At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. James Alan Neal was arrested in Monument in 2019. If he pursues these goals conscientiously and stays away from downtown Santa Ana where associates congregate, he feels he will never again become involved in difficulty, the probation officer wrote. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. But again, it's a reminder of what happened. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. James Alan Neal was born James Albert Layton Jr. in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1946. Years later, the authorities developed a DNA profile from the biological evidence recovered from Linda, and that was eventually matched to James in January 2019. He left California after the alleged killing and went to Florida where he changed his name, officials said. James Alan Neal, 73, died on Wednesday at a hospital where he had been transferred in May to be treated for an illness, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office. Authorities did not provide details on Neal's illness. "I'm astonished at what they were able to accomplish," Borgeson, 64, said. He was always getting into fights and was always afraid to tell anyone how I really felt. . Colorado man charged in 1973 Orange County cold case dies awaiting trial. The authorities confirmed that the 73-year-old showed no symptoms of COVID-19 and that his death was not considered suspicious. He was released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe in Newport Beach, California. Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. The victim was found dead during a search. He said he was glad he had all that stuff behind him but never mentioned what he had done, Malecki recalled. James lived in the area around the time and worked in construction. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. He worked odd jobs as a cook, factory worker, a floral delivery person, etc., but could never consistently hold down a job. Nothing he said made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. My mom made it. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. This defendant seems quite emotionally immature and psychologically unstable, McMillan wrote in his report. Beware of scams, Denver police searching for missing 14-year-old. 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. A Santa Ana police officer who arrested Neal for the burglary went further, describing him as being in constant emotional conflict and in need of long-term psychiatric care. Emailus. She was raped and then strangled to death. The next day she was found strangled, her. However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. Only one person, a woman who did not know anything about a missing girl, was close enough to hear her, and by then it was too late. Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. 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 long. ', " 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.". She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. 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. James Alan Neal, 72, was picked up in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and charged with the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, Newport Beach police and Orange County prosecutors said. 1 dead, 1 rescued by firefighters after speeding car crashed into tree in Colorado Springs, Voice of the consumer: Looking for a job? 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, said Spitzer. Two years later, he began burglarizing homes for fun, according to McMillan. ", "I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime," she said. James Neal had been living in California at the time of the girl's murder but had since moved to Colorado. 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. 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. "The hit on the genealogical DNA came back and hit in January so it was very recent," Spitzer said. O'Keefe was a schoolgirl from California who went missing on July 6, 1973, and was found dead the next morning. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. After the burglary sentencing, James moved to Denver, Colorado, where he was accused of stealing from the gas station he worked at. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. 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. Neal appears gaunt and stoic in a black-and white prison photo. Her body was found the next morning in a ditch in the area of Newport Beachs Back Bay. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. Police hoped that retelling the girl's story through the modern-day medium would help people from a different generation form an emotional attachment to the case. Police and prosecutors on Wednesday said they put Neal under surveillance and eventually got his DNA though they did not detail exactly how. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Linda Ann O'Keefe was the middle child in a family of five. She had been strangled. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. After Lindas death, Neal moved to Florida, where he changed his name to James Alan George Leyton, Spitzer said. Taking advantage of the latest in crime-solving techniques, in January, Spitzer said, they received a pointer indication through genealogical DNA.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A native of Chicago, Neal began getting into trouble soon after he moved with his family to Anaheim in 1956. Her body was found the next day -- but decades went by without an arrest. Feb. 20, 2019. That DNA "hit" came in January, Spitzer said. and opened doors for us to have this case pursued with renewed effort.". "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. His next court appearance is set for June 14. Police were tight-lipped about exactly how they solved the case but said they received a lead in January that prompted them to begin investigating Neal, who had been living in Orange County at the time of O'Keefe's killing but had since moved to Colorado. "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community, said Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis. It was not clear from records if he was convicted for those offenses. But he praised Newport Beach police for persisting through the decades. James Alan Neal was arrested February 19, 2019, in connection to her death, prosecutors announced at a press conference.. [Mugshot via Newport Beach Police Department], Have a tip we should know? The lead bringing officials to Neal came after these sketches were released, authorities said Wednesday. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann OKeefe. A man was arrested this week in the decades-old killing of Linda OKeefe, 11. 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. "Her picture hangs in our detective division, where our folks see it every day as a reminder of her and why we continue to pursue these cases.". 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Neal was living in Monument at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County, California, where he has remained since. Borgeson said she also prayed for Neal's family as his arrest was announced. Scott Schwebke is an investigative reporter for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) A Colorado man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 1973 death of an 11-year-old California girl. Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. 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. James Neal was arrested in February 2019 and charged with raping and killing Linda Ann OKeefe. A woman later told police she saw O'Keefe standing next to a turquoise van and talking to the driver -- a white man in his mid-20s or early 30s. 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. James Alan Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Tuesday for allegedly killing Linda O'Keefe, 11, and leaving her body in a ditch. 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. . The 11-year-old was taken while she walked back from school in California, with witnesses reporting Linda talking to a white male in a van. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News. Neal is charged with murder, kidnapping during the commission of murder and lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14 in the beachside town of Corona del Mar, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. To her familys horror, her dead body was found the next day in a ditch, still wearing the dress her mother had made for her. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he was previously a breaking news and multimedia reporter for the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner. 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. March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. Photo Source. Photo Source. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. "Just before midnight, 'a lady in the bluffs above Back Bay hears a female voice outside, screaming "Stop, you're hurting me," ' the police tweeted in O'Keefe's name. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Linda O'Keefe was last seen alive in Corona Del Mar, California, in July 1973. 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. . ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. James Alan Neal fell ill and died while awaiting trial for the . Suspect Changed His Name After Lindas Death, Colo. Dentist Accused of Poisoning His Wife in 'Complex and Calculated Murder': Police, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, 'Granby Girl' Shot Dead in 1978 Killing Identified by DNA: 'It's Satisfying to Finally Know', Rape Kit from 1994 Leads to Arrest in 1979 Slaying of Woman Found Near Lake Tahoe, Mysterious 'Lady in the Fridge' Murder Victim Identified After 27 Years, DNA Allegedly Links Indiana Man to Georgia Woman's Murder 33 Years Ago, Missing Woman Found Possibly Dismembered in Texas; Suspect Allegedly Searched 'How to Be a Serial Killer', Inside the Hunt for San Francisco's Notorious Doodler Serial Killer: 'His Victims Deserve Justice', DNA on Discarded Cigarette Butt Reveals Killer of Vt. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. Through the tireless efforts of generations of our investigators, we hope we have been able to bring a measure of closure to Lindas family, friends, and loved ones.. He then moved to Florida, and then, a criminal incident prompted him to change his name to James Alan Neal. 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. (Courtesy of Newport Beach Police Department) Parabon has worked on the majority of the cold cases cracked through genetic genealogy, including O'Keefe's case. "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. About a month later, the police brought additional charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 14. Photo Source. An undated photo of murder victim Linda O'Keefe and her family. Shortly after Lindas murder, investigators recovered DNA evidence from her remains, Spitzer said. CBS 48 Hours: Lindas Story delves into the work put in to arrest James Neal in relation to Lindas rape and murder. / CBS Colorado. Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. He pleaded not guilty to the murder and to allegations of lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under age 14 between 1995-2004. 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. Her strangled body was found the next day. Today, we have a new message to share, and we are giving Linda a voice once more. We will make sure that the defendant is fairly and justly held accountable in a court of law.". After the slaying, Neal moved to Florida, where some sort of incident prompted him to change his name from James Albert Layton to James Alan Neal, authorities have said, declining to give specifics. Linda O'Keefe. As for her sister's suspected killer, Borgeson said, "because of my profound faith, I've been able to forgive the individual. "He lived here in the 1970s," Spitzer said. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. 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. "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. 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. When O'Keefe didn't return home right away, there was little concern at first. This undated booking photo provided by the El Paso County, Colo., Sheriff's Office shows James Neal. OKeefes 1973 rape and murder went unsolved for decades. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. (Newport Beach Police Department) James Alan Neal, 73, who. WATCH LIVE: Retrial for Florida man Eric Robinson accused of brutal love triangle murder, Law&Crime Looks Ahead to 10 Remarkable Criminal Trials Scheduled for the First Half of 2023, 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial, 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials, Man busted after $3M worth of drugs mysteriously showed up to restaurant, Police officer who did not show up for work found shot to death in his house along with his newlywed wife, Justice for Katelyn. Linda never made it home that afternoon., For 45 years, the Newport Beach Police Department continued to search for Lindas killer," Lewis said. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". 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. Linda O'Keefe fue asesinada en 1973 mientras caminaba a casa desde la escuela. 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. He's now the suspect in the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe. "We have never forgotten Linda," Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at the news conference. "That sample remained in the system for a long period of time," Spitzer said. However, James was never brought to justice because he died of an unspecified illness on July 22, 2020. 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. He is being held in Colorado, and if he waives extradition, could be moved to California before the end of the week, officials said. NDTV Public Opinion: Will Tipu Sultan Controversy Impact Karnataka Votes? ABC News' Kayna Whitworth contributed to this report. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. It wasnt long before Neal was in trouble again. Yet for 45 years the Newport Beach Police Department never gave up. 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. James Allen Neal. For nearly 45 years, the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe haunted the Newport Beach Police Department in California. Photo Source. 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. Generations of investigators worked on her case, said Lewis. Her friend later told police a turquoise van stopped next to O'Keefe a few times as she walked. Girl Was Stabbed 59 Times After Parting Ways with Boyfriend in 1982 and Suspect Was Just Arrested, to recount the story of Lindas life, mysterious disappearance and death. The burglary that landed Neal behind bars in 1966 occurred a year earlier when he and two accomplices broke into a Santa Ana business, stealing $44.97 in cash and a portable television set valued at $90, Orange County Superior Court records show. "He seemed like a good guy," Neal's landlord, Michael Thulson,. 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. He had a connection to southern California, which has been corroborated, he said. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also called the arrest "bittersweet," noting that he had been 12 years old when the 11-year-old was killed. Her killer, James Alan Neel, was caught 45 years later, in February 2019, after. But that day, she was dropped off. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. Newport Beach police said last year they were taking a fresh look at the slaying of Linda O'Keefe, who lived in the Corona del Mar neighborhood and was last seen alive July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school. Helicopters, police Jeeps and search parties scoured the area looking for signs of O'Keefe. Linda was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said Wednesday. 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. SANTA ANA, CA Officials in California say James Alan Neal, who was arrested last year in Monument for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, has died. James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California, in 1973. Authorities did not elaborate on his death but said he was not exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. 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. After following and obtaining a DNA sample from Neal himself, police were confident enough to make an arrest, he added. 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. 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 in the seaside community of Newport Beach. Copyright 2020 KKTV. Last year, 45 years after O'Keefe's body was found, police released these sketches of her suspected killer. O'Keefe disappeared while she was walking home from summer school. "They haven't forgotten about her and we haven't, either.". He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. Neal said that despite his recidivism, he was confident he could become successful. These were in relation to him committing lewd acts to a child in Riverside County, California, between July 1995 and July 2000 and then to another child between March 2002 and March 2004. James Alan Neal fue arrestado el 19 de febrero de 2019, en relacin con su muerte, segn anunciaron los fiscales en una conferencia de prensa. We never gave up.". Spitzer noted that the DNA lead police had obtained was wholly unrelated to the department's live-tweeting of O'Keefe's last day but said the exercise had served to revive the case in the public's mind. At the least, prosecutors will ask for life without the possibility of parole if Neal is convicted, the district attorney said. 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 . . Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. More than 45. He was the second of three children but had a difficult upbringing. Neal moved to Southern California from Chicago before the murder and relocated to Florida after the girl's slaying, authorities said. That night, a woman who lives in the bluffs above Back Bay heard a voice scream, "Stop, youre hurting me," police said. Her family called the police and officers then joined the search for the 4-foot-tall girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. Spitzer said a DNA sample was recovered from O'Keefe after her body was found and uploaded to a database, where it never matched others. He has not been able to relate well with other students, family members or inmates. People in the city of Newport Beach have been following this case for literally 45 years, Spitzer said. O'Keefe, who was seven years younger than Borgeson, was "an old soul" with a "go with the flow" personality, Borgeson said. Have a tip or story idea? Her parents checked with friends and searched the neighborhood and the path she took home to no avail, Lewis said. Records reveal Neal was arrested on Sept. 9, 1973, in Marion County, Florida, on a fraud charge for writing a bad check and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Through surveillance, a sample of Neal's DNA was obtained - one that ultimately matched a sample taken from O'Keefe's body in 1973. . 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.
Dell Xps 15 Battery Drain While Off,
Hershey Chocolate Commercial With Ava And Olivia,
Articles J