On February 19, 2019, James Alan Neal was arrested for the murder of Linda Ann O’Keefe, an 11-year-old girl who was abducted while walking home from school in Newport Beach on July 6, 1973; her lifeless body was discovered in the Back Bay the following morning. Neal was identified as the suspect in the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of Linda after a tireless and exhaustive investigation by the Newport Beach Police Department that lasted for more than 45 years.

In July of 2017, almost two years before Neal’s arrest, Newport Beach Crimes Against Persons detectives began to explore the concept of genetic genealogy and ultimately broke the case after developing leads through private genealogy companies.

In July of 2018, NBPD launched a Twitter campaign called #LindasStory on the 45th anniversary of Linda’s abduction and murder. The campaign was centered on tweets in Linda’s voice documenting her last day alive. The campaign made international news, as it was the first of its kind. Within the first hour, NBPD received more than 1 million impressions and more than 6 million impressions within two weeks. This single campaign combined for more impressions than the department’s entire 2017 news content. The campaign produced hundreds of tips.

In January of 2019, detectives went to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and conducted surveillance of Neal in order to obtain a DNA confirmation sample, which ultimately confirmed Neal’s DNA was a 100% match to physical evidence found at the original crime scene.

In February of 2019, NBPD detectives went back to Colorado Springs to arrest Neal, serve search warrants and conduct interviews. Neal was taken into custody without incident. Detectives interviewed Neal and were able to establish a timeline and MO information demonstrating that Neal is a sexual predator. As a result of NBPD’s investigation, Neal was further implicated in the molestation of other victims.

In March of 2019, Neal was extradited to California and has been charged with one count of murder and five counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor in connection with other victims unrelated to Linda’s murder. Neal is in custody awaiting trial. 

Learn more about the case here: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/southern-california-police-make-arrest-cold-case-murder-1973-n973526.