McMillan remained skeptical. 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. The 11-year-old was last seen on this street talking to a stranger in a van. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on . 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. 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. (Newport Beach Police Department) James Alan Neal, 73, who. 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. Man arrested in Monument for 1973 murder dies in custody There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. On the day Linda Ann O'Keefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport Beach, California. Linda Ann O'Keefe cold case: Murder, sexual assault suspect dies in Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. The victim was found dead during a search. 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 Now: Is Linda O'Keefe's Alleged Killer Dead or Alive? Update Emailus. 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. But he praised Newport Beach police for persisting through the decades. IE 11 is not supported. He was transferred to a local. March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM Colorado Man Pleads Not Guilty In California Cold Case Death 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. O'Keefe then called her mother from the school office, and her mother told her she was busy sewing and that she should walk home, police said. Linda O'Keefe. Based on a witness statement, it was believed a man in a van kidnapped Linda. "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. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. Feb. 20, 2019. Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community. In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe was murdered. James Alan Neal was arrested February 19, 2019, in connection to her death, prosecutors announced at a press conference.. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. James lived in the area around the time and worked in construction. Specifics on how Neal died have not been released, but 11 News is told he was hospitalized at the end of May. OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach, California, Police Department said. The key moment arrived with the February 19, 2019 arrest of Neal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 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. 5 facts about the Linda O'Keefe murder case - Sportskeeda Her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. Linda O'Keefe murder: James Neal DNA match leads to arrest for 1973 Her body was found the next morning in a ditch in the area of Newport Beachs Back Bay. Linda O'Keefe Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her? Authorities did not elaborate on his death but said he was not exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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 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. O'Keefe's parents have since died, but police said they keep her two surviving sisters updated on the investigation. 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. Copyright 2020 KKTV. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. On Tuesday, nearly 46 years after O'Keefe's life ended, authorities arrested a man they say is suspected of being her killer: a 72-year-old living in Colorado named James Neal. "They haven't forgotten about her and we haven't, either.". Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Neal appears gaunt and stoic in a black-and white prison photo. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News.
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