Through surveillance, a sample of Neal's DNA was obtained - one that ultimately matched a sample taken from O'Keefe's body in 1973. Linda O'Keefe. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The detectives dogged this case. He is being held in Colorado, and if he waives extradition, could be moved to California before the end of the week, officials said. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. We never gave up.. Prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty against Neal. Parabon used the DNA from the crime scene to predict the suspect's eye color, hair color and skin color. "I'm astonished at what they were able to accomplish," Borgeson, 64, said. Then her mother made that call that every parent dreads and told police her daughter was missing, he said. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California. ORANGE COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - The suspect in a decades-old cold case died Wednesday while awaiting trial. Nothing he said made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. 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.. Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. 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, said Spitzer. The victim was found dead during a search. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Two years later, he began burglarizing homes for fun, according to McMillan. "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. He left California after the alleged killing and went to Florida where he changed his name, officials said. James Neal (left) and Linda O'Keefe (right) (credit: CBS). 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. 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. . But O'Keefe never came home. I dont have any friends because Ive always been afraid to make any because I just figured they would only see me as everyone else has in the past.. 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. Even after detectives got the lead through genealogical DNA, investigators needed to a secure a sample from Neal, Spitzer said. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". Photo Source. 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. O'Keefe's parents have since died, Spitzer said, but her sisters have been notified about the arrest. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This defendant seems quite emotionally immature and psychologically unstable, McMillan wrote in his report. James Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and charged with murder with special circumstances, Spitzer said. 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. There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. Neal currently lives in Colorado, but investigators were able to confirm that he lived in California in the 1970s, when Linda was murdered, Spitzer said. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Have a tip or story idea? Spitzer refused to elaborate on how they were able to track down Neal and identify him as a suspect after 45 years, but he said police had received a "pointer notification through genealogical DNA" - perhaps suggesting that authorities had come upon DNA from someone related to Neal that would have implicated him as a possible match. 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. Neal appears gaunt and stoic in a black-and white prison photo. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. They dont understand me or why I am the way I am. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. James Alan Neal was known as James Albert Layton Jr. when he was born in 1946. "He has a connection to Southern California.". A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. But that day, she was dropped off. Neal was arrested for burglaries in August and October 1959 and was committed to the California Youth Authority in December 1960. Generations of investigators worked on her case, said Lewis. "Just before midnight, 'a lady in the bluffs above Back Bay hears a female voice outside, screaming "Stop, you're hurting me," ' the police tweeted in O'Keefe's name. "I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible," Cindy Borgeson, a sister of Linda OKeefe, told ABC News. My mom made it. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. Linda O'Keefe was last seen alive in Corona Del Mar, California, in July 1973. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Source. O'Keefe, who was seven years younger than Borgeson, was "an old soul" with a "go with the flow" personality, Borgeson said. However, James was never brought to justice because he died of an unspecified illness on July 22, 2020. 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. Borgeson said she also prayed for Neal's family as his arrest was announced. 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. 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. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. Neal is being held in the El Paso County Jail in Colorado. All rights reserved. The child disappeared while walking home from summer. While their parents did not live to see an arrest, Borgeson said, "I'm sure she [O'Keefe] and my parents are rejoicing.". Her killer, James Alan Neel, was caught 45 years later, in February 2019, after. He was transferred to a local. All Rights Reserved. Neal was pronounced dead at. Neal said that despite his recidivism, he was confident he could become successful. 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. He then moved to Florida, and then, a criminal incident prompted him to change his name to James Alan Neal. Neal worked in construction at the time of the crime, officials said. In July 2018, her story touched millions of people through #LindasStory (https://t.co/yxv1fLFIZp). Then, in 1974, he was sent back to prison in Colorado for a parole violation and released three years later. March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. 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. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. 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. An undated photo of murder victim Linda O'Keefe and her family. James Alan Neal fell ill and died while awaiting trial for the . But when night fell and her whereabouts were still unknown, her parents called police and desperately combed the neighborhood, to no avail. Linda was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said Wednesday. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. 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. 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. Finally, in September 1965, he was arrested for yet another burglary but the charge was reduced to petty theft and ultimately dismissed. Police also want to know if Neal could be linked to other crimes. Scott Schwebke is an investigative reporter for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. Copyright 2020 KKTV. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. 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. On one hand, we were grateful that we could have that conversation and provide some closure.". 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. (Courtesy of Newport Beach Police Department) The lead bringing officials to Neal came after these sketches were released, authorities said Wednesday. ), First published on March 29, 2019 / 6:44 PM. Newport Beach police launched a new PR campaign in 2018 using Tweets written in Lindas voice. O'Keefe vanished in July of 1973 while walking home from summer school. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. While waiting to use the school phone, O'Keefe went outside. His earliest crimes were breaking into homes when he was around 12-years-old. 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. He said he was glad he had all that stuff behind him but never mentioned what he had done, Malecki recalled. "It is bittersweet to hear that, yes, this case has been resolved. Last year, 45 years after O'Keefe's body was found, police released these sketches of her suspected killer. ', " 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.". 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. Watch: Aurora Dazzles Ladakh Skies As Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. An man arrested for a series of cold case sex crimes against children died while in police custody, officials 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. At the time of the murder, Neal was using the name James Allen George Layton, prosecutors said. Spitzer also refused to confirm whether Neal had family members or children, saying the matter was under investigation. It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann OKeefe. Neal then moved back to California, where he lived until 2014 at six addresses in Riverside, Hemet and Winchester, public records show. IE 11 is not supported. Photo Source. Investigators would later learn that the girl had last been seen at an intersection, talking to a stranger in a turquoise van. Neal denied all charges and faced up to 82 years in prison if he was convicted on all charges. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda OKeefe in Newport Beach, California. "I had closure when they found her body," Borgeson said about the fateful day 46 years ago. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. He pleaded not guilty to the murder and to allegations of lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under age 14 between 1995-2004. 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. James Alan Neal was arrested February 19, 2019, in connection to her death, prosecutors announced at a press conference.. 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. He was rushed to a local hospital about a month before that. Through genealogical DNA, though, investigators corroborated the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. McMillan remained skeptical. A man was arrested this week in the decades-old killing of Linda OKeefe, 11. Photo Source. Since April 2018, genetic genealogy has helped identify more than three dozen suspects, said CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. "They probably are so shocked," she said. 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. James lived in the area around the time and worked in construction. 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. 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. O'Keefe was last seen alive on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach Police Department said. 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. ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. (Newport Beach Police Department) James Alan Neal, 73, who. That DNA "hit" came in January, Spitzer said. 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. 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 hit on the genealogical DNA came back and hit in January so it was very recent," Spitzer said. "He seemed like a good guy," Neal's landlord, Michael Thulson,. 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Her body was found strangled in a ditch the next day. Suspect Changed His Name After Lindas Death, Colo. Dentist Accused of Poisoning His Wife in 'Complex and Calculated Murder': Police, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, 'Granby Girl' Shot Dead in 1978 Killing Identified by DNA: 'It's Satisfying to Finally Know', Rape Kit from 1994 Leads to Arrest in 1979 Slaying of Woman Found Near Lake Tahoe, Mysterious 'Lady in the Fridge' Murder Victim Identified After 27 Years, DNA Allegedly Links Indiana Man to Georgia Woman's Murder 33 Years Ago, Missing Woman Found Possibly Dismembered in Texas; Suspect Allegedly Searched 'How to Be a Serial Killer', Inside the Hunt for San Francisco's Notorious Doodler Serial Killer: 'His Victims Deserve Justice', DNA on Discarded Cigarette Butt Reveals Killer of Vt. and opened doors for us to have this case pursued with renewed effort.". Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. 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. It wasnt long before Neal was in trouble again. She makes a lot of my clothes, and my sisters clothes. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. Linda Ann O'Keefe's killing in 1973 in Newport Beach, California went unsolved for more than four decades. Specifics on how Neal died have not been released, but 11 News is told he was hospitalized at the end of May. Linda O'Keefe, 11, vanished in July 1973 when she was heading home from school in Newport Beach. After the burglary sentencing, James moved to Denver, Colorado, where he was accused of stealing from the gas station he worked at. "After all this time, finding out there is a face and a namejust brings additional closure.". The next day, a man visiting that area found O'Keefe's strangled body, police said. This undated booking photo provided by the El Paso County, Colo., Sheriff's Office shows James Neal. Detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department kept investigating. [Mugshot via Newport Beach Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. "Individuals who engage in sexual activity against minors tend to have certain indicators of a predatory nature," Spitzer said. At the least, prosecutors will ask for life without the possibility of parole if Neal is convicted, the district attorney said. 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. 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.. Yet for 45 years the Newport Beach Police Department never gave up. However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. 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. 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. 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. He was always getting into fights and was always afraid to tell anyone how I really felt. . Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. 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. 'She listens, but hears nothing more. 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. 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. He has not been able to relate well with other students, family members or inmates. PRESS RELEASE: Linda OKeefe Homicide https://t.co/sSg9rjwXgH, Starting tomorrow at 7:45 am, #LindasStory will be told here, through our Twitter account. "I'll get to be with them again," she added. For an optimal experience visit our site on . The 11-year-old was last seen on this street talking to a stranger in a van. But again, it's a reminder of what happened. When O'Keefe didn't return home right away, there was little concern at first. 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. Police and prosecutors on Wednesday said they put Neal under surveillance and eventually got his DNA though they did not detail exactly how.
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