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. "I'm astonished at what they were able to accomplish," Borgeson, 64, said. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Through genealogical DNA, though, investigators corroborated the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. . More than 45. "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. Combining the latest in DNA technology with old-fashioned detective work led investigators to Neal, Lewis said. In spite of rehabilitative attempts through California Youth Authority and Orange County Jail sentences (it) seems to negate any desire or ability (by Neal) to follow through.. Investigators said he used to live in Southern California in the 1970s and was known as James Albert Layton Jr at the time, although he later moved to Florida and changed his name. Her parents checked with friends and searched the neighborhood and the path she took home to no avail, Lewis said. Linda O'Keefe fue asesinada en 1973 mientras caminaba a casa desde la escuela. He was apprehended in February after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect in OKeefes slaying. A man has been arrested through DNA and genetic genealogy in the decades-old cold case killing of 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe, who was strangled to death in Southern California in 1973, authorities said. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Photo Source. IE 11 is not supported. "Technology has caught up with the law," Spitzer said Wednesday. Nothing he said made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. A native of Chicago, Neal began getting into trouble soon after he moved with his family to Anaheim in 1956. He was transferred to a local. However, James was never brought to justice because he died of an unspecified illness on July 22, 2020. O'Keefe, who was seven years younger than Borgeson, was "an old soul" with a "go with the flow" personality, Borgeson said. OKeefes 1973 rape and murder went unsolved for decades. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. 1 dead, 1 rescued by firefighters after speeding car crashed into tree in Colorado Springs, Voice of the consumer: Looking for a job? 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. Police and prosecutors on Wednesday said they put Neal under surveillance and eventually got his DNA though they did not detail exactly how. O'Keefe was a schoolgirl from California who went missing on July 6, 1973, and was found dead the next morning. 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. Photo Source. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more, Doomsday mum unfazed by photos of daughters dismembered body shown to court, Five people including boy, 8, killed in execution-style shootings in Texas, Drunk woman fatally runs over man on a first date, Moment bear falls from tree onto tarp held by firefighters, Do not sell or share my personal information. Neal was pronounced dead at. and opened doors for us to have this case pursued with renewed effort.". 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. 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 has a connection to Southern California.". 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. People in the city of Newport Beach have been following this case for literally 45 years, Spitzer said. Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. Neal was living in Monument at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County, California, where he has remained since. As for her sister's suspected killer, Borgeson said, "because of my profound faith, I've been able to forgive the individual. They dont understand me or why I am the way I am. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. Two years later, he began burglarizing homes for fun, according to McMillan. 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. "But it created an awareness . She had been strangled and was still wearing a blue-and-white floral print dress that her mother had sewn for her. He was released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. 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. . Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. Teen Was Murdered After Coming Home from Grocery Store in 1975, Coffee Cup Leads to Arrest, Calif. "As you can imagine, this was difficult news to receive," Lewis said. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on . McMillan remained skeptical. Please see the press release for more information. It is not clear if Neal, 72, will waive extradition, Spitzer said. "I'll get to be with them again," she added. All rights reserved. "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. Feb. 20, 2019. On Tuesday, 45 years after Lindas brutal murder, authorities arrested the man that DNA evidence from a genealogy site allegedly points to as her killer: James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, officials announced at a press conference Wednesday. 11-year-old Linda OKeefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. 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. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. James Alan Neal was arrested in Monument in 2019. SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) A Colorado man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 1973 death of an 11-year-old California girl. "We have heard from a number of her friends from when she was in school, and her death has touched so many people," Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said at the time. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. Then, in 1974, he was sent back to prison in Colorado for a parole violation and released three years later. A poster of James Alan Neal during the Newport Beach police and Orange County prosecutors news conference on Feb. 20, 2019. Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. 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. "That sample remained in the system for a long period of time," Spitzer said. Newport Beach police launched a new PR campaign in 2018 using Tweets written in Lindas voice. She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. But that day, she was dropped off. 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. Photo Source. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Then, after he was paroled again in August 1963, he was arrested a year later for burglary and sentenced to nine months in the Orange County jail. The next day, a man visiting that area found O'Keefe's strangled body, police said. An undated photo of Linda OKeefe who was killed in Southern California in July 1973. 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. 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. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. 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. James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California, in 1973. He was the second of three children but had a difficult upbringing. for me personally. 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. 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. 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. The victim was found dead during a search. The DNA sample from her dress was entered into the CODIS system in 2001 but came up empty, he said. James Neal, 72, who lived in Southern California and worked in construction in the 1970s, was arrested this week in Colorado, where he had been living, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said at a Wednesday news conference. James Alan Neal was known as James Albert Layton Jr. when he was born in 1946. 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. 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 then moved to Florida, and then, a criminal incident prompted him to change his name to James Alan Neal. "Generations of investigators worked on her case. That night, a woman who lives in the bluffs above Back Bay heard a voice scream, "Stop, youre hurting me," police said. 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. The next day she was found strangled, her. IE 11 is not supported. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". "He seemed like a good guy," Neal's landlord, Michael Thulson,. "Our hearts go out to the victim and the victim's family in this case, having to endure decades without answers. On one hand, we were grateful that we could have that conversation and provide some closure.". OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. After Lindas death, Neal moved to Florida, where he changed his name to James Alan George Leyton, Spitzer said. Copyright 2020 KKTV. 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. 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 long shaken the seaside community of Newport Beach, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. 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. Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. All Rights Reserved. James Neal of Monument, Colorado also pleaded not guilty in an Orange County courtroom Friday to lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under the age of 14. James Neal had been living in California at the time of the girl's murder but had since moved to Colorado. Neal was arrested on February 19, 2019 in Monument, Colorado where he had been living with his family for three years. In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe was murdered. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California. On the day Linda disappeared, she was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Lewis said. 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. Neal, who was living at the YMCA in Santa Ana at the time, surrendered to police four days later and ratted out the other burglars. Blashaw did not explain what this sickness was but elaborated that the inmate did not have COVID-19 symptoms. Linda never made it home that afternoon, he said. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. 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. O'Keefe disappeared while she was walking home from summer school. Neal moved to Southern California from Chicago before the murder and relocated to Florida after the girl's slaying, authorities said. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. But he praised Newport Beach police for persisting through the decades. Linda never made it home that afternoon., For 45 years, the Newport Beach Police Department continued to search for Lindas killer," Lewis said. 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. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. 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. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. Linda Ann O'Keefe was the middle child in a family of five. Yet for 45 years the Newport Beach Police Department never gave up. He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. At the least, prosecutors will ask for life without the possibility of parole if Neal is convicted, the district attorney said. Based on a witness statement, it was believed a man in a van kidnapped Linda. 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. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Helicopters, police Jeeps and search parties scoured the area looking for signs of O'Keefe. Linda O'Keefe. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Linda was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said Wednesday. Having spent two years living in England including Liverpool, he is an avid Beatles fan and memorabilia collector. James Alan Neal was arrested February 19, 2019, in connection to her death, prosecutors announced at a press conference.. 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. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe in Newport Beach, California. James Neal, 72, who lived in Southern California and worked in construction in the 1970s, was arrested this week in Colorado, where he had been living, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said at a Wednesday news conference. Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. 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. ), First published on March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM. ", Borgeson said, if she gets a chance to speak to Neal, she would "let him know that I've been praying for him.". "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. ", "I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime," she said. I want to make up for all the hurt I have caused myself and my parents, especially my mother, Neal, who was 19 at the time and went by James Albert Layton Jr., told Orange County probation officer David R. McMillan in 1966 while awaiting sentencing for a burglary conviction. She makes a lot of my clothes, and my sisters clothes. Linda Ann O'Keefe's killing in 1973 in Newport Beach, California went unsolved for more than four decades. 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. Photo Source. We never gave up.. About a month later, the police brought additional charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 14. Her strangled body was found the next day. Her body was found the next morning in a ditch in the area of Newport Beachs Back Bay. Specifics on how Neal died have not been released, but 11 News is told he was hospitalized at the end of May. Newport Beach police in July released a sketch of a man, the possible suspect, based on DNA collected at the scene. Neal moved to. Photo Source. He pleaded not guilty to the murder and to allegations of lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under age 14 between 1995-2004. He was arrested in Colorado Springs on Feb. 19. Today, we have a new message to share, and we are giving Linda a voice once more. Here at this jail, people want to give me a bad time. Neal was released from police custody on his own recognizance, fled California and was rearrested when he returned to the state on March 3, 1966. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community, said Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis. ORANGE COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - The suspect in a decades-old cold case died Wednesday while awaiting trial. Taking advantage of the latest in crime-solving techniques, in January, Spitzer said, they received a pointer indication through genealogical DNA.. 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. 1966 probation report describes man suspected, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 1966 probation report describes man suspected of killing 11-year-old Linda OKeefe as emotionally disturbed, Whats new: Loma Villas apartments sell for $21.5M to investor, 4 dead in Mojave Desert community after shooting report, El Chapo sons send Mexico cartels cheap fentanyl into US, Sacramento Snapshot: Cities would need to include homeless-serving housing in state plans under new bill, after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect, Police hope vintage photo of man accused of murdering 11-year-old in 1973 will bring witnesses forward, Man charged with killing 11-year-old Linda OKeefe in 1973 cold-case murder in Newport Beach, How DNA and old-fashioned police work led to arrest in 1973 cold-case murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe, Newport Beach Police will use Twitter to tell story of 11-year-old homicide victim on 45th anniversary of her unsolved murder, Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (April 20-27), More land sliding at Casa Romantica; residents evacuated, trains halted through San Clemente, Orange County Artist of the Year winners announced, Then and Now: Photos of Casa Romantica show damage caused by landside, Fire at Barnes & Noble in Orange disrupts book-signing event, The DMV says permission to drive is based on ability, but older drivers are scrutinized more, OC Marine who volunteered in Ukraine, survived rocket attack: I would do it again, Cold, drizzly week ahead for Southern California, A look at Orange Countys baseball teams and the CIF-SS playoffs, Joe Bidens re-election bid is off to a bad start, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 72-year-old arrested in connection with 1973 murder of 11-year-old girl, 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. He was paroled in July 1961 but returned to the Youth Authority in October 1962. She doesn't know that I'm missing. 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. 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The child disappeared while walking home from summer school, and her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. Have a tip or story idea? Linda O'Keefe was killed in 1973 while walking home from school. [emailprotected]. According to later reports, James didnt get along with his family, and his parents were physically and psychologically cruel to him and his siblings. Authorities suspect that Neal, while on parole in the Colorado case, snatched OKeefe, who lived in Corona del Mar, from the street on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school. He worked odd jobs as a cook, factory worker, a floral delivery person, etc., but could never consistently hold down a job. "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. 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. The girl, whose body was found the next day, was strangled. Even after detectives got the lead through genealogical DNA, investigators needed to a secure a sample from Neal, Spitzer said. PRESS RELEASE: Linda OKeefe Homicide https://t.co/sSg9rjwXgH, Starting tomorrow at 7:45 am, #LindasStory will be told here, through our Twitter account. 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. 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. At the time of the murder, Neal was using the name James Allen George Layton, prosecutors said. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. 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. He was rushed to a local hospital about a month before that. 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. He was being held at the Theo Lacy maximum-security jail in Orange. "After all this time, finding out there is a face and a namejust brings additional closure.". 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. 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..
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