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. 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. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. Two years later, he began burglarizing homes for fun, according to McMillan. 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. "But it created an awareness . ', " As 'Linda' noted in the tweets in July, her case would generate numerous theories and a sketch of a 'person of interest' but ultimately grow cold.". But she added that she was thankful for the "additional closure" brought to her by the investigators who never gave up, as well as the new technology, which made it possible to process the crime scene DNA. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. The authorities confirmed that the 73-year-old showed no symptoms of COVID-19 and that his death was not considered suspicious. But he praised Newport Beach police for persisting through the decades. . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. He worked odd jobs as a cook, factory worker, a floral delivery person, etc., but could never consistently hold down a job. 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. (Newport Beach Police Department) James Alan Neal, 73, who. James spent time in juvenile prison and later dropped out of school in 1963. Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more! All rights reserved. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". 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. Neal said that despite his recidivism, he was confident he could become successful. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. After Lindas death, Neal moved to Florida, where he changed his name to James Alan George Leyton, Spitzer said. 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. Photo Source. Photo Source. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Neal was living in Monument at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County, California, where he has remained since. McMillan remained skeptical. James Neal had been living in California at the time of the girl's murder but had since moved to Colorado. Linda Ann O'Keefe cold case: Before James Neal's arrest, he had a Yet for 45 years the Newport Beach Police Department never gave up. Prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty against Neal. 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. Neal was arrested on February 19, 2019 in Monument, Colorado where he had been living with his family for three years. Her killer, James Alan Neel, was caught 45 years later, in February 2019, after. / CBS Colorado. Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. On the day Linda disappeared, she was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Lewis said. "They probably are so shocked," she said. 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. At the least, prosecutors will ask for life without the possibility of parole if Neal is convicted, the district attorney said. Scott Schwebke is an investigative reporter for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Last year, Spitzer said authorities used DNA thought to have been left by the killer and tracked down Neal using a public genealogy database. My mom made it. 'Serial child sex predator' dies in police custody before he faces NDTV Public Opinion: Will Tipu Sultan Controversy Impact Karnataka Votes? Neal moved to. Later he moved to Colorado, where he was living when he was arrested, he said. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. 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. Her body was found the next day -- but decades went by without an arrest. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann OKeefe, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said. After following and obtaining a DNA sample from Neal himself, police were confident enough to make an arrest, he added. Beware of scams, Denver police searching for missing 14-year-old. He could be brought to California sometime this week if he waives extradition, Spitzer said. An undated photo of murder victim Linda O'Keefe and her family. 5 facts about the Linda O'Keefe murder case - Sportskeeda Detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department kept investigating. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. He said he was glad he had all that stuff behind him but never mentioned what he had done, Malecki recalled. After his arrest in 1966 for a burglary he committed earlier, his parole officer called him quite immature and psychologically unstable.. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. 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. The DNA sample from her dress was entered into the CODIS system in 2001 but came up empty, he 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.. He also teamed up with reporter Joe Nelson in 2019 on Bad Apples, an award winning investigation that exposed years of sex abuse cover up in the Redlands Unified School District. 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. 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. IE 11 is not supported. MURDERED: Linda O'Keefe | Crime Junkie Podcast O'Keefe's parents have since died, but police said they keep her two surviving sisters updated on the investigation. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Combining the latest in DNA technology with old-fashioned detective work led investigators to Neal, Lewis said. [Mugshot via Newport Beach Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Investigators would later learn that the girl had last been seen at an intersection, talking to a stranger in a turquoise van. 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. The detectives dogged this case. 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. He was being held at the Theo Lacy maximum-security jail in Orange. That I'll be dead by morning. James Alan Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Tuesday for allegedly killing Linda O'Keefe, 11, and leaving her body in a ditch. 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. Linda O'Keefe Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her? "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. He was released from the penitentiary in July 1971. Even after detectives got the lead through genealogical DNA, investigators needed to a secure a sample from Neal, Spitzer said. Suspect in 1973 California rape and murder dies before trial | 9news.com There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. "My office will never forget about cold cases," Spitzer said in a statement. 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. James Alan Neal, who was 73, was taken to an area hospital on May 25 due to an undisclosed illness, said Jaimee Blashaw of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. 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. 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. For nearly 45 years, the murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe haunted the Newport Beach Police Department in California. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. 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. ", Borgeson said, if she gets a chance to speak to Neal, she would "let him know that I've been praying for him.". "He has a connection to Southern California.". OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Neal is being held in the El Paso County Jail in Colorado. "Our hearts go out to the victim and the victim's family in this case, having to endure decades without answers. That night, family members, volunteers and police spread out to search for her. 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. This defendant seems quite emotionally immature and psychologically unstable, McMillan wrote in his report. 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. But again, it's a reminder of what happened. "I'll get to be with them again," she added. 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. 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. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. 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. She had been strangled and was still wearing a blue-and-white floral print dress that her mother had sewn for her.
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