FL FL - Linda Stillson, 28, Miami, 11 August 1977

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OkieGranny

OkieGranny

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http://www.wsvn.com/story/27181003/linda-stillson

In August 1977, 28-year-old Linda Stillson was a model and a mother with a great future... Linda was also in real estate, and on that August day went to show a condo to a client. When she didn't pick up her daughter that evening at a day care, her ex-husband got worried. Police were called, and Linda's body was found... "She was beaten, she was beaten to death and it was a gruesome murder, gruesome"...

No motive, no killer, but in the file, Detective Miller found a fingerprint from inside the condo that couldn't be matched 37 years ago. Today, it can... "Evidence recovered from the scene had led to the identity of Ernest Turnbough. We do not know who this individual is, other than we have a name. We do not know of the relationship, if there was any, between Linda and Mr. Turnbough."

Detectives also found DNA in that condo in 1977 which they couldn't check then. It's now being tested. In, fact Miami-Dade Police have all the evidence from the original investigation. What they are missing are a couple of things, like someone who may have come across Linda the day she was murdered, or something about the man whose fingerprint was inside the condo, Ernest Turnbough.
Click to expand...
 
OkieGranny said:
1dbeb940-375a-4e4f-835e-bc28af57c119_zps68d4bdeb.jpg


http://www.wsvn.com/story/27181003/linda-stillson
Click to expand...

The man named in the article when you do a search you find that he was dead 7 years before this murder. They talk about DNA evidence but there is never a follow up. There were other persons of interest. This story leads you to believe that it was a random killing when there were people with motive and beating somebody to death takes an awful lot of rage. I would like to see more information on this crime. Does anyone know how to obtain the newspaper clippings of the funeral because there was a big scene there.
 
Sounds like someone stole his identity, this Ernest Turnbough. Never heard of the case, but will see if I can find anything more.
 
Found a Ernest Turnbough in U.S. Phone and address directories
Residence Ocala Florida 1994
A middle initial would be helpful

Is there a address where the murder took place?
The full address is online not sure whether to post it?

Info found through my ancestry.com

Oh found it 10405 Southwest 80 street

http://www.miamidade.gov/police/cold-cases/1970-1979.asp
 
There are three different places in Florida for the address where the murder took place - one is Ocala, is that the one?

If so the two addresses are about 30 minutes apart
 
Sherwats you seem to know more, can you elaborate:)
 
It is possible that she came up on a swatter, someone with mental issues living in the house, but if that is the case, what about Ernest? Wouldn't he tell the agency that the agent didn't show up to show him the house? I think Ernest could have been someone who stole the man ID, or was posing as him and set the appointment so he could kill her. Hope that they get a lead somewhere. They have a picture of the real Ernest Turnbough, but what a mess.
 
The murder occurred in Miami, Fl in 1977. Linda was beaten to death and had recently divorced and was living with her married boss. There is a lot more to this than what was in that article and a lot more suspects.
 
I lived in Miami when this occurred and she was a neighbor of my mother's. To kill someone by beating them to death is usually personal and requires a lot of rage. So random killing does not set with me. She had been a model perhaps she had an obsessed fan but I am doubtful. She was a really beautiful woman. I suspect it was more personal than just someone randomly beating her and why?
 
sherwats said:
I lived in Miami when this occurred and she was a neighbor of my mother's. To kill someone by beating them to death is usually personal and requires a lot of rage. So random killing does not set with me. She had been a model perhaps she had an obsessed fan but I am doubtful. She was a really beautiful woman. I suspect it was more personal than just someone randomly beating her and why?
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sherwats, yes a gruesome beating sound personal. Interesting that she was living with a married man, do you know if she had custody of the child? There could be several motives with a recent divorce/possible custody issues and a new relationship.

Do you know if the residence she was murdered was in Ocala?

Found in ancestry.com that she was married in 1966 in Dade to Thomas H Stillson
 
No Ocala is up in the center of the state this happened in Miami.
 
Tom was her ex husband. This happened in Miami. Ocala and Miami are pretty far apart. Tom was called when Linda did not pick up their daughter at daycare. When Linda did not come to get her and he could not get a hold of her he went to her real estate office the next morning and obtained a list of all of her listings. He drove around from listing to listing until he spotted her car. He then called the police and they broke into the unit and found her body. She had been beaten so badly and had been dead for 24 hours or more by the time they found her. There was a terrible scene at the funeral and the casket was almost knocked over. Her boyfriend's family was awfully upset about him leaving their mother for Linda and some speculation as to whether or not one of his adult sons had done this.
 
I
sherwats said:
Tom was her ex husband. This happened in Miami. Ocala and Miami are pretty far apart. Tom was called when Linda did not pick up their daughter at daycare. When Linda did not come to get her and he could not get a hold of her he went to her real estate office the next morning and obtained a list of all of her listings. He drove around from listing to listing until he spotted her car. He then called the police and they broke into the unit and found her body. She had been beaten so badly and had been dead for 24 hours or more by the time they found her. There was a terrible scene at the funeral and the casket was almost knocked over. Her boyfriend's family was awfully upset about him leaving their mother for Linda and some speculation as to whether or not one of his adult sons had done this.
Click to expand...

Do you know of any link between that side of the family and Ernest Turnbough?
 
No relation to victim that can be made. How do you find a person with just a name and fingerprints? They have DNA but are not revealing anything. How do you get to research this when you are not a detective
 
Found some records for Ernest Louis Turnbough:

Birth: 27th Jan 1943 New Mexico
Death: 14th Dec 1993 Florida

From Ancestry
In 1958 name listed as Louis Turnbough

Has an address listed under Louis E Turnbough in Tavernier Florida which is 1 hour 30 min / 74 miles from Miami.

Wonder if any DNA from Linda's crime scene could be tested against him?

Has a criminal record for Sexual Battery/Threat with deadly weapon

http://www.courtrecords.org/people/Ernest+TURNBOUGH+FL/

There is a unspecified offence (code is drug related) in 1991 Florida where he seems to using Louis E Turnbough (same dob)
 
sherwats said:
Tom was her ex husband. This happened in Miami. Ocala and Miami are pretty far apart. Tom was called when Linda did not pick up their daughter at daycare. When Linda did not come to get her and he could not get a hold of her he went to her real estate office the next morning and obtained a list of all of her listings. He drove around from listing to listing until he spotted her car. He then called the police and they broke into the unit and found her body. She had been beaten so badly and had been dead for 24 hours or more by the time they found her. There was a terrible scene at the funeral and the casket was almost knocked over. Her boyfriend's family was awfully upset about him leaving their mother for Linda and some speculation as to whether or not one of his adult sons had done this.
Click to expand...
Linda Stillson is my sister. She was 2 years younger than me. Yes it is believed that one maybe 2 of the adult kids did the crime. At the cemetery Andrew said to my brother,"you are next". I read last year in the Miami Herald Obits Andrew died at the age of 54. May he rot in Hell. Also,his sister Judy and Linda did not get along. It was thought she tried to poison Linda while they were vacationing. All the kids resented her fearing their lose of inheritance.
 
StarrChance said:
sherwats, yes a gruesome beating sound personal. Interesting that she was living with a married man, do you know if she had custody of the child? There could be several motives with a recent divorce/possible custody issues and a new relationship.

Do you know if the residence she was murdered was in Ocala?

Al Rohde said:
Linda Stillson is my sister. She was 2 years younger than me. Yes it is believed that one maybe 2 of the adult kids did the crime. At the cemetery Andrew said to my brother,"you are next". I read last year in the Miami Herald Obits Andrew died at the age of 54. May he rot in Hell. Also,his sister Judy and Linda did not get along. It was thought she tried to poison Linda while they were vacationing. All the kids resented her fearing their lose of inheritance.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
sherwats said:
The murder occurred in Miami, Fl in 1977. Linda was beaten to death and had recently divorced and was living with her married boss. There is a lot more to this than what was in that article and a lot more suspects.
Click to expand...
FYI; I am Linda's older brother. She was not living with her married boss.She had her own townhouse that also served as her office. After the crime someone went in her office and removed any and all evidence of appointments and such.
 
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