s house.
The walls were closing in.
Olsen’s composure began to crumble. He fidgeted, picked at his skin, and avoided eye contact. He continued to deny knowing anything about Katie’s whereabouts, even attempting to blame someone named “Tim” for the blood in his storage unit. The detectives pressed further, revealing that they had found blood and hair in his unit.
Finally, Olsen snapped. He confessed to killing Katie in a fit of rage, claiming she had said something about his ex-girlfriend, sending him over the edge. He admitted to striking her with a piece of wood but couldn’t recall how many times he had hit her.
While Olsen was in custody, Katie’s loved ones clung to a sliver of hope that the body found in his unit might not be hers. Tragically, their hopes were dashed when investigators confirmed their worst fears.
As the interrogation concluded, Olsen, in a chillingly calm demeanor, expressed remorse for killing Katie, but his words rang hollow. He downplayed the severity of his actions, even attempting to justify his violent outburst.
Olsen pleaded guilty to a slew of charges, including aggravated murder, rape, gross abuse of a corpse, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and trespass in a habitation. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
At his sentencing, Olsen’s father blamed his son’s drug use for the brutal murder, while Olsen himself took responsibility for his actions. He expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness from Katie’s family, a request that echoed in the silent courtroom, a stark contrast to the brutal reality of his crimes.
Katie Wolfarth’s life was tragically cut short, a life stolen in a senseless act of violence. Her memory lives on through the cherished memories of her loved ones, a testament to a life lived with kindness, compassion, and a passion for helping others.
