IL IL - Lynda Dunlap, 21, Oakbrook Terrace, 22 Dec 1979

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The city of Oakbrook Terrace hasn't had a murder since 1979, police said. In that unsolved case, the body of Lynda Ann Dunlap, 21.


I'm just starting to research this case. I will be discussing verification with Tricia in this case....

in the mean time, I am starting from scratch on this one.

and I am looking for even the details on this unsolved case.

From what I recall hearing from a friend who can only confirm via hearsay is Lynda was found in a small pond off Rt 38 along the southern borders of Oak Brook Terrace, Elmhurst and Villa Park..

Hoping to make contact with LE and see what we can find on this unsolved case.

I have not looked up any news archives, so we are really starting from scratch on this one folks....

I just want to let Lynda know, she is not forgotten and we will keep seeking justice for her.
 
Oak Brook Terrace IL towns lone murder-(lone murder according to date of article)

Oakbrook Terrace investigators reopen town''s lone murder case.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3452900/Oakbrook-Terrace-investigators-reopen-town.html


Only one murder has occurred in Oakbrook Terrace's entire history.

But having even one killing - the December 1979 death of Lynda Ann Dunlap - unsolved is one too many for Oakbrook Terrace Police Chief Mark Collins.

He announced Friday that he's officially reopening the 25-year- old homicide probe.

"A 25-year-old case is an uphill battle," he said. "But over 25 years, people change. Hopefully, people are going to come forward with more information."

Advancements in DNA and other forensic testing, as well as leads from friends and relatives, prompted Collins to light a fire under the cold case. He hopes that making the investigation public will encourage even more people with information to come forward.

"It was time to review the case because of the new technology in law enforcement today," he said. "Maybe we'll have some closure."

Lynda Ann Dunlap had struggled with drug abuse.

But at 21, the Elmhurst woman decided to turn her life around. She told her friends she was finished with the drug scene, Collins said.

-OK, I realize this is not the typical WS cold case scenario - but despite ones life issues, we all deserve another chance as young uns' and we all deserve justice.

It's so rare we we find cases like Lynda Dunlaps in the media...

I think I will have a hard time finding media articles. but perhaps the detective assigned to Lynda's case will fill me in. I will be giving him a call this upcoing week.
 
Oak Brook Terrace IL towns lone murder-(lone murder according to date of article)

Oakbrook Terrace investigators reopen town''s lone murder case.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3452900/Oakbrook-Terrace-investigators-reopen-town.html


Only one murder has occurred in Oakbrook Terrace's entire history.

But having even one killing - the December 1979 death of Lynda Ann Dunlap - unsolved is one too many for Oakbrook Terrace Police Chief Mark Collins.

He announced Friday that he's officially reopening the 25-year- old homicide probe.

"A 25-year-old case is an uphill battle," he said. "But over 25 years, people change. Hopefully, people are going to come forward with more information."

Advancements in DNA and other forensic testing, as well as leads from friends and relatives, prompted Collins to light a fire under the cold case. He hopes that making the investigation public will encourage even more people with information to come forward.

"It was time to review the case because of the new technology in law enforcement today," he said. "Maybe we'll have some closure."

Lynda Ann Dunlap had struggled with drug abuse.

But at 21, the Elmhurst woman decided to turn her life around. She told her friends she was finished with the drug scene, Collins said.

-OK, I realize this is not the typical WS cold case scenario - but despite ones life issues, we all deserve another chance as young uns' and we all deserve justice.

It's so rare we we find cases like Lynda Dunlaps in the media...

I think I will have a hard time finding media articles. but perhaps the detective assigned to Lynda's case will fill me in. I will be giving him a call this upcoing week.

from above...
Advancements in DNA and other forensic testing, as well as leads from friends and relatives, prompted Collins to light a fire under the cold case. He hopes that making the investigation public will encourage even more people with information to come forward...

If that is true, as far as making the case public, then i hope that includes official LE documents and other visual aids we can use from the investigation. I look forward to keeping up with what transpires here on this case. Its not often, as we know, to have LE open up as he has indicated he will do on this cold case...
Thanks for posting.
 
The above article was written in 2006. IIRC, at the time it was the lone murder in OBT ( or Oak Brook Terrace ). There has been once other since and IIRC it has been solved.

A good friend of mine (and no you can not sleuth me- No sleuthing members ) knew Lynda and that is how I learnt of this case. I don't have any reason to believe he was involved. I do know he was contacted several years back and asked what he knew about the victim. As far as I know it was telephone interviews only- the who she knew, where she hung out kind of thing. I don't know if my friend ever met with LE in person. But I know from his sharing with me, he was very interested in helping LE solve the case of his old friend.....

I may ask my old friend to join WS. I don't know how much computer access he has, but I do currently speak to him on a regular basis, so perhaps if he does not have computer time I can ask him questions and post for him. If he can't join.

And yes, I will put in a call to Tricia to give her the heads up.....
 
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-06/news/0411060245_1_reopen-cold-case-crime

Oakbrook Terrace police have reopened the nearly 25-year-old case of a young Elmhurst woman found beaten to death.
The body of Lynda Ann Dunlap, 21, was found in a field near Butterfield Road and 16th Street in Oakbrook Terrace on the evening of Dec. 27, 1979. An autopsy indicated she died after being severely beaten on the head and shoulders. She was last seen alive on Dec. 22, 1979.
Dec 22 1979 a Saturday.
Dec 27 1979 a Thursday.

Article fromaily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) Article dateecember 31, 2004
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-128186070.html
Lynda Ann Dunlap, 21, of Elmhurst was found dead in a field Dec. 27, 1979, by a couple of kids walking a dog. She had been on leave from a halfway house for the holidays when she was killed. She planned to meet with friends but never showed up, police said.

 
Haven't heard a thing, but bumping for Lynda.

What was Lynda doing that night? With whom did she communicate her plans for that night/weekend?

I was able to glean little from my friend who was interviewed by detectives in this case.... other than it was believed she hitched a ride to visit friends while on leave from rehab and visiting her family.

Hopefully OBT aka Oak Brook Terrace LE has some forensic evidence they are pursing in this case. And hopefully it is in a national database....
 
Interesting case. I was interviewing someone from LE recently about a cold case and used the term "re-open," and was corrected with something along the line of "as it's a murder case, it's always been open." Perhaps "take another look," or "re-activate," is more accurate in these cases. But yeah, I know what they mean.
 
Found another article on Lynda's case. Not a whole lot of information but a little more than in the previous articles.

The article indicates Lynda had worked as a waitress in various restaurants and LE believes she was killed where her body was found.

She was last seen on December 22nd and her body was found on December 27th.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-11-06/news/0411060245_1_reopen-cold-case-crime

I really wish there was more info regarding this case. Technology has advanced even since 04.

I find myself wondering if my friends theory is accurate. He believes she was killed by whomever picked her up hitchhiking.

Or, if perhaps she had an abusive bf in the past? People who might have been upset she was trying to get clean and get her life together? Does LE believe she knew her assailant or was this a random crime commited by a stranger?

There has been a fairly decent amount of news regarding cold cases being solved in the NE IL area. I pray Lynda's is one solved soon as well.
 
Back in 2006, I was working at a Wolf Camera and personally​ transferred​ the original photos from this murder from it's original slides to digital format for OBT PD in order to preserve evidence. These photos included crime scene, her funeral and evidence. Though it was 11 years ago, I can remember those photos and evidence like it was yesterday. I'm not sure how much I can say (I didn't sign a disclosure statement or anything like that). Back in 2006 the detective told me that they were close to solving it. I gave him my two cents on who I think did it and he just smiled​ then told me that there should be an official statement released soon. Sadly I'm still waiting for that statement.
 

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