All rights reserved. Scott was part of the OC Registers investigative team that in 2017 produced the year-long, award winning Rehab Riviera series, examining problems in Southern Californias drug rehabilitation industry. Shortly after Lindas murder, investigators recovered DNA evidence from her remains, Spitzer said. James Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Springs, Colo., and charged with murder with special circumstances in the death of Linda O'Keefe, who was found strangled in 1973, a case that has. Neal was arrested last year and charged with the sex assault and murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe, who was abducted while walking home from school in the summer of 1973. However, through the genealogical data of his family members, who voluntarily submitted their DNA to genealogy databases, investigators were able to corroborate the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. Shes really good at sewing, and we dont have a lot of money for fancy store outfits anyhow. #LindasStory pic.twitter.com/9sucqJsnGg, Newport Beach Police (@NewportBeachPD) July 6, 2018. She had been strangled and was still wearing a blue-and-white floral print dress that her mother had sewn for her. Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. "They probably are so shocked," she said. In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe was murdered. ", Borgeson said, if she gets a chance to speak to Neal, she would "let him know that I've been praying for him.". ), First published on March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM. After Lindas death, Neal moved to Florida, where he changed his name to James Alan George Leyton, Spitzer said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach, California, Police Department said. Spitzer lauded noted DNA investigator CeCe Moore for helping police develop a "pointer" toward Neal. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. DNA recovered from O'Keefe shortly after her death was put into the Combined DNA Index System -- the law enforcement database known as CODIS -- but there was no hit, Spitzer said. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. The investigation into the homicide remained cold for 45 years until Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs used DNA to identify Neal as a suspect in the killing, leading to his arrest last month in Colorado. On July 6, 1973, 11-year-old Linda OKeefe disappeared while walking home from summer school in the southern California beachside town of Corona del Mar. The child disappeared while walking home from summer school, and her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. That I'll be dead by morning. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. The key moment arrived with the February 19, 2019 arrest of Neal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. James Alan Neal, 73, was an inmate at the maximum-security Theo Lacy jail in Orange for the 1973 sexual assault and strangling death of Linda O'Keefe, 11. On the day Linda Ann O'Keefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport . Although Linda died almost half a century ago, her family, the community and members of law enforcement never stopped thinking of her or hoping her killer would be brought to justice, Spitzer said. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann OKeefe, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said. Jeffrey Malecki, 55, who lived next door to Neal for five years, said Friday his neighbor mentioned having served time in jail but never elaborated. James Allen Neal. O'Keefe disappeared while she was walking home from summer school. IE 11 is not supported. We will make sure that the defendant is fairly and justly held accountable in a court of law.". Three weeks later, he pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, was sentenced to 40 days in jail with credit for time served and placed on probation against McMillans recommendation that he should instead be sent to Vacaville Prison in Northern California. As part of an effort to renew interest in the case, the Newport Beach Police Department used their Twitter account to recount the story of Lindas life, mysterious disappearance and death. "It is bittersweet to hear that, yes, this case has been resolved. Records obtained by the Southern California News Group show that Neal was arrested more than a dozen times in California, Florida and Colorado from 1959 to 1974. "After all this time, finding out there is a face and a namejust brings additional closure.". James Neal, who was charged with sexually assaulting and killing Linda O'Keefe, died on Wednesday (Picture: AP) An man arrested for a series of cold case sex crimes against children died. The database was Family Tree DNA. Her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. Its coming: Dark details revealed after man charged with 2011 murder of fiancee, Man known as Compassion Guy, praised for selflessness, stabbed in violent and senseless attack at California park, Jan. 6 QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley is no longer behind bars but still wants prison sentence vacated, Newport Beach police launched a new PR campaign in 2018, Lori Vallow Daybell Trial: Live Updates from Day 14 of Shocking Testimony, Gruesome Evidence, 'This was not a random act': Person of interest in custody after Detroit neurosurgeon found shot in head and wrapped in blanket, Following early morning 911 call, 87-year-old man found dead with pistol in bed after shooting 86-year-old woman: Cops, The Week Ahead: Psychic sentencing, stepson killer, and 'doomsday cult', Murder case 'refused' against couple who allegedly smothered newborn and threw her away in trash bag, Preschool teacher reportedly arrested for murder during the childrens naptime, Serial killer sentenced in cold case murder of law librarian strangled to death with scarf, Phony doctor treated thousands including cancer patients without medical license: DA, I hope she gets beat up in jail: Mom and boyfriend wont ever get out of prison after unimaginable torture murder of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, College professor wanted to rape 7-year-old girl, promised to bring her favorite chocolate bar and The Little Mermaid doll: FBI. That I'll be found a couple hundred yards from her home. And at the time of his arrest Neal had no income, savings or property except for a car that had been stolen in Springfield, Illinois, McMillan said. This defendant seems quite emotionally immature and psychologically unstable, McMillan wrote in his report. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. The sister of a little girl who was strangled to death in 1973 didn't expect to see a conclusion to the mysterious cold case, she told ABC News hours after a man's arrest was announced on Wednesday. Neal moved to. That DNA "hit" came in January, Spitzer said. In August 1969, he was convicted of fraud in Denver and sentenced to three to 10 year at Colorados Territorial Correctional Facility. They dont understand me or why I am the way I am. Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more! He was released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. Neal told McMillan he was the second of three children, never got along with his siblings, rebelled against his parents and was an emotionally disturbed child. All my life up to this day has been going in circles, Neal said. Seven years before James Alan Neal allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and strangled 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe in Newport Beach, he sat in an Orange County jail cell lamenting his miserable life and long rap sheet. James Alan Neal, who was 73, was taken to an area hospital on May 25 due to an undisclosed illness, said Jaimee Blashaw of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Both of O'Keefe's parents have since died, but the girl was survived by two sisters, whom police had contacted with updates about Neal's arrest. O'Keefe's parents have since died, but police said they keep her two surviving sisters updated on the investigation. Two years later, he began burglarizing homes for fun, according to McMillan. He left California after the alleged killing and went to Florida where he changed his name, officials said. An undated photo of Linda OKeefe who was killed in Southern California in July 1973. James Alan Neal, the 73-year-old charged in the 1973 cold case murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, died on Wednesday at about 5:15 a.m. That's according to Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Jaimee Blashaw in an NBC Los Angeles report. Photo Source. The novel investigative technique of genetic genealogy takes an unknown killer's DNA from a crime scene and identifies the suspect through his or her family members, who voluntarily submit their DNA to genealogy databases. "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. He's now the suspect in the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe. Anyone who may have any information on this unsolved crime is asked to call the Newport Beach Police Cold Case Tip Line at 949-644-3669. Then in January, CeCe Moore of San Clemente, who heads Parabons genetic genealogy unit matched DNA evidence gathered in the OKeefe investigation to a sample provided to genealogy website FamilyTreeDNA.com leading authorities to identify Neal, now 72, as a suspect. "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. Please see the press release for more information. Linda was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said Wednesday. James Neal (left) and Linda O'Keefe (right) (credit: CBS) The 72-year-old Neal was extradited to California from Colorado after he was charged with murder in the death of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe . He will ultimately benefit more from a state prison sentence.. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. His earliest crimes were breaking into homes when he was around 12-years-old. As a result of surveillance and other traditional detective techniques, they were able to get additional DNA which resulted in the corroboration of the DNA from the victims body, to the DNA sample that the suspect left during a particular location during surveillance activities, the Orange County district attorney said after Neals arrest in February 2019. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Have a tip or story idea? "He lived here in the 1970s," Spitzer said. Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. "Technology has caught up with the law," Spitzer said Wednesday. ', " As 'Linda' noted in the tweets in July, her case would generate numerous theories and a sketch of a 'person of interest' but ultimately grow cold.". At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. Emailus. After following and obtaining a DNA sample from Neal himself, police were confident enough to make an arrest, he added. A man was arrested this week in the decades-old killing of Linda OKeefe, 11. Neal worked in construction at the time of the crime, officials said. For more than 45 years the case went cold -- until DNA was submitted to an ancestry website. "I'm sure they're going through a lot of grieving of their own.". Borgeson said she also prayed for Neal's family as his arrest was announced. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. My mom made it. 11-year-old Linda OKeefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. Police also want to know if Neal could be linked to other crimes. "We want as many sets of eyes on that sketch as possible, so somebody can recognize the face of a killer so we can get justice.". US Man Arrested After Police Tweet Re-Creation Of Girl's 1973 Killing, Hate Crime In US Increased By 12 Per Cent In 2021: Report, Resident Evil 4, The Last of Us Part I, WWE 2K23, and More: New Games on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X This March, Pregnant US Prisoner Seeks Release As Her Unborn Baby Is Innocent, How 4 AM Breakfast Orders Helped Mumbai Cops Bust Fake Call Centre, Opinion: Byju's - When Ambition Overrides Good Governance And Ethics, Video: Heavy Rain In Bengaluru, Roads Waterlogged, Corruption Not The Biggest Poll Issue In Karnataka: NDTV Public Opinion, NDTV Public Opinion: How Quota For Lingayats, Vokkaligas May Affect BJP, "Couldn't Prove Even Once": Pathan Criticises India Star For Poor IPL Show, China Breaks Silence Over Status Of Stationary Mars Rover Zhurong, 5 Children, Among 34, Wounded In Russian Missile Strikes Across Ukraine, Video Shows The Moment Bulgari Store In Paris Was Robbed By Armed Men. CBS 48 Hours: Lindas Story delves into the work put in to arrest James Neal in relation to Lindas rape and murder. The detectives dogged this case. 1 dead, 1 rescued by firefighters after speeding car crashed into tree in Colorado Springs, Voice of the consumer: Looking for a job? Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. A native of Chicago, Neal began getting into trouble soon after he moved with his family to Anaheim in 1956. On one hand, we were grateful that we could have that conversation and provide some closure.". Photo Source. Neal currently lives in Colorado, but investigators were able to confirm that he lived in California in the 1970s, when Linda was murdered, Spitzer said. In July 2018, her story touched millions of people through #LindasStory (https://t.co/yxv1fLFIZp). 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. [Mugshot via Newport Beach Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Neals extensive criminal history and the circumstances of the 1973 sexual assault and murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe lead law enforcement to seek potential additional victims and witnesses. He had a connection to southern California, which has been corroborated, he said. Using details from the investigator's decades-old case files, police relayed O'Keefe's last hours, as well as her family's frantic search for her, as if they were unfolding in real time, as The Washington Post's Meagan Flynn reported: "At 6:42 p.m., six hours since her mother had last heard from her, O'Keefe's parents reported her missing to the Newport Beach Police Department, convinced by then O'Keefe was not simply running off with friends to retaliate for not getting a ride. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. "Our hearts go out to the victim and the victim's family in this case, having to endure decades without answers. O'Keefe's suspected killer, James Neal, who lived in Southern California in the 1970s, was arrested this week in Colorado where he had been living, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who was 12 himself at the time of the murder, at a Wednesday news conference. It was July 6, 1973, a Friday. O'Keefe, who was seven years younger than Borgeson, was "an old soul" with a "go with the flow" personality, Borgeson said. Blashaw did not explain what this sickness was but elaborated that the inmate did not have COVID-19 symptoms. Their mother "carried that guilt the rest of her life," Borgeson said. He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. [emailprotected]. ORANGE COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - The suspect in a decades-old cold case died Wednesday while awaiting trial. For an optimal experience visit our site on . This photo shows a poster of James Neal during a news conference at the Orange County District Attorney's office in Santa Ana, Calif., Feb. 20, 2019. He was apprehended in February after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect in OKeefes slaying. The case stumped investigators for more than four decades before DNA evidence from the genealogical website FamilyTreeDNA tied Neal to the case. The authorities confirmed that the 73-year-old showed no symptoms of COVID-19 and that his death was not considered suspicious. However, James was never brought to justice because he died of an unspecified illness on July 22, 2020. James Alan Neal has been arrested in the July 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe in Newport Beach. . Photo Source. Scott has also worked at newspapers in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia covering everything from methamphetamine trafficking cops to hurricanes. She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. James Alan Neal, 73, was transferred to a local hospital May 25 for treatment of an illness and died there at about 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Orange County sheriff's officials. McMillan went on to say that Neals father, who designed drugstores, and his mother, who was a bookkeeper, were described as extremely neurotic people who were both physically and psychologically cruel to their children. They are reported to be detached emotionally and narcissistic, he added. Linda Ann O'Keefe was the middle child in a family of five. Prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty against Neal. James Alan Neal, 72, was picked up in Colorado on Tuesday and charged with the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in 1973. PRESS RELEASE: Linda OKeefe Homicide https://t.co/sSg9rjwXgH, Starting tomorrow at 7:45 am, #LindasStory will be told here, through our Twitter account. Records show that from 1963 to 1966, Neal was employed as cook, furniture mover, iron worker, factory worker, and a floral deliveryman but didnt hold a job longer than five months. He then moved to Florida, and then, a criminal incident prompted him to change his name to James Alan Neal. Track Latest News and Karnataka Elections 2023 Coverage Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. (Courtesy of Newport Beach Police Department) Newport Beach police launched a new PR campaign in 2018 using Tweets written in Lindas voice. Newport Beach police released this undated image of Linda O'Keefe in an effort to get assistance from the public to help solve her murder in Southern California in July 1973. Watch: Aurora Dazzles Ladakh Skies As Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda An OKeefe, Newport Beach police Chief Jon Lewis said. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. "Individuals who engage in sexual activity against minors tend to have certain indicators of a predatory nature," Spitzer said. All Rights Reserved. He later changed his name, officials said. It was not clear from records if he was convicted for those offenses. James Neal (left) and Linda O'Keefe (right) (credit: CBS). As for her sister's suspected killer, Borgeson said, "because of my profound faith, I've been able to forgive the individual. His next court appearance is set for June 14. The arrest seemed to signal an end to an infamous cold case that had both haunted and motivated "generations of investigators" at the Newport Beach Police Department, Lewis said. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. Over 45 years ago, Linda went missing while. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California. James Alan Neal, the 73-year-old charged in the 1973 cold case murder of 11-year-oldLinda OKeefe, died on Wednesday at about 5:15 a.m. Thats according to Orange County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Jaimee Blashaw in an NBC Los Angeles report. Linda O'Keefe. Phone calls to Newport Beach police were not returned, but the Orange County District Attorneys Office said it is seeking other potential victims of Neal. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. He was arrested in Colorado Springs on Feb. 19. pic.twitter.com/47pA4FhBmG, Newport Beach Police (@NewportBeachPD) July 5, 2018, Im wearing a dress today Its white, with light blue flowers on it, and dark blue trim. "I'm astonished at what they were able to accomplish," Borgeson, 64, said. Today, we have a new message to share, and we are giving Linda a voice once more. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. The Twitter campaign did not lead to the suspect's identification, but it did create an emphasis on the case and opened doors for the case to be pursued with renewed efforts, officials said. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed in July 1973 -- and decades went by without leads. In July, on the 45th anniversary of O'Keefe's death, the Newport Beach Police Department "live-tweeted" Linda's story - in her voice, from the perspective of her last day - in the hope of raising awareness about her cold case and shaking forth any new clues about her killer. For nearly 45 years, the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe haunted the Newport Beach Police Department in California. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) A Colorado man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 1973 death of an 11-year-old California girl. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. In addition to the count of murder while committing lewd acts on a child, Neal was also accused of lewd acts against two other girls under the age of 14 in the late 1990s and early 2000s. James lived in the area around the time and worked in construction. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He feels he has always been picked on and never given a chance to better himself or be equal to others, Neal wrote in the report. The DNA researcher Moore has been on the forefront of linking cold cases to suspects through genetic material voluntarily offered by Americans doing ancestry research. Detectives from Newport Beach arrested Neal at 6:29 a.m. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at the press conference.

Michael Bell Obituary March 2021, Do Baptists Celebrate Lent, Uncle O'grimacey Controversy Philadelphia, Articles J