Neal was taken to a hospital on May 25 for an illness. Trouble followed James everywhere, and he was sentenced to 3-10 years for fraud in Colorado. Have a tip or story idea? ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. He will ultimately benefit more from a state prison sentence.. We never gave up.". ABC News' Kayna Whitworth contributed to this report. Watch: Aurora Dazzles Ladakh Skies As Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. "Linda's face and her memory has been with us since the day this happened," he said. Neal was living in Monument at the time of his arrest and was extradited to Orange County, California, where he has remained since. Helicopters, police Jeeps and search parties scoured the area looking for signs of O'Keefe. After the burglary sentencing, James moved to Denver, Colorado, where he was accused of stealing from the gas station he worked at. The genealogical hit came in January, officials said. The next day, a man visiting that area found O'Keefe's strangled body, police said. He later changed his name, officials said. "That sample remained in the system for a long period of time," Spitzer said. Authorities suspect that Neal, while on parole in the Colorado case, snatched OKeefe, who lived in Corona del Mar, from the street on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school. All rights reserved. "He seemed like a good guy," Neal's landlord, Michael Thulson,. Borgeson said she also prayed for Neal's family as his arrest was announced. James Alan Neal was arrested February 19, 2019, in connection to her death, prosecutors announced at a press conference.. Photo Source. Later he moved to Colorado, where he was living when he was arrested, he said. James Alan Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Tuesday for allegedly killing Linda O'Keefe, 11, and leaving her body in a ditch. However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. James Alan Neal, 73, died on Wednesday at a hospital where he had been transferred in May to be treated for an illness, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office. His last address was in San Jacinto, where his home on East Evans Street was just a few blocks away from North Mountain Middle School and Jose Antonio Estudillo Elementary. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He was on parole from Colorado's prison system when Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed. "I want to know if there are any other victims.". "I'm astonished at what they were able to accomplish," Borgeson, 64, said. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on . Linda never made it home that afternoon., For 45 years, the Newport Beach Police Department continued to search for Lindas killer," Lewis said. Having spent two years living in England including Liverpool, he is an avid Beatles fan and memorabilia collector. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. For more than 45 years the case went cold -- until DNA was submitted to an ancestry website. On one hand, we were grateful that we could have that conversation and provide some closure.". On Tuesday, nearly 46 years after O'Keefe's life ended, authorities arrested a man they say is suspected of being her killer: a 72-year-old living in Colorado named James Neal. The 11-year-old was described as a gentle, lovely soul. Linda O'Keefe. An eight-page report prepared by McMillan offers for the first time clues about what may have driven his criminal behavior. 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. She had been strangled. Neal was arrested last year and charged with the sex assault and murder of 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe, who was abducted while walking home from school in the summer of 1973. However, through the genealogical data of his family members, who voluntarily submitted their DNA to genealogy databases, investigators were able to corroborate the DNA from O'Keefe's body and the DNA obtained from the suspect, according to Spitzer. James Neal (left) and Linda O'Keefe (right) (credit: CBS) 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 . 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.. Then her mother made that call that every parent dreads and told police her daughter was missing, he said. Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP. James Alan Neal, 72, of Monument, Colorado, who was arrested for allegedly murdering Linda OKeefe in Newport Beach, California, in 1973. 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. 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. So, if youre curious to know more about James and what happened to him after his arrest, weve got you covered. Linda O'Keefe. James Alan Neal, the 73-year-old charged in the 1973 cold case murder of 11-year-oldLinda OKeefe, died on Wednesday at about 5:15 a.m. Thats according to Orange County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Jaimee Blashaw in an NBC Los Angeles report. "It didn't necessarily lead to the identification (of the suspect)," he said. Girl Was Stabbed 59 Times After Parting Ways with Boyfriend in 1982 and Suspect Was Just Arrested, to recount the story of Lindas life, mysterious disappearance and death. Her image hung among the faces of other unsolved cases, reminding each. While waiting to use the school phone, O'Keefe went outside. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. "Individuals who engage in sexual activity against minors tend to have certain indicators of a predatory nature," Spitzer said. A day later, her body was found in a ditch, and she had been sexually assaulted. His earliest crimes were breaking into homes when he was around 12-years-old. Linda Ann O'Keefe's killing in 1973 in Newport Beach, California went unsolved for more than four decades. But she added that she was thankful for the "additional closure" brought to her by the investigators who never gave up, as well as the new technology, which made it possible to process the crime scene DNA. On the day Linda disappeared, she was last seen talking to a stranger in a van, Lewis said. Generations of investigators worked on her case, said Lewis. NDTV Public Opinion: Will Tipu Sultan Controversy Impact Karnataka Votes? Over 45 years ago, Linda went missing while. In spite of rehabilitative attempts through California Youth Authority and Orange County Jail sentences (it) seems to negate any desire or ability (by Neal) to follow through.. An undated photo of Linda OKeefe who was killed in Southern California in July 1973. 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. "Our hearts go out to the victim and the victim's family in this case, having to endure decades without answers. She was later found strangled to death and dumped in a ditch in Newport Beachs Back Bay. Specifics on how Neal died have not been released, but 11 News is told he was hospitalized at the end of May. Her parents checked with friends and searched the neighborhood and the path she took home to no avail, Lewis said. She was raped and then strangled to death. James was in and out of prison throughout his younger life, with arrest records in California, Florida, and Colorado between 1959 and 1974. . Linda O'Keefe fue asesinada en 1973 mientras caminaba a casa desde la escuela. McMillan went on to say that Neals father, who designed drugstores, and his mother, who was a bookkeeper, were described as extremely neurotic people who were both physically and psychologically cruel to their children. They are reported to be detached emotionally and narcissistic, he added. James Neal had been living in California at the time of the girl's murder but had since moved to Colorado. Combining the latest in DNA technology with old-fashioned detective work led investigators to Neal, Lewis said. After a move to California in 1956, James started getting into trouble. James Neal, 72, who lived in Southern California and worked in construction in the 1970s, was arrested this week in Colorado, where he had been living, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said at a Wednesday news conference. At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. Neal was pronounced dead at. He is awaiting extradition from Colorado Springs to Orange County. These were in relation to him committing lewd acts to a child in Riverside County, California, between July 1995 and July 2000 and then to another child between March 2002 and March 2004. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. He was arrested in Colorado Springs on Feb. 19. He was being held at the Theo Lacy maximum-security jail in Orange. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? But when night fell and her whereabouts were still unknown, her parents called police and desperately combed the neighborhood, to no avail. 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., However, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Neals death robvs the OKeefe family of the justice they so deserve and deprives the law enforcement officers of the satisfaction that they finally got their culprit., Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk, For more stories like this,check our news page, Get your need-to-know Please see the press release for more information. O'Keefe's parents have since died, Spitzer said, but her sisters have been notified about the arrest. If he pursues these goals conscientiously and stays away from downtown Santa Ana where associates congregate, he feels he will never again become involved in difficulty, the probation officer wrote. Neal said that despite his recidivism, he was confident he could become successful. 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. ", "I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime," she said. James Alan Neal, 73, was transferred to a local hospital May 25 for treatment of an illness and died there at about 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Orange County sheriff's officials. Their mother "carried that guilt the rest of her life," Borgeson said. 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. Only one person, a woman who did not know anything about a missing girl, was close enough to hear her, and by then it was too late. "Generations of investigators worked on her case. James Alan Neal was born James Albert Layton Jr. in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1946. There is no record of Neal ever having been incarcerated in a California prison, according to state officials. 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. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he was previously a breaking news and multimedia reporter for the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner. He was the second of three children but had a difficult upbringing. Police also urged the public to share details about O'Keefe's disappearance on social media with the hashtag #Lindastory. James Alan Neal fell ill and died while awaiting trial for the . Using details from the investigator's decades-old case files, police relayed O'Keefe's last hours, as well as her family's frantic search for her, as if they were unfolding in real time, as The Washington Post's Meagan Flynn reported: "At 6:42 p.m., six hours since her mother had last heard from her, O'Keefe's parents reported her missing to the Newport Beach Police Department, convinced by then O'Keefe was not simply running off with friends to retaliate for not getting a ride. James Neal, 73, was arrested last year in Monument for the 1973 murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe in Newport Beach, California. The brown-haired, blue-eyed 11-year-old got a ride to summer school - about half a mile away - but had to walk home in the afternoon. Its amazing how you really dont know people.. 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As a result of surveillance and other traditional detective techniques, they were able to get additional DNA which resulted in the corroboration of the DNA from the victims body, to the DNA sample that the suspect left during a particular location during surveillance activities, the Orange County district attorney said after Neals arrest in February 2019. At the least, prosecutors will ask for life without the possibility of parole if Neal is convicted, the district attorney said. He left California after the alleged killing and went to Florida where he changed his name, officials said. It was a difficult conversation . Linda Ann O'Keefe was killed in July 1973 -- and decades went by without leads. On July 6, 1973, 11-year-old Linda OKeefe disappeared while walking home from summer school in the southern California beachside town of Corona del Mar. 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.. "But it created an awareness . Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. 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. However, the case remained unsolved for about 46 years before the investigators found the killer. 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. (Courtesy of Newport Beach Police Department) The defendants conscience began to bother him, so he walked off a job he had obtained in Inglewood, returned to Santa Ana and contacted an officer of the Santa Ana Police Department, McMillan wrote in the report. Photo Source. Photo Source. "I hope that he has remorse. First tweet from Newport Beach Police Department. They dont understand me or why I am the way I am. "He lived here in the 1970s," Spitzer said. and opened doors for us to have this case pursued with renewed effort.". 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., Orange County District AttorneyTodd Spitzerput Neals death in more bitter terms, saying the new development robbed the OKeefe family of the justice they so deserve and deprives the law enforcement officers of the satisfaction that they finally got their culprit.. James Neal was arrested in 2019 after DNA submitted to a genealogical website linked him to the crime. O'Keefe was last seen alive on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach Police Department said. "They haven't forgotten about her and we haven't, either.". Lindas story deeply touched the hearts of our community, said Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis. 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. "We have never forgotten Linda," Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at the news conference. His next court appearance is set for June 14. "He has a connection to Southern California.". The following morning, O'Keefe's body was found in a ditch. When O'Keefe didn't return home right away, there was little concern at first. Jeffrey Malecki, 55, who lived next door to Neal for five years, said Friday his neighbor mentioned having served time in jail but never elaborated. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. The community made sure that justice would be secured, he said. It is not clear if Neal, 72, will waive extradition, Spitzer said. 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. Spitzer lauded noted DNA investigator CeCe Moore for helping police develop a "pointer" toward Neal. James lived in the area around the time and worked in construction. IE 11 is not supported. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? . Photo Source. [emailprotected]. Neal was arrested Tuesday "without incident" in Colorado Springs, Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. After his arrest in 1966 for a burglary he committed earlier, his parole officer called him quite immature and psychologically unstable.. . 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. He was paroled in July 1961 but returned to the Youth Authority in October 1962. Those alleged crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Shortly after Lindas murder, investigators recovered DNA evidence from her remains, Spitzer said. / CBS Colorado. Phone calls to Newport Beach police were not returned, but the Orange County District Attorneys Office said it is seeking other potential victims of Neal. 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. Man who served 15 years for murder his brother confessed to awarded $7,500,000, Woman 'sold 20 boxes of fetuses, hearts, genitalia and brains on Facebook', One killed after plane crashes into Los Angeles neighborhood. "Technology has caught up with the law," Spitzer said Wednesday. A true-crime retelling of Linda O'Keefe's 1973 abduction & killing led police to James Alan Neal, ID'd through DNA as the primary suspect. All Rights Reserved. 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. James Allen Neal. "The hit on the genealogical DNA came back and hit in January so it was very recent," Spitzer said. He was apprehended in February after DNA analysis identified him as a suspect in OKeefes slaying. Her body was found the next morning in a ditch in the area of Newport Beachs Back Bay. 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. That DNA "hit" came in January, Spitzer said. Scott was part of the OC Registers investigative team that in 2017 produced the year-long, award winning Rehab Riviera series, examining problems in Southern Californias drug rehabilitation industry. In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe was murdered. OKeefe, 11, was abducted on July 6, 1973, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Neal was arrested on February 19, 2019 in Monument, Colorado where he had been living with his family for three years. As part of an effort to renew interest in the case, the Newport Beach Police Department used their Twitter account to recount the story of Lindas life, mysterious disappearance and death. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. CBS 48 Hours: Lindas Story delves into the work put in to arrest James Neal in relation to Lindas rape and murder. To her familys horror, her dead body was found the next day in a ditch, still wearing the dress her mother had made for her. He also teamed up with reporter Joe Nelson in 2019 on Bad Apples, an award winning investigation that exposed years of sex abuse cover up in the Redlands Unified School District. Her death would go unsolved for more than four decades. After Lindas death, Neal moved to Florida, where he changed his name to James Alan George Leyton, Spitzer said. Linda O'Keefe. "I'm sure they're going through a lot of grieving of their own.". ', " 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.". Beware of scams, Denver police searching for missing 14-year-old. He said he was glad he had all that stuff behind him but never mentioned what he had done, Malecki recalled. We never gave up.. But that day, she was dropped off. He is being held in Colorado, and if he waives extradition, could be moved to California before the end of the week, officials said. "Her picture hangs in our detective division, where our folks see it every day as a reminder of her and why we continue to pursue these cases.". You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. She loved animals, playing the piano, and painting. 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. 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, Spitzer said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Suspect Changed His Name After Lindas Death, Colo. 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A Santa Ana police officer who arrested Neal for the burglary went further, describing him as being in constant emotional conflict and in need of long-term psychiatric care. James Alan Neal was arrested in Monument in 2019. 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. 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. About a month later, the police brought additional charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 14. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version. 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. O'Keefe then called her mother from the school office, and her mother told her she was busy sewing and that she should walk home, police said. The key moment arrived with the February 19, 2019 arrest of Neal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. . "My hope is that this [case] brings hope to other families who haven't had closure yet.". It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. 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. Seven years before James Alan Neal allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and strangled 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe in Newport Beach, he sat in an Orange County jail cell lamenting his miserable life and long rap sheet. He was released on parole in July 1971, and about two years later, the authorities believed he killed Linda. McMillan remained skeptical. He was released from the penitentiary in July 1971.

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