PA - Lindy Sue Biechler, 19, fatally stabbed, Lancaster County, 5 Dec 1975 *arrest in 2022*

[Betty P]

Update: Arrest in Mirack murder lifts hopes of resolution for Lindy Sue Biechler, killed 42 years ago in Manor Township

I hope they find her killer.

From the link:

Chief Lancaster County Detective Kent Switzer said cold cases “are always challenging to solve,” but said the county is working with police to decide what cases might benefit from a similar DNA analysis.

“It is important to also add that each case is different and what may work for one case may not work for another for many reasons,” Switzer said. “These types of decisions are typically made on a case by case basis.”

Mazur said she hopes to know by autumn if new DNA technology can advance the Biechler probe.

“Having DNA evidence isn’t enough,” she explained. “You need something to match it to.”

BBM.

From the quote, it sounds like they do have DNA evidence from the killer. I wonder what they're waiting for, saying they will know by autumn if new DNA technology can help find Lindy's killer? Perhaps the sample isn't complete.

The article also says PA still has a backlog of over 900 rape kits that haven't been processed for DNA.

ETA: the investigator says they don't have a complete profile from Lindy's killer, as they did in the Mirack case. Hopefully the new process they're trying will develop a full DNA profile.

 

[Betty P]

Keeping her case out there. I am developing a true crime podcast and I will definitely cover her case:

Murder in Amish Country; the case of Lindy Sue Biechler - TRUECRIMEGUY.COM

WRT the killers letter, it reads, JMO, like a diversion of sorts. Like he's trying to feed LE false information about his identity and the crime.

"Dec. 5, 1975 was under the stupor of amfetamines Like right know."

Amphetamines don't put users in a stupor. It's odd, sounds like he hasn't ever taken the drug. It's almost like he's trying to paint a completely opposite portrait of himself to LE. Why else give those detailed physical and lifestyle descriptions?

 

[morf13]

I hope they find her killer.

From the link:



BBM.

From the quote, it sounds like they do have DNA evidence from the killer. I wonder what they're waiting for, saying they will know by autumn if new DNA technology can help find Lindy's killer? Perhaps the sample isn't complete.

The article also says PA still has a backlog of over 900 rape kits that haven't been processed for DNA.

ETA: the investigator says they don't have a complete profile from Lindy's killer, as they did in the Mirack case. Hopefully the new process they're trying will develop a full DNA profile.

They did DNA tests with Lindy's evidence a decade ago. What they could do then vs now, is a big difference. They are likely seeing if they can put together a usable quality sample that can be uploaded to GEDmatch. If so, it can ID which family the killer belongs to, as we have seen with the Christy Mirack case, April Tinsley, Golden State Killer, etc. Just because they have DNA does not mean it's enough of a sample or in good enough condition to put into GEDmatch. Police in the Zodiac Killer case are awaiting DNA results now that they too can add to GEDmatch

 

[RavenDoc]

They did DNA tests with Lindy's evidence a decade ago. What they could do then vs now, is a big difference. They are likely seeing if they can put together a usable quality sample that can be uploaded to GEDmatch. If so, it can ID which family the killer belongs to, as we have seen with the Christy Mirack case, April Tinsley, Golden State Killer, etc. Just because they have DNA does not mean it's enough of a sample or in good enough condition to put into GEDmatch. Police in the Zodiac Killer case are awaiting DNA results now that they too can add to GEDmatch

Hi! I’m actually from the area. I’ve been very interested in this case being solved for so long. Here’s hoping it is! Knowing how the local DA’s office works, they have got to be actively (chomping at the bit) to get whoever’s responsible. I’ve always wanted to find more information on the background of her being followed....There’s just not a whole lot of detail as to when she started noticing this, who she suspected, etc.

 

[RavenDoc]

She wasn't raped but the crime was sexually related in nature, if that makes sense. It's been so long since I went thru the files, I can not remember if there was DNA or not. If there was, I suspect that the same Detectives that just solved the Christy Mirack case will be using it for Lindy's case

Sorry, didn’t mean to post as a reply! Haha. I absolutely agree though, it was very sexual in nature. At any rate, I wanted to add that the area she worked in demographically would be very diverse with a great deal of people passing through. Although Lancaster County is thought of as Amish Country, that is really a marketing tool for tourism and certainly isn’t representative of downtown Lancaster. Further, as previously mentioned, the people she may have come in contact with from Out of the area through F&M College, Millersville University, Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster Regional Hospital (flower shop), Funeral Home Personnel (etc).

 

[morf13]

Sorry, didn’t mean to post as a reply! Haha. I absolutely agree though, it was very sexual in nature. At any rate, I wanted to add that the area she worked in demographically would be very diverse with a great deal of people passing through. Although Lancaster County is thought of as Amish Country, that is really a marketing tool for tourism and certainly isn’t representative of downtown Lancaster. Further, as previously mentioned, the people she may have come in contact with from Out of the area through F&M College, Millersville University, Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster Regional Hospital (flower shop), Funeral Home Personnel (etc).

There were possible suspects who had connections to the hospital

 

[RavenDoc]

There were possible suspects who had connections to the hospital

I recall that. But am forgetting who....I’ll look it up. I’m curious if there was any other violent crime committed by him. Pa court dockets are pretty easy to look through

 

[RavenDoc]

Btw per the letter where he claims to live in the west end of the Lancaster suburbs... the roads haven’t changed much. If looking at a map, it would really be anything west of Buchanan park area. Millersville would fit. As would the park area near the manor shopping center where one poi was rumored to lurk around.

 

[morf13]

I just produced and released a podcast episode about Lindy's case on my show The Murder in My Family - here

 

[AnemoneBrown]

I wonder if being such a young couple the husband may've been cheating on Lindy or had some angry ex who saw Lindy as an obstacle to remove. The use of the butcher knife could mean the killer was not strong enough to strangle the victim. Also, the lack of a sexual assault may mean the killing was an act of rage or revenge. Finally, the letter sounds like an attempt to confuse and if this is true, the killer may have been a shorter, slim woman instead of a 5'10" big beautiful man. I'm leaning more towards the killer being a woman who was related to someone the police wanted to protect.

 

[snowleopard]

Good coverage of Lindy Sue's case:

 

[Richard]

Lindy Sue Biechler smiles in a snapshot taken by her husband, Phil.

LINK:

htps://lancasteronline.com/news/local/arrest-in-mirack-murder-lifts-hopes-of-resolution-for-lindy/article_0282fd58-812d-11e8-ab35-7b3096d6b70e.html

 

[faithx]

Parabon has released DNA Snapshots of a potential suspect

CASE: Who Killed Lindy Biechler? DNA Composites Released, Website Launched in 44-Year-Old

Did this guy kill Lindy Sue Biechler in 1975? Investigators unveil portraits of possible slayer

DNA composite sketches show possible killer in 1975 cold case in Lancaster County

 

[Betty P]

Parabon has released DNA Snapshots of a potential suspect

CASE: Who Killed Lindy Biechler? DNA Composites Released, Website Launched in 44-Year-Old

Did this guy kill Lindy Sue Biechler in 1975? Investigators unveil portraits of possible slayer

DNA composite sketches show possible killer in 1975 cold case in Lancaster County

Great news! I hope they have luck with this effort. From the web site:

Some characteristics of the man who left behind the DNA:
- He is likely fair-skinned;
- He very likely has hazel-colored eyes;
- He almost certainly has dark hair; not blond or red;
- He almost certainly has no freckles;

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: CASE: Who Killed Lindy Biechler? DNA Composites Released, Website Launched in 44-Year-Old

 

[dotr]

 

[Fede]

A recent article related to Lindy´s case: The Lindy Sue Biechler case: Original 1975 coverage from the LNP archives

 

[jh2146]

Hey all,

I'm a new member to this forum, and this cold case caught my eye since I live in Central PA and there has been some renewed interest ever since the composites were released last year.

So, from reading the letter sent to LE and the thread, I do believe he is trying to copy the Zodiac Killer and also lying about his physique and addiction to drugs to throw LE off his trail. However, I do believe that he lives in the west end suburbs of Lancaster, also that he is well educated and holds a good paying job. I read the archived news articles about how she left work on Cottage Ave, headed to her husband's work on N. Queen St to pick up a check, then headed to Millersville to the bank and the grocery store. That means she either took Manor St/Millersville Pike or Wabank St/Rd judging from maps dated during that time. And it's the most direct routes there. So, if she did indeed take Manor St/Millersville Pike, she would have driven right past Manor Shopping Center, where the "friend" said the killer frequented. Back tracking a bit to the well educated and has a good job part, I would assume that meant college degree and worked a white collar job. I have my doubts that the killer was a farmer or worked in a factory. He might have been a manager or business owner maybe? Or worked at the local hospital or at Franklin and Marshall College? I doubt high schools or other schools in that area wouldn't pay as well as those other possible jobs. And if the killer did stalk her for a period of time, that leads me to believe that he's local and familiar with the area. That's all I could assume from what I read tonight, I'll dig a little deeper tomorrow.

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

not to sound crude....but are we *sure* the semen found in her underwear was from the killer?

 

[faithx]

not to sound crude....but are we *sure* the semen found in her underwear was from the killer?

I've transcribed this quote from the September 2019 press conference: "From viewing her body and positioning, her button on her pants was undone, her zipper was down, her shirt was pushed up. There was fresh semen in her underwear. Given that information and what we saw at the scene, we believe very likely that this semen is from the perpetrator of this crime. There was, in addition to that, an item in close proximity to the knife, which we believe would have been absolutely touched by the killer. We do have some forensic evidence on there and what we can tell from that is that it's a male and although we can't say to scientific certainty, there were similarities in the DNA results so far to the DNA (the semen) we recovered from her underwear.”

At 1:27:40

 

[Feme98]

Is Vincent Shriver being investigated as a person of interest? If they have semen from the killer, then they must have uploaded it to a database and maybe Vincent isn't on this database.