CA - Linda Anne O’Keefe, 11, strangled, Newport Beach, 6 Jul 1973 *ARREST in 2019*

[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 6
“As midnight draws near, there is little peace for my parents. My sisters are both asleep. My big sister has to work in the morning and anyway, she is still certain that I’m alive and well, and in big trouble when they figure out where I’ve been.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 6
“Cathy’s parents still haven’t turned up in Catalina. Until they do, there’s still hope that there’s at least one place I could be that the officers can’t find me. One place that doesn’t involve a passing glimpse of a strange man in a van.” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 6
The searches will continue throughout the night. Linda’s Story will resume at 7:30 am. #LindasStory
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[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“The sun has been up for a couple hours, and the police department is still searching for me. More volunteers have joined in.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“When my big sister gets to work, she is shocked to see the headline on the front page of the Daily Pilot: ‘Girl, 11, Vanishes in Newport’. Linda? Vanished? ‘No, no, no,’ she thinks, ‘They must have it wrong.’” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“Tons of people are looking for me. The helicopter has been scouring the canyons and remote areas of Corona del Mar. My dad is out looking for me too, with some officers. My mom is still home, peering through the curtains at all the activity on our quiet street.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“Less than half a mile from my house, a man is getting on his bike. He pedals towards the Back Bay, with his 4-year-old son in tow. He’s due to meet two friends there.” #LindasStory
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[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“A new shift of searchers is gathering at the police department. Newport Beach Explorer Post 1050, Costa Mesa Search and Rescue Post 198, and a handful of others are joining in to relieve the volunteers who have looked for me all night.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“The man and his friends meet in the Back Bay and start to tour the area on their bikes. They are looking for a good place to hold a nature study. Specifically, they’re looking for a good place to observe frogs.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“The man is looking in the ditch on the east side of Back Bay Drive, searching for frogs in the cattails. Instead, he sees something small, and pale. My hand. He sees my hand. He screams, trying to rouse me.” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“His friends come over when they hear him screaming. Peering through the cattails, they gasp. They don’t know who I am, of course… or who I was. But they see a young girl’s body, still in my mom’s homemade dress. I’ve been strangled.” #LindasStory
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[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“They go for help. They ride along Back Bay Drive, looking for a phone, a person, anything. Just before San Joaquin Hills Rd, they find a police car. The officer, one of many who've been searching for me, is the first to know: this is now a homicide investigation.” #LindasStory


Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“The search for Linda Ann O’Keefe is now the search for Linda Ann O’Keefe’s killer. Was it someone I knew? A stranger? The man in the van? There are so many questions.” #LindasStory

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[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“There will be theories, and a sketch of a ‘person of interest’, but my murder will eventually become a cold case. NBPD detectives still look at my file, interview people who saw me or knew me, follow leads… but the trails lead nowhere.” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“But now, 45 yrs later, I have a voice again. And I have something important to say. There is a new lead in my case: a face. A face that comes from DNA that the killer left behind. It’s technology that didn’t exist back in 1973, but it might change everything today.” #LindasStory

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[YESorNO]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“Here is a video about my case. About the evidence. About the clues and facts that will lead detectives to my killer. My name is Linda O’Keefe. What is his name?” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“If you can help find my killer, please call the NBPD’s Cold Case Tip Line at 949-644-3669. And please share my story... all it takes is for one person out there to recognize his face, even after all these years. Thank you.” #LindasStory

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[YESorNO]

Pinned Tweet
Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
Have you been following #LindasStory? All of the tweets have been collected in a Moment here: https://twitter.com/i/moments/1015639333120892928 …
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So sad......

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[azure]

Based on reports of screaming by the Back Bay, it appears Linda was killed at the place where her body was found. Why didn’t the killer take her home? Was there someone there-a wife, girlfriend, or even his parents? Or did he live in his vehicle-perhaps the van the witnesses saw by the school?

 

[Betty P]

Based on reports of screaming by the Back Bay, it appears Linda was killed at the place where her body was found. Why didn’t the killer take her home? Was there someone there-a wife, girlfriend, or even his parents? Or did he live in his vehicle-perhaps the van the witnesses saw by the school?

He probably lived with someone else - a wife or girlfriend, roommate, etc. It's rather common in childhood abduction/murders for the killer to take the child to a remote area to kill them. Usually isn't too far from where they're kidnapped.

Thanks, Yes or No, for posting these tweets. I really hope someone recognizes this perp and remembers the turquoise van.

 

[Betty P]

From some some newspaper articles in 1973

5 Aug 1973, Page 1 - Independent Press-Telegram at Newspapers.com

Description of the van was that it was a late-model one, 1969 or newer, turquoise in color. It had no windows on the left side, but double doors with windows in the rear. The license plate was mounted on the left rear door. Almost sounds like a van someone would use in business, but perhaps it was personal.

Here's a video of a 1969 Chevy van. It shows it's the kind with windows on the back and the license plate on the left door. It has windows on the sides, but there were models with no windows.

The news story also says the man was very tanned. Wonder if he had a job where he worked outside a lot - carpenter, landscaper, etc. ? I'm trying to figure out his profile. He stalked her, then talked her into his van, around 2 pm or so. She wasn't killed until just before midnight, most likely. Was he driving around with her in the van? He was taking some risks by continuing to drive around and parking in the area for so many hours. Even though the area where he killed her was a little out of the way, it wasn't too remote. It was located within a couple hundred yards of a neighborhood.

 

[Betty P]

A suspect was arrested and questioned in Linda's death, but was released for insufficient evidence

12 Jul 1973, 5 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com

11 Jul 1973, 5 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com

Peter Richard Wooten, 18, lived in Corona Del Mar by himself. He had no occupation. He had been a high school student, yet he was living alone.

LE originally thought that there was no sexual assault in connection with Linda's murder, but they now have the killer's DNA. I wonder if a sexual assault took place, but LE didn't think to look for evidence elsewhere on her body or clothing.

What would happen if the killer was adopted from a foreign country? Would that make it more difficult for LE to access foreign familial DNA records, hence the public appeal using the Parabon sketches?

 

[AdorableOrca96]

Love the way the NBPD used social media to bring attention to sweet Linda’s case. How heartbreaking. Let’s hope this new technology can bring her justice!!!!

 

[StarrChance]

A suspect was arrested and questioned in Linda's death, but was released for insufficient evidence

12 Jul 1973, 5 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com

11 Jul 1973, 5 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com

Peter Richard Wooten, 18, lived in Corona Del Mar by himself. He had no occupation. He had been a high school student, yet he was living alone.

LE originally thought that there was no sexual assault in connection with Linda's murder, but they now have the killer's DNA. I wonder if a sexual assault took place, but LE didn't think to look for evidence elsewhere on her body or clothing.

What would happen if the killer was adopted from a foreign country? Would that make it more difficult for LE to access foreign familial DNA records, hence the public appeal using the Parabon sketches?

I’m in awe of cold case detectives going this huge extra mile to bring attention to Linda’s case!

As you alluded Betty P, I think it’s ok to post (per Ancestry) that he is adopted and is German born. I imagine it would be very difficult to trace familial DNA in this case but I suppose not impossible with the birth country’s assistance.
I do wonder if the Parabon scetch has any resemblance.

 

[Betty P]

I’m in awe of cold case detectives going this huge extra mile to bring attention to Linda’s case!

As you alluded Betty P, I think it’s ok to post (per Ancestry) that he is adopted and is German born. I imagine it would be very difficult to trace familial DNA in this case but I suppose not impossible with the birth country’s assistance.
I do wonder if the Parabon scetch has any resemblance.

Thanks. I wasn't sure how much to post, but it seems he was a serious suspect back then. I haven't been able to find any photos, now or then, not even in the high school yearbook.

The Newport PD Twitter feed has remained active. LE there have answered a lot of follow up questions. Some answers I recall:

• They've not had any matches or near matches comparing the perp's DNA to any of the existing genealogy databases
• No matches to any criminal DNA databases
• Over the years, no luck in finding the turquoise van. Cali DMV doesn't (or didn't) classify vehicles by color
• No DNA matches to other similar crimes (rapes, abductions, etc) that occurred in the area

There are more replies at the twitter feed. The fact they had no matches at all to DNA databases like GEDMatch, etc. makes me think the perp was someone from a foreign country. Looking at the Parabon data with the sketch, it shows the perp was someone with northern European DNA.

ETA: I also noticed the perp they first arrested and released, Peter Richard Wooten, lived several blocks from Linda's street. Not very far away. I wonder if he or someone who lived nearby had stalked her for a while? I wonder if he had tried to strike up a conversation with her before? Maybe offered her a ride on previous days? News story said she had been riding her bike to school but didn't that day.

 

[Niner]

Too bad LE can't find this Peter Wooten & get his DNA....

Thanks a bunch YESorNO for the tweets! I think this is an excellent idea!

 

[StarrChance]

Seeing LE have DNA, they could follow the original suspect and collect something he discards to compare as they did in the GSK case. He lives in Nevada now so not sure if that is feasible. At least he could be asked for a sample to be ruled out.

Niner, we posted the same idea at the same time

 

[Betty P]

Seeing LE have DNA, they could follow the original suspect and collect something he discards to compare as they did in the GSK case. He lives in Nevada now so not sure if that is feasible. At least he could be asked for a sample to be ruled out.

Niner, we posted the same idea at the same time

Yeah, I think we're all on the same page. IF they still suspect Wooten, this may be a step before they try to get his DNA. Anyone know how the law applies to this in NV?
To be fair, they may no longer consider him a viable suspect. Still makes me wonder, though. Given how close the perp remained in the area after kidnapping Linda, it makes me think he was from the Newport Beach area or at least very familiar with it. The place where it's assumed she was killed and left was only about a 15 minute drive from where she was last seen.

 

[StarrChance]

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“Here is a video about my case. About the evidence. About the clues and facts that will lead detectives to my killer. My name is Linda O’Keefe. What is his name?” #LindasStory

Newport Beach Police‏Verified account @NewportBeachPD Jul 7
“If you can help find my killer, please call the NBPD’s Cold Case Tip Line at 949-644-3669. And please share my story... all it takes is for one person out there to recognize his face, even after all these years. Thank you.” #LindasStory

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At 1.30 the video has a picture of the crime scene (Linda) , I’m confused as it says she was found fully clothed, you can see her dress, however to me she is naked, am I seeing this correctly?

 

[Betty P]

At 1.30 the video has a picture of the crime scene (Linda) , I’m confused as it says she was found fully clothed, you can see her dress, however to me she is naked, am I seeing this correctly?

I can see her dress to the right side of the frame. It looks like it was hiked up some, but still covering her private parts. You can see some of her arm above her hand. From there, you can see she was wearing a long sleeved jacket. LE mentioned this in their twitter feed. They said the temperature in the area that day was cool, with a high of 70 degrees, so she was wearing a jacket.

I think she was sexually assaulted in some manner, but assume in 1973 they may not have understood how to look everywhere for evidence of that. They may have gone back to the evidence (her clothing) in later years and examined it more closely, finding sperm/DNA evidence.

What do you think?

 

[StarrChance]

Thankyou for clarifying the picture for me, for some reason it took me a long time to “see” it correctly. I agree usually the intent of taking a child has some sort of sexual component.
Would like to know why they arrested the suspect at the time, witness? Car description?
Earlier article said

• No DNA matches to other similar crimes (rapes, abductions, etc) that occurred in the area

There a a lot of cold cases of young girls in Nevada 1970s to late 1980, could LE look into those?
NV - NV - Might there have been a serial killer in Las Vegas in the 70s and 80s?

I also noticed they have the original suspects ( birth name)
In Ancestry.

Hope this doesn’t seem like a witch hunt, it would be great if the cold case Detective can release more information.