Statement Provided by Jeff & Lisette (Pulley) Monroe After Harold Nichols Execution

TENNESSEE — The following is a statement provided by Jeff & Lisette (Pulley) Monroe regarding Karen Pulley’s murder and Harold Nichols execution on December 11.

Their statement is as follows:

“December 2025

Jeff & Lisette (Pulley) Monroe

My name is Jeff Monroe. I am Karen Pulley’s brother-in-law. My wife Lisette is Karen’s sister. Lisette was
planning on being here but changed her mind at the last minute, it was just too difficult emotionally for
her to attend.

Karen and Lisette’s parents, Ann and Chuck, passed away years ago. Lisette, our daughters, and other
family members that could not be here are having a celebration of life for Karen today.

We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the officers and detectives of the Chattanooga Police
Department and in particular Detective Richard Heck, also the team at the Attorney General’s office, and
the Tennessee Department of Corrections, for their tireless efforts to seek justice for Karen. Their
dedication has meant more to us than we know how to express.

We have waited for 37 years with the hope that justice would be delivered.

Taking a life is serious and we take no pleasure in it. However, the victims—and there were many—were
carefully stalked and attacked. The crimes—and there were many–were deliberate, violent, and horrific.
Nichols was a violent perpetrator who hunted his victims, stalked them, and then attacked vulnerable
women in the most sadistic ways.

Our family was destroyed by evil that night in September 1988, when Karen was raped and violently
beaten to death in her own bedroom, left to die alone, terribly injured, broken, bleeding, and terrified.
Karen was 20, had just finished Bible school, and was attending Chattanooga State to become a
paralegal. She had been a cheerleader at Brainerd Baptist High School. Karen was bubbly, happy,
selfless, and looking forward to the life before her. She was excited about spending time with her sister
and holding her niece for the first time.

I was serving in the Air Force at the time. Lisette and I had been in the Philippines for three years and
had returned to the States weeks earlier. Karen died before we could get to Chattanooga. The
responding EMT, a Vietnam medic, said he had never seen anything like it, even in combat.

No punishment can ever atone for the loss of Karen’s life or the damage done to our family. Nor is there
a punishment that can heal the many victims and families forever broken, battered, and scarred by this
man.

But this is a start.

We are relieved that this nightmare is over and take comfort knowing he never again will be able to
harm anyone else. Moving forward our family will concentrate on the happy memories of Karen and will
never again be re-traumatized by this monster.

To his other victims: Our hearts go out to you. We pray that God grants you peace and healing from the
trauma inflicted on you.

Thank you”