For nearly 45 years, the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe haunted the Newport Beach Police Department in California. SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) A Colorado man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 1973 death of an 11-year-old California girl. Shortly after Lindas murder, investigators recovered DNA evidence from her remains, Spitzer said. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. Based on a witness statement, it was believed a man in a van kidnapped Linda. An man arrested for a series of cold case sex crimes against children died while in police custody, officials said. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. 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 released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. 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. She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. He later changed his name, officials said. James Alan Neal was arrested in Monument in 2019. The authorities confirmed that the 73-year-old showed no symptoms of COVID-19 and that his death was not considered suspicious. Her friend later told police a turquoise van stopped next to O'Keefe a few times as she walked. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Her family called the police and officers then joined the search for the 4-foot-tall girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. 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. James then escaped from a work project where he was sentenced to and was arrested yet again in April 1967. Photo Source. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe in Newport Beach, California. Investigators would later learn that the girl had last been seen at an intersection, talking to a stranger in a turquoise van. 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. Neal was arrested on February 19, 2019 in Monument, Colorado where he had been living with his family for three years. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. 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. Colorado man charged in 1973 Orange County cold case dies awaiting trial. "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. Neal moved to Southern California from Chicago before the murder and relocated to Florida after the girl's slaying, authorities said. For more than 45 years the case went cold -- until DNA was submitted to an ancestry website. March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM They dont understand me or why I am the way I am. Here at this jail, people want to give me a bad time. OKeefes 1973 rape and murder went unsolved for decades. 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. O'Keefe vanished in July of 1973 while walking home from summer school. Neal was living in Monument at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County, California, where he has remained since. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. "I'm sure they're going through a lot of grieving of their own.". James Alan Neal fell ill and died while awaiting trial for the . Her death would go unsolved for more than four decades. "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. Linda never made it home that afternoon, he said. 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. Through surveillance, a sample of Neal's DNA was obtained - one that ultimately matched a sample taken from O'Keefe's body in 1973. Newport Beach Police Neal is being held in the. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. The next day she was found strangled, her. "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.". Photo Source. "He has a connection to Southern California.". "The hit on the genealogical DNA came back and hit in January so it was very recent," Spitzer said. There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. The 11-year-old was last seen on this street talking to a stranger in a van. Neals extensive criminal history and the circumstances of the 1973 sexual assault and murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe lead law enforcement to seek potential additional victims and witnesses. (Courtesy of Newport Beach Police Department) Photo Source. He was transferred to a local. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. Her body was found the next day -- but decades went by without an arrest. 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. The police department last year also "live-tweeted" O'Keefe's story from her perspective, narrating the final day of her life in real-time, exactly 45 years later. "I'll get to be with them again," she added. On the day Linda Ann O'Keefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport Beach, California. After his arrest in 1966 for a burglary he committed earlier, his parole officer called him quite immature and psychologically unstable.. He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. James Neal was arrested in February 2019 and charged with raping and killing Linda Ann OKeefe. Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Or to keep it anonymous, click here. James Alan Neal, the 73-year-old charged in the 1973 cold case murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, died on Wednesday at about 5:15 a.m. That's according to Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Jaimee Blashaw in an NBC Los Angeles report. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Her image hung among the faces of other unsolved cases, reminding each. Finally, in September 1965, he was arrested for yet another burglary but the charge was reduced to petty theft and ultimately dismissed. ", "I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime," she said. Police also want to know if Neal could be linked to other crimes. 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. 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. The key moment arrived with the February 19, 2019 arrest of Neal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News. People in the city of Newport Beach have been following this case for literally 45 years, Spitzer said. Scott has also worked at newspapers in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia covering everything from methamphetamine trafficking cops to hurricanes. Neal was arrested for burglaries in August and October 1959 and was committed to the California Youth Authority in December 1960. 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. An undated photo of murder victim Linda O'Keefe and her family. But O'Keefe never came home. ), First published on March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". Generations of investigators worked on her case, said Lewis. His next court appearance is set for June 14. 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. Linda O'Keefe, 11, vanished in July 1973 when she was heading home from school in Newport Beach. 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. 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. 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. While waiting to use the school phone, O'Keefe went outside. For an optimal experience visit our site on . OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach, California, Police Department said. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. Neal worked in construction at the time of the crime, officials said. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Anyone with additional information about the OKeefe case or who believes they may be a victim of Neal is asked to call the NBPD Cold Case Tip Line at 949-644-3669.. James Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and charged with murder with special circumstances, Spitzer said. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. He was arrested in Colorado Springs on Feb. 19. James spent time in juvenile prison and later dropped out of school in 1963. 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Yet for 45 years the Newport Beach Police Department never gave up. Emailus. 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. 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. But that day, she was dropped off. That I'll be found a couple hundred yards from her home. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. Last year, 45 years after O'Keefe's body was found, police released these sketches of her suspected killer. While their parents did not live to see an arrest, Borgeson said, "I'm sure she [O'Keefe] and my parents are rejoicing.". Detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department kept investigating. "The tweets extend the period of time that Linda's story can be out there for people to relate to," Manzella said in July. CBS 48 Hours: Lindas Story delves into the work put in to arrest James Neal in relation to Lindas rape and murder. On the day Linda disappeared, she was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Lewis said. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. James Alan Neal was known as James Albert Layton Jr. when he was born in 1946. 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. Later he moved to Colorado, where he was living when he was arrested, he said. 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. Linda O'Keefe. Linda Ann O'Keefe was the middle child in a family of five. 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. "But it created an awareness . 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 atwebnews@metro.co.uk, For more stories like this,check our news page, Get your need-to-know In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe was murdered. "Technology has caught up with the law," Spitzer said Wednesday. 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. All Rights Reserved. It wasnt long before Neal was in trouble again. 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. 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. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. 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. 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. 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. It was not clear from records if he was convicted for those offenses. He was rushed to a local hospital about a month before that. About a month later, the police brought additional charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 14. 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. A poster of James Alan Neal during the Newport Beach police and Orange County prosecutors news conference on Feb. 20, 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. Scott Schwebke is an investigative reporter for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. "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. Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more! 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. This defendant seems quite emotionally immature and psychologically unstable, McMillan wrote in his report. After a move to California in 1956, James started getting into trouble. 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. 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. He pleaded not guilty to the murder and to allegations of lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under age 14 between 1995-2004. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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.
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