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.. "That sample remained in the system for a long period of time," Spitzer said. Linda O'Keefe was last seen alive in Corona Del Mar, California, in July 1973. Linda O'Keefe murder: James Neal DNA match leads to arrest for 1973 for me personally. James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California, in 1973. 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. 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 . 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. / CBS Colorado. James Allen Neal. Neal moved to. James Neal, Linda O'Keefe Suspect: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know 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. Scott has also worked at newspapers in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia covering everything from methamphetamine trafficking cops to hurricanes. As a result of that genealogical submission, they got an indication that James Alan Neal may be the suspect. The key moment arrived with the February 19, 2019 arrest of Neal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. An man arrested for a series of cold case sex crimes against children died while in police custody, officials said. 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. 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. 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. Borgeson said she also prayed for Neal's family as his arrest was announced. 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. Neal was arrested for burglaries in August and October 1959 and was committed to the California Youth Authority in December 1960. . 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. McMillan remained skeptical. Neal denied all charges and faced up to 82 years in prison if he was convicted on all charges. Neal then moved back to California, where he lived until 2014 at six addresses in Riverside, Hemet and Winchester, public records show. James Alan Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Tuesday for allegedly killing Linda O'Keefe, 11, and leaving her body in a ditch. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. "I'm sure they're going through a lot of grieving of their own.". He was apprehended in February after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect in OKeefes slaying. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. We will make sure that the defendant is fairly and justly held accountable in a court of law.". 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.. 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. "As you can imagine, this was difficult news to receive," Lewis said. 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. Teen Was Murdered After Coming Home from Grocery Store in 1975, Coffee Cup Leads to Arrest, Calif. According to later reports, James didnt get along with his family, and his parents were physically and psychologically cruel to him and his siblings. Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. OKeefes 1973 rape and murder went unsolved for decades. Colorado man charged in 1973 Orange County cold case dies awaiting trial. The 11-year-old was described as a gentle, lovely soul. "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. Newport Beach police launched a new PR campaign in 2018 using Tweets written in Lindas voice. Linda never made it home that afternoon., For 45 years, the Newport Beach Police Department continued to search for Lindas killer," Lewis said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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., However, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Neals death robvs the OKeefe family of the justice they so deserve and deprives the law enforcement officers of the satisfaction that they finally got their culprit., Get in touch with our news team by emailing us [email protected], For more stories like this,check our news page, Get your need-to-know For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "They haven't forgotten about her and we haven't, either.". Armed with DNA and a family tree, police arrested a Colorado man in connection to the 1973 slaying of a Southern California girl, authorities said Wednesday. . "Our hearts go out to the victim and the victim's family in this case, having to endure decades without answers. 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. Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. Her body was found the next day in a nature preserve. Parabon has worked on the majority of the cold cases cracked through genetic genealogy, including O'Keefe's case. Suspect in 1973 Newport Beach child murder dies in custody Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. Police also want to know if Neal could be linked to other crimes. Photo Source. Copyright 2020 KKTV. 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. Newport Beach police in July released a sketch of a man, the possible suspect, based on DNA collected at the scene. 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. Linda never made it home that afternoon, he said. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. Over 45 years ago, Linda went missing while. For nearly 45 years, the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe haunted the Newport Beach Police Department in California. 11-year-old Linda OKeefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. 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. That I'll be dead by morning. That I'll be found a couple hundred yards from her home. 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. 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. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on . "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.". Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. Colorado Man Pleads Not Guilty In California Cold Case Death "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. 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. Photo Source. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Specifics on how Neal died have not been released, but 11 News is told he was hospitalized at the end of May. "My hope is that this [case] brings hope to other families who haven't had closure yet.". So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. 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. James Alan Neal was born James Albert Layton Jr. in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1946. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced the arrest of James Alan Neal in the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe during a press conderence on Wednesday, February 20, 2019. 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. Newport Beach Police Neal is being held in the. Her image hung among the faces of other unsolved cases, reminding each. ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. Her death would go unsolved for more than four decades. Her friend later told police a turquoise van stopped next to O'Keefe a few times as she walked. 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. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. 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. He was released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. O'Keefe was a schoolgirl from California who went missing on July 6, 1973, and was found dead the next morning. Here at this jail, people want to give me a bad time. Teacher 52 Years Later, Hiding in Plain Sight: DNA Allegedly Links Calif. Karate Instructor to 1981 Rapes, Murders of 2 Women, 2 Women Were Found Slain, Sexually Assaulted Within Months of Each Other in 1983: How DNA Led to Arrest, Teen Was Killed with Ax After Meeting Man on Phone Chat Line in 1998. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. In July 2018, her story touched millions of people through #LindasStory (https://t.co/yxv1fLFIZp). Neals education was terminated early and his work history was spotty, McMillan reported. On the day Linda Ann O'Keefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport . James Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and charged with murder with special circumstances, Spitzer said. Photo Source. 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Emailus. 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. Her strangled body was found the next day. Then her mother made that call that every parent dreads and told police her daughter was missing, he said. Linda Ann O'Keefe cold case: Murder, sexual assault suspect dies in . But again, it's a reminder of what happened. Linda O'Keefe fue asesinada en 1973 mientras caminaba a casa desde la escuela. He was always getting into fights and was always afraid to tell anyone how I really felt. . 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 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. The victim was found dead during a search. DNA leads to man's arrest 46 years after murder of 11-year-old Linda O 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 then moved to Florida, and then, a criminal incident prompted him to change his name to James Alan Neal. O'Keefe's parents have since died, Spitzer said, but her sisters have been notified about the arrest. Neal has been charged with one count of murder with the special circumstances of kidnapping and committing lewd and lascivious acts upon a child younger than 14, Spitzer said. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. 1 dead, 1 rescued by firefighters after speeding car crashed into tree in Colorado Springs, Voice of the consumer: Looking for a job? We never gave up.". Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. 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. Linda O'Keefe Murder Defendant James Alan Neal Is Dead | Law & Crime 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe was kidnapped on her way back from home in July 1973. Beware of scams, Denver police searching for missing 14-year-old. But he praised Newport Beach police for persisting through the decades. On one hand, we were grateful that we could have that conversation and provide some closure.". Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. His next court appearance is set for June 14. "I'll get to be with them again," she added. 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. The following morning, O'Keefe's body was found in a ditch. Linda O'Keefe Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her? However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. 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. Neal is being held in the El Paso County Jail in Colorado. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. Combining the latest in DNA technology with old-fashioned detective work led investigators to Neal, Lewis said. 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. Through genealogical DNA, though, investigators corroborated the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. It is not clear if Neal, 72, will waive extradition, Spitzer said. Man Accused of Killing 11-Year-Old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach Dies 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. Linda O'Keefe was killed in 1973 while walking home from school. Man charged with killing 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in 1973 cold-case 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. 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. Linda Ann O'Keefe's killing in 1973 in Newport Beach, California went unsolved for more than four decades. 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. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. 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. He was arrested in Colorado Springs on Feb. 19. "I had closure when they found her body," Borgeson said about the fateful day 46 years ago. Neal worked in construction at the time of the crime, officials said. But Spitzer admitted that it is a murky legal decision because capital punishment was not an option when the 11-year-old was killed. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. Neal moved to Southern California from Chicago before the murder and relocated to Florida after the girl's slaying, authorities said. The database was Family Tree DNA. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. 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. (Newport Beach Police Department) James Alan Neal, 73, who. Linda O'Keefe. Composite sketch of the driver. 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.

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