Cops Solve A 46 Year Cold Case Murder By Live-Tweeting As An Abducted 11 Year Old Girl
LA TIMES – It was a killing that haunted Newport Beach for years.
In July 1973, 11-year-old Linda Ann O’Keefe disappeared while walking home from school. The following day, her body was found among the cattails in Newport Beach’s scenic Back Bay.
The case remained cold until last year, when the police department tried a new tactic using social media. In a series of first-person tweets, detectives highlight details of Linda’s killing in hopes it would yield new clues. They called it Linda’s Story.
…On Wednesday, a new chapter was added: The arrest of a Colorado man suspected in the girl’s slaying and identified through the use of genealogical DNA. Detectives said the break occurred after a snapshot profile of a possible suspect in the killing was generated from DNA evidence found at the crime scene.
Back at it AGAIN with the future Netflix specials!!!
I got to be honest, this one may be even cooler than Hot Dog Guy. We all knew how effective and advanced DNA testing was now and we’ve seen at least 17.5 episodes average of CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI: Cyber.
But how about this use of technology by the Newport Beach Police?
They just solved a 46 (FORTY SIX!) year cold case by creating a hashtag and live-tweeting as a young girl who was abducted in 1973 – describing her last day, giving out all the important details, and jogging everyone’s 5-decade-old memories.
This Twitter story led to a flood of tips, and soon, a police sketch.
Then this week:
James Alan Neal, 72, has been charged with special circumstances murder, kidnapping and lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under 14 in connection with Linda’s death.
Listen people will say how social media is ruining the world and I’m right there with you.
But if one of the byproducts is bringing justice for a murdered 11 year old and her family and friends, I’m more than okay with that.
And I will be patiently waiting for my streaming services to present this to me in documentary form.