Kelsey Grammer reflects on sister’s murder, lifelong grief in new book

Kelsey Grammer honors late sister in new memoir

Actor Kelsey Grammer joins Good Day Today's Curt Menefee and Rosanna Scotto to discuss the release of his new memoir about the murder of his late sister "Karen: A Brother Remembers."

Award-winning actor Kelsey Grammer, known for his role in "Cheers" and its spin-off "Frasier," is opening up about the brutal murder of his sister, Karen, five decades ago. 

Grammer has written and released his book "Karen: A Brother Remembers", which looks back on the tragedy and how it impacted him. 

What happened to Kelsey Grammer's sister?

The backstory:

According to FOX News, in 1975, Grammer’s 18-year-old sister, Karen, was kidnapped outside a restaurant by serial killer Freddie Glenn. Glenn reportedly raped the teenager before brutally attacking her and leaving her to die. Grammer identified his sister’s body a week later. He was just 20 years old at the time.

RELATED: Kelsey Grammer honors late sister in new memoir

Glenn was convicted in 1976 for the killings of Karen Grammer and two other victims from the previous year. The Supreme Court ruled Glenn could seek parole after 30 years, but the sitcom star has twice helped to block attempts for Glenn to receive parole as justice for his sister and the other victims' families.

Kelsey Grammer speaks during a panel discussion at the "Frasier" SAG Screening Event on September 09, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Paramount+)

At a parole hearing in 2009, Kelsey wrote a letter to the court that said, "She was my best friend and the best person I knew. She had so much to live for. I loved my sister, Karen. I miss her. I miss her in my bones.

"I was her big brother. I was supposed to protect her — I could not. I have never gotten over it. ... It very nearly destroyed me."

Before his sister’s death, the 69-year-old star first experienced loss at the age of 13 when his father was shot and killed during a home invasion. And following the death of his sister Karen, Grammer’s two half-brothers, Stephen and Billy, died in a scuba diving accident in the Virgin Islands.

How Grammer was affected by his sister's murder

What they're saying:

Grammer has spoken to news outlets about the release of his book and the impact of his sister's murder. 

"For a long time, the grief was so dominant that I couldn’t access happiness," he told PEOPLE. "The book helped me get to a new place with that."

"There were some times I pretty much surrendered to despair," he continued. 

Grammer wrote in his new book how he struggled with alchohol and substance abuse. He also face multiple charges for drunk driving and cocaine possession which landed him in rehab at the Betty Ford Center, according to PEOPLE. 

"I always had something in the back of my head saying, 'Okay. That’s enough now. Cut it out. You know why you’re doing this,' "he continued. "But there was the other part of me that wanted to surrender to it and go, 'Let it mess you up a little bit. Let it hurt.' "

Grammer continues to build his craft

Grammer continues to work. He wrapped up a reboot of "Frasier" that aired on Paramount+ from 2023 to 2024 before it was canceled. 

He's also set to star in the upcoming film, "Avengers: Doomsday."

Fatherhood is also keeping him busy thanks to his three youngest children with wife Kayte Walsh: Faith, Kelsey and Auden. Grammer is also a father to four older children, including actresses Spencer Grammer and Greer Grammer, according to FOX News.