Linda never made it home that afternoon., For 45 years, the Newport Beach Police Department continued to search for Lindas killer," 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. James Neal, Linda O'Keefe Suspect: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know My mom made it. "Individuals who engage in sexual activity against minors tend to have certain indicators of a predatory nature," Spitzer said. James Alan Neal fell ill and died while awaiting trial for the . That DNA "hit" came in January, Spitzer said. Reportedly, Colorado resident James Alan Neal was arrested in 2019 after a DNA report linked him to Linda O'Keefe's 1973 cold murder case. An undated photo of Linda OKeefe who was killed in Southern California in July 1973. 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. 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. 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.. Last year, 45 years after O'Keefe's body was found, police released these sketches of her suspected killer. Even after detectives got the lead through genealogical DNA, investigators needed to a secure a sample from Neal, Spitzer said. Neal appears gaunt and stoic in a black-and white prison photo. Linda O'Keefe. The following morning, O'Keefe's body was found in a ditch. Based on a witness statement, it was believed a man in a van kidnapped Linda. 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. It is not clear if Neal, 72, will waive extradition, Spitzer said. Her friend later told police a turquoise van stopped next to O'Keefe a few times as she walked. He worked odd jobs as a cook, factory worker, a floral delivery person, etc., but could never consistently hold down a job. Her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Linda O'Keefe: DNA Leads to Arrest in 1973 Murder of Calif. Girl 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. Neal was pronounced dead at. Cold Case Suspect In Newport Beach Child Death Dies Before Trial On the day Linda Ann O'Keefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport . 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. Neal was arrested on February 19, 2019 in Monument, Colorado where he had been living with his family for three years. While waiting to use the school phone, O'Keefe went outside. Police and prosecutors in Southern California thanked the FBI, the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriffs Department in Colorado for their assistance. Linda Ann O'Keefe's killing in 1973 in Newport Beach, California went unsolved for more than four decades. "After all this time, finding out there is a face and a namejust brings additional closure.". He was released from the penitentiary in July 1971. Neal was arrested for burglaries in August and October 1959 and was committed to the California Youth Authority in December 1960. 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. A true-crime retelling of Linda O'Keefe's 1973 abduction & killing led police to James Alan Neal, ID'd through DNA as the primary suspect. The girl, whose body was found the next day, was strangled. 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. Scott has also worked at newspapers in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia covering everything from methamphetamine trafficking cops to hurricanes. 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. The DNA sample from her dress was entered into the CODIS system in 2001 but came up empty, he said. Then her mother made that call that every parent dreads and told police her daughter was missing, he said. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann OKeefe. Linda never made it home that afternoon, he said. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. 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 . Helicopters, police Jeeps and search parties scoured the area looking for signs of O'Keefe. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Photo Source. "Generations of investigators worked on her case. 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. He will ultimately benefit more from a state prison sentence.. O'Keefe, who was seven years younger than Borgeson, was "an old soul" with a "go with the flow" personality, Borgeson said. Newport Beach Police Neal is being held in the. Shortly after Lindas murder, investigators recovered DNA evidence from her remains, Spitzer said. We never gave up.". Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more! James Alan Neal was born James Albert Layton Jr. in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1946. She was raped and then strangled to death. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. 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. His earliest crimes were breaking into homes when he was around 12-years-old. "That sample remained in the system for a long period of time," Spitzer said. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. 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. Sister of victim in 1973 cold case murder speaks out after suspect Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. As a result of that genealogical submission, they got an indication that James Alan Neal may be the suspect. At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, 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. An man arrested for a series of cold case sex crimes against children died while in police custody, officials said. 1966 probation report describes man suspected of killing 11-year-old Their mother "carried that guilt the rest of her life," Borgeson 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. 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. US Man James Neal Arrested After Police Tweet Re-Creation Of Girl It was July 6, 1973, a Friday. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. 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. Detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department kept investigating. Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. / CBS Colorado. 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. 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. O'Keefe was a schoolgirl from California who went missing on July 6, 1973, and was found dead the next morning. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. 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. Now a Suspect Has Been Arrested, JonBent Ramsey's Father Is Optimistic DNA Advances Will Catch Daughter's Killer, Slams Boulder Police, DNA Taken from Truck's Door Handle in Washington Leads to Arrest 34 Years After Wisconsin Mom's Killing, Pa. Neals education was terminated early and his work history was spotty, McMillan reported. But O'Keefe never came home. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. . He was always getting into fights and was always afraid to tell anyone how I really felt. . He is being held in Colorado, and if he waives extradition, could be moved to California before the end of the week, officials said. 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. He was apprehended in February after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect in OKeefes slaying. Man who served 15 years for murder his brother confessed to awarded $7,500,000, Woman 'sold 20 boxes of fetuses, hearts, genitalia and brains on Facebook', One killed after plane crashes into Los Angeles neighborhood. 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. Linda O'Keefe was last seen alive in Corona Del Mar, California, in July 1973. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. Through genealogical DNA, though, investigators corroborated the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. 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. The detectives dogged this case. In July 2018, her story touched millions of people through #LindasStory (https://t.co/yxv1fLFIZp). "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. Neal said that despite his recidivism, he was confident he could become successful. 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. James Alan Neal was known as James Albert Layton Jr. when he was born in 1946. Linda Ann O'Keefe cold case: Before James Neal's arrest, he had a 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. ", "I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime," she 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 Neal Now: Is Linda O'Keefe's Alleged Killer Dead or Alive? Update 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. "But it created an awareness . 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. "He seemed like a good guy," Neal's landlord, Michael Thulson,. About a month later, the police brought additional charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 14. A poster of James Alan Neal during the Newport Beach police and Orange County prosecutors news conference on Feb. 20, 2019. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. The database was Family Tree DNA. 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. 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. Over 45 years ago, Linda went missing while. 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. 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. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. The community made sure that justice would be secured, he said. OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach, California, Police Department said. "It is bittersweet to hear that, yes, this case has been resolved. . It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. After his arrest in 1966 for a burglary he committed earlier, his parole officer called him quite immature and psychologically unstable.. Neal is being held in the El Paso County Jail in Colorado. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. 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. 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.. 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. "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. Neal became a suspect in the slaying through "genealogical DNA," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. Her parents checked with friends and searched the neighborhood and the path she took home to no avail, Lewis said. Photo Source. for me personally. Her body was found the next morning in a ditch in the area of Newport Beachs Back Bay. But that day, she was dropped off. It was a difficult conversation . Neal denied all charges and faced up to 82 years in prison if he was convicted on all charges. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. This undated booking photo provided by the El Paso County, Colo., Sheriff's Office shows James Neal. The defendants conscience began to bother him, so he walked off a job he had obtained in Inglewood, returned to Santa Ana and contacted an officer of the Santa Ana Police Department, McMillan wrote in the report. "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. 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. James Allen Neal. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. James Neal (left) and Linda O'Keefe (right) (credit: CBS). Linda Ann O'Keefe was the middle child in a family of five. 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. Her body was found the next day in a nature preserve. James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California, in 1973. Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. We never gave up.. 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. Photo Source. 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. 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. Colorado man charged in 1973 Orange County cold case dies awaiting trial A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he was previously a breaking news and multimedia reporter for the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner. Neal then moved back to California, where he lived until 2014 at six addresses in Riverside, Hemet and Winchester, public records show. His last address was in San Jacinto, where his home on East Evans Street was just a few blocks away from North Mountain Middle School and Jose Antonio Estudillo Elementary. There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. He has also accompanied police on undercover drug buys and also provided an award winning, eyewitness account of the execution of a North Carolina death row inmate. Neal worked in construction at the time of the crime, officials said. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. 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. Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed in July 1973 -- and decades went by without leads.
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