CAROL LAFFERTY

Carol Lafferty was the mother of Kate Lafferty, a brilliant student who, at the young age of only about 15 years, was attending college classes with Professor Willis, one of MacGyver's former college professors. Carol was aware of her daughter's exceptional intelligence, but also recognized Kate's low self-esteem, her lack of friends, and her tendency to be defensive, rude, and moody.

When Professor Willis had discovered a glitch in the new guidance system for the US Army's Snake-Eye missile, he and his students began working with the Defense Department to fix the problem, and Kate, in her eagerness, had broken into the Defense Department's computer to find a solution. Carol Lafferty had not been aware that Kate had breached national security, and although she remained kind and supportive of her daughter, she accepted MacGyver's recommendation that Kate be allowed to go with agents of the Office of Defense Intelligence for questioning about the incident, trusting that MacGyver was looking out for Kate's best interests.

Portrayed by: Melinda O. Fee

Cross Reference: Kate Lafferty

Episode Reference: Ugly Duckling