 An apparent murder suicide in the Minneapolis suburb of Andover has hit close to home for many friends and family here in Bemidji. Karen Reneer along with her husband Brian were fatally shot in their home by their 27-year-old son Aaron. Karen Reneer grew up in Bemidji and was part of a movement of music that put Bemidji on the map. The music was known and the artists a friend and neighbor to many in the Bemidji area. Karen Lund Reneer was known for her beautiful voice and music throughout the 1960s and 70s. But news of an apparent murder suicide has brought many to reflect on the artist. The Inoka County Sheriff's Office says that Karen's son, 27-year-old Aaron Reneer, took his own life after fatally shooting his parents, 58-year-old Brian Reneer and his 69-year-old wife Karen. In Bemidji the word spread quickly, leaving many in disbelief. Well everybody's horrified and just in a state of disbelief, I know that a lot of us are trying to sort of wrap our minds around it. Karen was an accomplished keyboard player and vocalist. She was best known for her time spent performing in the band Padipto, who performed with artists like Elton John and The Carpenters. Miriam Tell performed with Karen prior to her time in Padipto in a group called the Benson Obermeyer Fruit Stand Band. She and I stood out front and sang duets. We did not play any instruments in the beginning. The guys played all the instruments and we did songs that were popular at the time. Karen and her bandmates were known to always draw a crowd wherever they performed. They were the hot band of the late 60s early 70s and we used to go see them at M-100 at the college and downtown and anywhere they played we would follow. For many people the thing they will always remember about Karen was the sound of her voice. She had a beautiful soprano and you know, wilting really with a vibrato. I remember Karen as the one whose voice was gorgeous. It was silky smooth and mellow. Memories of Karen will never fade and friends and family will never forget the voice, the music, the life. We will all remember her fondly. We will all remember her from her Padipto days. You know, everyone loved her. The death of Karen Rainier along with her husband and son remains under investigation. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.