Linda Ann OKeefe was the middle child in a family of five. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Anyone with information on Linda's killing is urged to contact the police department's Cold Case Tip Line at 949-644-3669. Peace be with you. Linda disappeared after walking home from summer school on July 6, 1973. I'm was so sad and shocked to hear about Linda and her illness. All our love to Dr. O'Keefe, Kathleen, Kelly, and Joe and their families from Dr. McCloskey and family. We believe Linda is due that, she said. Wasted, you could ask, but by whom? Usually, I ride my bike to school. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She loved animals, playing the piano, and painting. "All it takes is the right person, the right set of eyes, to recognize that person and give us a call.". Im going to call my mom and see if shell pick me up, so I dont have to walk home. #LindasStory pic.twitter.com/xAouON1DrC, Manzella told NBC Los Angeles that police have continued to hear from Lindas former school friends. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. However, the case remained unsolved for decades. A defendant in the 1973 killing and sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Newport Beach succumbed to a disease Wednesday while in custody. The reaction has been "overwhelming positive," she said. Beloved child of Joseph D. O'Keefe, M.D. Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Oct. 13, 2013. The exhibition, organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, makes much of Idas Lighthouse Series, a group of paintings in which the artist is most truly herself. The 11-year-old was described as a gentle, lovely soul. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. Newport Beach investigators also used DNA evidence to come up with new images of a possible suspect in Linda O'Keefe's death. Investigators submitted the DNA collected from the victim to the Family Tree website and it gave them leads pointing to Neal. According to police, Linda normally rode her bike to school. I had lost touch with Linda after high school but when my mom noticed her picture in the Webster Presbyterian newsletter I called her and we had a really nice talk - catching up on things. Linda was a registered nurse and moved home to Webster Groves from Aspen, Colorado to care for her mother. The police tweets detailing the last hours of Linda's life included photographs from the crime scene and a newly created "snapshot'' of the suspect. He was awaiting trial for the July 1973 killing of 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe. Variation on a Lighthouse Theme IV (c. 1931-32), by Ida OKeeffe. She didnt want anyone to paint but she, recalled another OKeeffe sister, Catherine, in the catalog. "That's exactly what we are hoping to do," Manzella said. When Cindy Borgesons sister, Linda OKeefe, went missing in July 1973, she wasnt too worried. The posts were a way to humanize the case and help create an emotional attachment for anyone who had never heard about it before, police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella told the Los Angeles Times. Hours: Lindas Story chronicles the tragic turn of events in her life and how the investigators refused to give up on finding her killer even four decades later. They caught the SOB who killed my sister Linda O'Keefe, Diana She fought with everything she had, right up until the very end. Linda OKeefe was a Girl Scout who loved the outdoors. Post-Prom Fight in Palmdale Ends in Gunfire, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', How SNL Star Ego Nwodim Brought Lisa From Temecula' to Life, Hollywood Braces for Possible Writers Strike as Talks Continue, Women Found Dead Near Railroad in Carson Identified. She looked great at the reunion and we caught up there. The Corona del Mar girl disappeared while walking home from summer school on July 6, 1973, and her body was recovered the following morning in a ditch in the Back Bay area. Sending prayers to Linda's family. Forty-five years ago today, I disappeared from Newport Beach. Her body was found the next day in the Back Bay area but no arrest was ever made. Ways to honor Linda O'Keefe's life and legacy. Didnt expect a 45 year old story to be so riveting and so emotional. Manzella said police in Canada posted a similar Twitter stream for a case several years ago and it stuck with her. Doubt, if there was any, was scant: He flirted incessantly, and she returned his attentions. The sister of 11-year-old Linda Resident of Webster Groves. "Both from people who knew Linda, her classmates, her friends to people who had never been familiar with her story before.". She said that it was a womens voice screaming, Stop, youre hurting me. The authorities, though, couldnt get far in the case. But now, 45 yrs later, I have a voice again. Linda Ida Ten Eyck OKeeffe/The Clark Art Institute/The Clark Art Institute. }Customer Service, Ida Ten Eyck OKeeffe/The Clark Art Institute/The Clar, Ida and Georgia O'Keeffe (1924), by Alfred Stieglitz. Linda had one of the most generous spirits! Our lives went in different directions but it seems like just yesterday that we were splashing in our pool and sharing secrets. Cindys sister was raped, strangled, and dumped in a ditch. Over the years, hundreds of people have worked on the case, the police chief said. Cindy, who, after all those years, didnt think the culprit would be found, was surprised when she heard the news of his arrest. Stieglitz was a titan of American Modernism whose New York gallery gave Georgia a solo exhibition almost every year; the implication that Georgia had not succeeded on her own merits stung more than any other. That night, a woman who lives in the bluffs above Back Bay heard a female voice scream, "Stop, youre hurting me," police said. Linda Ackerman. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Im Linda OKeefe, reads one of many tweets posted by the Newport Beach Police Department. So she called my mom, and my mom and I were sitting there. In the salty exchanges between siblings to be found in the exhibition catalog, a rich trove of family drama thoroughly researched through the depths of the various libraries that hold the correspondence of the OKeeffes and Alfred Stieglitz, Georgias husband, Ida has choice words for big sister. We too played when we were young. Identifying Neal as O'Keefe's alleged killer led investigators to connecting him to the two Riverside County attacks, according to Orange County prosecutors. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. Just walk home. Her death touched so many.. Hours: Lindas Story chronicles Lindas murder investigation and the decades-long effort it took to catch her killer. In another, the two look strained and awkward, Ida looking away, Georgia dour and clenched. It shouldnt surprise that she became engulfed by her renown. Patricia McCloskey Richards (Patsy). The tweets were also posted now because DNA apparently found at the murder scene has allowed authorities to create an image of what the killer may have looked like, both at the time of Lindas death and today. James Alan Neal, 73, was an inmate at the maximum-security Theo Lacy jail in Orange for the 1973 sexual assault and strangling death of Linda OKeefe, 11. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu, Murray Whyte can be reached at murray.whyte@globe.com. The death of James Neal prior to putting him on trial for Linda's rape and murder robs the O'Keefe family of the justice they so deserve and deprives the law enforcement officers of the satisfaction that they finally got their culprit. The 11-year-old was described as a gentle, lovely soul. Part of HuffPost Crime. Linda O'Keefe disappeared in July 1973 on her way home from school. But can she really be kept at bay? Once school ended, Linda didnt want to walk back home, so she used the schools office phone to call her mother. '', Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said, "It was our intention to see James Alan Neal stand trial and answer for the murder of Linda Ann O'Keefe. Thoughts of Linda and prayers for her family and friends such a lovely woman. Linda Ann O'Keefe Cold Case Video2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the abduction of Linda Ann OKeefe, an 11-year-old girl who lived in Corona del Mar. You have funeral questions, we have answers. In 1974, Claudia, the fourth OKeeffe sister, organized a posthumous survey of Idas work in Santa Fe, not far from Georgias home. After staying out of the domestic muck for much of the show, Escaping Georgias Shadow in the final room wades in. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It was just tamped down. Linda was my best friend when we were 5 or 6 years old. He made a photograph of a black crows feather pricked into an apple and showed it to her, slyly: Old Crow was the nickname he had given himself, Little Apple the one he had given her. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. Send Email To (required) Sharpest among them, with her frustration reaching its apex in the 1930s, was that she might be famous, too, if she had a Stieglitz by her side. Linda Ann O'Keefe Cold Case Video2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the abduction of Linda Ann OKeefe, an 11-year-old girl who lived in Corona del Mar. Linda was last seen alive on Friday, July 6, 1973 as she walked home from summer school. Her body was discovered the next morning in the Back Bay area. Police said she was last seen standing near a man in a blue or turquoise van. But today, I got a ride to school, so no bike. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. It makes you wonder what might have been. Linda had two sisters and the eldest she was remarkably close to. Hi! She had been strangled. But close by, showing Idas little painting Black Lilies, from 1945, feels almost cruel, given how much of big sisters fame is built on the big, bold pictures of flowers of every kind. CBS 48Hours: Lindas Story chronicles the tragic turn of events in her life and how the investigators refused to give up on finding her killer even four decades later. Newport police are continuing to respond to concerns and questions about the case on Twitter. Follow him on Twitter @TheMurrayWhyte, #ada-button-frame { Her sister was an adult and worked in a dry-cleaning shop while living at their parents' home. "Years have passed since this heinous murder, but the [Newport Beach Police Department] remains dedicated to justice for Linda, and committed to finding her killer," police said in a news release. O'Keefe, Linda Christine Died October 9, 2013, age 60, after a long illness. Cindy said that the authorities found his second cousin initially and then his grandparents. Memorials can be made to the Monthly Meals Program at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church or to a charity of the donor's choice. WebCindy Borgeson was 18 when her sister 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe vanished on her way home from school in Newport Beach, California, on July 6, 1973. But when Sgt. Court Depweg tasked her with putting Linda O'Keefe's face "on every phone, every iPad, every laptop in the country" to generate new leads on the 45-year-old cold case, she knew it was an opportunity to empower the young victim. According to Depweg, "Right away, she said 'What about Twitter?'" I lost my sister to cancer, and I still think of her every day. Theyre jubilant meticulously ordered, with hard shafts of light streaming from the windows or curling into water and mist in jazzy blues, yellows, and grays. My thoughts are with Linda and her family. One, a departure, is deep crimson and black, sharp-angled and seething. One group of paintings both establishes Idas own vision two stark and angular 1938 works, Ozark Lime Kiln and Stargazing in Texas, seem drained of color, haunting and bleak in pale tones of gray and stacks her up against her sisters fame. But Lewis said Neal's arrest was due to "the latest in DNA technology.''. Cindy, who, after all those years, didnt think the culprit would be found, was surprised when she heard the news of his arrest. The tweets concluded with a video that included interviews with the detectives who have worked on finding the girl's killer through the years. In one, the sisters dine merrily at an outside table, smiles all around. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? The series of #LindasStory tweets began Friday, the anniversary of the day Linda disappeared, and ended Saturday morning at the same time her body was found. The better question, maybe: Can you not? Her body was found in a ditch the next day. A friend of hers later told the police that a similar-looking van stopped by her a few times. and the late Eileen F. O'Keefe; sister of Kathleen O'Keefe, Kelly (Kent) Voorhees and Joseph D. (Connie) O'Keefe, Jr.; aunt of Charlie Crouse, Mac O'Keefe and Concie O'Keefe; niece of the late Florence and John Hennelly, the late Bernice and Bill Dempsey, the late McCann and Shirley O'Keefe and Charlotte and the late Robert Matthews; cousin of Donald (Marlene) Dempsey, William (Joyce) Hennelly, Karen (Robert) Long, Charlotte (Andy) Lyons, the late Taylor Matthews and Louise Paniello, Charles (Marketa) Matthews, Tim (Vanessa) O'Keefe and the late Michael O'Keefe; and steadfast friends Virginia Binzel, the Reverend Blythe Kieffer, Carol Prough, Kulani Makakoa, Marie Wolf and Steve Wolf. So, in February 2019, James was arrested at his home and later extradited to California. Ida would not. A woman later told police she saw Linda standing next to a turquoise van and talking to the driver -- a white man in his mid-20s or early 30s. She was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. And I have something important to say. I'm just so so sorry I didn't make that phone call to see how she was doing. The police department in its tweets re-visited Linda's final day of summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School. We were the best of friends in junior high ~ we used to spend the night at Linda's on Elm - stayed up on the 3rd floor (actually, we often stayed without her parents knowing) - that was part of the fun! No arrests have been made in the July 1973 killing of Linda Ann OKeefe. She will be dearly missed!! Now a mother and a grandmother, Cindy Borgeson said she truly understood what her parents dealt with after Lindas death. Probably, and there are plenty of reasons why. We had a lot of fun playing as children and young teens. All it takes is one good lead By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The tweets will likely also make the case more engaging for a longer period of time, she told NBC Los Angeles. I hope your Dedication pays back . She says, Just walk home. In January 2019, the police got a familial match that eventually led them to James Alan Neal, living in Colorado at the time. Linda's older sister, Cindy, says their mom sewed most of their clothes. When Cindy Borgesons sister, Linda OKeefe, went missing in July 1973, she wasnt too worried. My killer was never found. Probably not. She had a wonderful smile and great sense of humor ~ and that will be missed by all of us. One of her sisters, Cindy Borgeson, Cindy was about 18-years-old when Linda vanished as an 11-year-old after school. The investigation into Lindas murder didnt drum up many leads. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. Wake up to the day's most important news. In the days since the Twitter stream, the police department has received some tips, she said. Four decades after Linda O'Keefe vanished, her sister Cindy says she's relieved an arrest has finally been made. The technique used to nail the suspect proved to be extremely useful, with Orange Countys District Attorney saying, I can tell you through both traditional DNA and through genealogical DNA, we have every opportunity in the world to solve so many of these cold cases that we never had hope in the past of solving. However, James never stood trial because he passed away at 73-years-old, while in custody in July 2020. The police department also "live-tweeted" Lindas story from her perspective on Friday and Saturday, narrating the final day of her life in real-time, exactly 45 years later. Cindy Borgeson. The eldest sister was affronted and furious. Today, Im going to tell you my story. #LindasStory pic.twitter.com/G25n2IppZb. At the time, Linda attended summer school at Lincoln Intermediate School in Corona Del Mar, California. Linda Ann OKeefe, who loved piano, painting and crafts, was last seen alive on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach Police Department said. Linda, 11, explains she was murdered and that her killer was never found. God bless you. Linda Ann OKeefe, who loved piano, painting and crafts, was last seen alive on July 6, 1973, as she walked home from summer school, the Newport Beach Police Cindy felt that her younger sister would be back home soon. Georgia, in increasing despair, demanded that both stop painting immediately. Linda's family called the police at 6:42 p.m. and officers then joined the search for the 4-foot-tall girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. Cindy felt that her younger sister would be back home soon. At the time, Lindas mom said that she was busy and asked her to walk back. We are hoping that someone recognizes that face. He was also facing charges of sexually assaulting two children in Riverside County. She loved animals, playing the piano, and painting. Newport Beach police last July mounted a Twitter campaign, releasing information about the killing to try to spur new leads in the case, which had stymied investigators for more than four decades. Those photos from Lake George presage a darkening family tale. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "It's difficult with a cold case for people to relate to the victim on a personal level," she noted. Linda O'Keefe murder: Inside the investigation 16 photos On July 6, 1973, Linda, who usually rode her bike to summer school in the sleepy beach town of Corona del We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Im really busy. Linda was a faithful member of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, where she served as a deacon. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. The sketches depict what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old as well as an age-progressed version showing what he might look like today. Maybe it followed a burst of flirtation from Stieglitz, who was behind the camera. Stieglitz was a philanderer; but her own sister? Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The exhibition tries to set the art apart. Newport Beach police last year hired Parabon, a Virginia-based DNA technology company specializing in a process using genetic material, to build a sort of composite sketch of the suspect at 25 years old and how the killer might look today. Closure and relief for Lindas sister, who says she forgave Neal before she even knew his name. Then, the authorities began working with a private firm to use forensic genealogy to trace the suspects family tree. She was a beloved member of our Sunday evening women's group for many years. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. But hope The work paid off when biological evidence and scientific advancement led to the culprit. The next day, a man visiting that same area with his son found Linda's strangled body, police said. Neal, who was arrested in March 2019, was living in Colorado at the time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Linda Ann O'Keefe was just a child when she was abducted and killed on July 6, 1973 on her way home from summer school. At around 6:42 pm, she was reported missing. Earlier, when Linda was waiting to use the phone, she stepped out for a while. On Saturday, exactly 45 years after her body was found, the department released these sketches of her suspected killer. Cindy talked about how their father would chase down every van that matched the description in hopes of catching Lindas killer. There is a new lead in my case: a face. A face that comes from DNA that the killer left behind. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? While waiting for a chance to use the school office phone, Linda headed outside. That was Feb. 1. Can we separate the work from the drama? Linda disappeared on July 6, 1973. So, if youre curious about how Cindy dealt with Lindas death, heres what we know! On the day Linda Ann OKeefe died, it was a cooler-than-normal July morning in Newport Beach, Calif. Linda was a wonderful gift to my life and many others in our women's group. Norwich-Linda Ackerman, 74, lost her courageous battle with cancer on April 27, 2023. He would have been in his mid-20s when the crime occurred and resided in Orange County, California. California police used Twitter over the weekend to tell the story of a girl who was murdered 45 years ago, in hopes of gaining new information that might help them solve the case. Georgia fell into a depression in 1933 after an aborted mural commission at New Yorks Radio City Music Hall, and checked into Manhattans Doctors Hospital to be treated for psychoneurosis. OKeeffe sisters: Georgia (1887-1986), Ida Ten Eck (1889-1961), Anita Natalia (1891-1984), Catherine Blanche (1895-1987), and Claudia Ruth (1899-1984). Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to release Michigan corporate security executive He moved to Florida soon after the killing, but after an unspecified criminal incident there, he changed his name from James Albert Layton Jr. to Neal, Spitzer said. Even so, more than a little sympathy is in order. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. And people who followed along got to have that experience," she explained. They havent forgotten about her, and we havent either, she said. Grasso, Linda M. Equal under the Sky: Georgia OKeeffe and Twentieth-Century Feminism, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2017. Neal moved to Southern California with his family from Chicago, Spitzer said, and was a construction worker at the time of the crime. Linda A friend of hers later told police that a turquoise van stopped next to Linda a few times as she walked. Una Healy commented: "Sending you lots of love and strength Linda," while 911 star Lee Brennan wrote: "Linda you are amazing, sending so much love and strength to you." Bless you Linda - you were one of my best friends ~ rest in peace dear friend. Today, Im going to tell you my story., Hi. We want as many sets of eyes on that sketch as possible so somebody can recognize the face of a killer so we can get justice, she said. After James arrest, Cindy also talked about forgiveness and faith and said, I couldnt carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime. There was semen collected from Lindas body that was preserved, but at the time, the technology to test for DNA was quite a few years away. A new documentary reveals how giving a voice on social media to long-dead Linda OKeefe helped secure crucial evidence in the unsolved killing Independent Staff Friday 15 October 2021 18:14 Our prayers are with the family at this time. The authorities concerted effort led to an arrest about 46 years after Lindas murder. WILLIAMSTOWN Should we pity poor Ida Ten Eyck OKeeffe, sister to greatness? wow was i shocked when i heard about the death of linda.. i did not know linda that well but kathy was my pal. i spent a lot of time at the elm ave. house also on the third floor part of the house. i loved that house.i loved the okeefes kathy is a special person to me and i am sure if i had lived around linda i would have been a good friend of hers too my condolences go out to you cathy,, your father and you sister and brother. i am so sorry for your loss. nornie allen now eleanor castro, Patsy, I saw your name below. Im Linda OKeefe (or Linda ANN OKeefe, if Im in trouble with my mom). My killer was never found. Those girls were assaulted in the 1990s and early 2000s, according to prosecutors. ' So Linda did, but she never made it back home. Through the tireless efforts of generations of our investigators, we hope we have been able to bring a measure of closure to Linda's family, friends, and loved ones.''. Your sister was kidnapped and murdered a few months before I was born, but her case drew my attention, maybe because we share the same name.
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