Shivangi Sinha
In early 2006, Karen Kummerer was at a new phase of her life. Her long marriage had ended and she started a new relationship. Little did she know that by the end of the year, she would be kidnapped and taken across various states by the kidnapper. Using her presence of mind, Karen was able to drop messages written on pieces of paper, and the police were able to keep track of her and finally rescue her. In the episode titled ‘Ride or Die’ of Netflix’s ‘Worst Ex Ever’ season 2, she speaks about what she endured and the impact the entire ordeal had on her.
Karen Kummerer Filed a Protective Order Against Scott Freeman Before He Kidnapped Her
In 2005, Karen Kummerer was starting a new chapter of her life. She had divorced her husband of 17 years, owned a home in Daytona, Florida, and was financially independent. She was happy with where she was, especially as her sister, Lisa Lowry, and her niece, Brenna Randall, lived close by. In January 2006, Karen and her sister went out for a night out and that is when she met Joseph Scott Freeman for the first time. He asked Karen out and expressed an interest in her and the two of them started dating. She said he told her he was a firefighter in Ocala, but soon lost his job. Karen said that she felt they had a lot of things in common, like their enthusiasm for the gym and fitness and she really liked that he seemed to dote on her.
Karen said that as time passed, Freeman allegedly became obsessive and jealous. At the time, Brenna was staying with them, but in March 2006, he told Karen to ask her to move out, and she did. Karen said that the alleged abuse got worse since then and in July 2006, she asked him to move out. She said that he was adamant and allegedly told her that she would have to serve him a court order. Karen said that she was very scared, and by October 2006, she asked Brenna to move back into the house again, as Freeman would allegedly come to the house unannounced, and she felt threatened.
According to Karen’s account in the episode, on November 13, 2006, she left her home in her car and as she reached the first intersection and waited for the light, Freeman allegedly opened the passenger seat and let himself in. She said that he allegedly held a knife to her throat and threatened her, but she managed to get away. Karen filed for a protective order against Freeman and was even issued a temporary one. She said that she went on to get the locks in her house and her car changed, but did not change the lock to her trunk. On November 27, 2006, she left her home as usual. She noticed that the trunk door had opened. She said that she got down to close it, and that is when Freeman jumped from inside, held her at knifepoint, and made her get in the passenger door of the car.
Karen Kummerer Left a Trail of Handwritten Notes That Helped Track Her Whereabouts
Joseph Scott Freeman first took Karen Kummerer to St. Augustine, where he made her withdraw $500 from her account. He also made her call her work and tell them that she was sick. She also called her niece, Brenna Randall, and told her that she was with Freeman and not to call the police. However, she was able to slip in a small clue that Brenna caught on to and she immediately took it to the police. However, tracking them was not as easy. That is when the police were able to get in touch with Kim Copsidas-Martin, an ex-girlfriend of Freeman, who told them that he might be heading to North Carolina as he had a friend there.
In the days that followed, Freeman held Karen hostage and took her to North Carolina. They spent the day driving and he took her to a Days Inn to stay at. While they were leaving, Karen was able to secure a notebook and write a message asking for help, which she left in the toilet of a diner. The police started tracking them, but they were only able to stay one step behind them. On December 1, 2006, Freeman took Karen from Trenton, Georgia, to Snead, Alabama, and she kept leaving messages on pieces of paper. On December 4, 2006, when Freeman made a call to his mother and used an ATM again, he was tracked and the police arrested him on Highway 61 in Mississippi.
Karen Kummerer is Helping Her Church as a Finance Administrator Today
Karen has said that it took her time to recover from the incident. Her family had to come to pick her up, as she was very vulnerable, and they helped her slowly heal and regain stability. In 2008, she testified against Joseph Scott Freeman, speaking about how she was under excessive control while being held by him and accusing him of sexual assault, though no charges for that were ultimately filed. Since then, Karen has spoken about her experiences in various interviews and TV series. The incident is far behind her now, but the impact of the ordeal still remains part of her past.
Karen studied at Franklin Pierce University, where she earned a BS in Accounting from 1983 to 1986. She began her career as Director of Finance at Bert Fish Medical Center in May 2001, a role she held until May 2008, where she worked in financial reporting, auditing, and compliance. From September 2008 to May 2022, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Duvall Homes, where she managed IT systems, financial reporting, and broader financial operations over many years. In 2023, she started working with EK Recruiting. She first took on the role of Chief Financial Officer from August 2023 to December 2023, and later continued there as a Recruiter from September 2023 to July 2024.
From April 2024 to December 2025, she worked as Financial Director at The Berkeley Retirement Home in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where she continued building her experience in financial leadership roles. From November 2025 to the present, she has been working part-time as a Finance Administrator at First Church. She is fully devoting her time to the role. She has a son named Kurt and a grandson named Evan, both of whom live in Massachusetts. She enjoys spending time at the beach, gardening, and playing with her dog Willy in her free time. However, she has always wanted to help others with her experience and hopes that it helps someone somewhere someday.
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