Arrest Made In Linda O'Keefe Cold Case Murder, Investigators Say

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — More than 45 years after 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe was raped and brutally murdered in Newport Beach, detectives believe they finally have her killer thanks to a DNA "pointer"discovered in a genealogical database.

The Newport Beach Police Department, together with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, publicly identified the suspect in the infamous 1973 Newport Beach cold case homicide as James Alan Neal, 72, most recently of Monument, Colorado. Neal was arrested Tuesday morning "without incident," Newport Beach Police Chief John Lewis said at a press conference.

Linda O'Keefe was snatched on her way home from school on a Friday afternoon, the Newport Beach Police Department described in a 24-hour long Twitter event "#LindasStory on the 45th anniversary of her disappearance and murder. Told in her voice, the chilling story captured the attention of the world.

The Newport Beach Police Department carries the reminder of Linda's story with them every day. Her picture hangs where all can see and officers recall how her death rocked the city.

"It made parents think twice before they let their kids go outside by themselves," OCDA Spitzer said at the conference.

According to officials, Neal has Orange County family ties, as well as a criminal record, though they declined to comment on specifics.

"He grew up in the area in the early 1970s," originally using the name James Alan George Leighton, according to Lewis. It was while in Florida that he changed his name to James Alan Neal, following an undisclosed criminal incident, according to officials. Neal moved to Florida "shortly after "Linda was found strangled in a ditch," Lewis said. A DNA sample recovered on Linda O'Keefe's dress after her body was found, in the summer of 1973, remained in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System database for 45 years with no match.

However, a genealogical DNA "pointer" discovered last month in an online genealogy database identified Neal as a prime suspect in the murder, according to District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

That DNA "hit" led investigators to locate Neal in Colorado. Spitzer was asked about Neal's marital status and whether he has children, but declined to comment, saying that information may be pertinent to the case in court.

Finding the DNA pointer "led to good, old-fashioned police work, including surveillance, in recent weeks," Spitzer said.

Neal's DNA sample was recovered "through that police work," leading investigators to identify Neal as the prime suspect, "beyond a reasonable doubt," Spitzer said.

For detectives at the Newport Beach Police Department, the arrest is poignant. Linda's picture hangs on the wall of the Newport Beach Homicide Detective's division, according to Lewis.

"We never forgot Linda," Lewis said. Though her parents both died before Linda's accused killer was given a face, and a name, the Newport Beach Police Department was able to share that information with her sisters, according to Lewis.

"It is a difficult conversation to have, and brings up old emotions and feelings," Lewis said, "but rest assured, they know. They were told."

Linda's murder remained a mystery for decades until last year when Newport Beach Police detectives and Parabon NanoLabs took an innovative approach, releasing a suspect sketch based on DNA evidence from the crime scene. Those pictures and the story of Linda were shared across the globe, according to Lewis.

Neal remains in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has not yet been extradited to California.

Related:

• Newport Beach Police Dig Deep On 45th Anniversary Of Unsolved Murder
• Who Killed Linda O'Keefe? Newport Beach Police Retell Her Story

OCDA Photo