Current:Home > FinanceHalf a century after murdered woman's remains were found in Connecticut, she's been identified-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Half a century after murdered woman's remains were found in Connecticut, she's been identified
lotradecoin privacy View Date:2024-12-26 03:15:41
Half a century after a murdered woman's bones were found in a shallow grave in Connecticut, DNA testing identified the previously unknown female.
Her name was Linda Sue Childers, and investigators said she was from Louisville, Kentucky, before she ended up murdered in a ditch thousands of miles away from her daughter and family. Detectives followed various leads for years before genetic testing helped them find the victim's sister in Kentucky and, eventually, put together the familial connections that revealed Childers' identity.
The decadeslong search started on May 30, 1974, when Connecticut State Police said they found two victims fatally shot in a wooded area in Ledyard — about 55 miles east of New Haven — after a witness tipped them off. An informant told detectives the murders had occurred four years earlier on December 31, 1970.
Investigators were able to identify one of the two victims — Gustavous Lee Carmichael, a convicted serial bank robber who had previously escaped from federal custody, according to DNAsolves.com, a database that helps solve cold cases with genetic testing.
Police arrested and convicted two suspects, Richard DeFreitas and Donald Brant, for the murders.
But the other victim, a woman, was badly decomposed and police weren't able to determine her hair or eye color. Investigators said they had trouble verifying her identity, in part because she had used various alibis, including the name Lorraine Stahl, a resident who had moved from the area months earlier.
Police did find clothes with her remains, including a tan leather "wet look" vest, a gold or tan sweater, a brown tweed skirt and a pair of brown Grannie boots, according to DNA solves.
She also was wearing a pendant and rings with the letters J.H.S.N. monogrammed, the initials I.L.N., and the date 1917 engraved inside, according to DNA solves. The other ring was inexpensive with a "fake" emerald stone.
The case went cold, with some leads that investigators said never panned out being followed — until July 2022 when remaining DNA samples were sent to the private lab Othram for testing.
In January 2024, the results helped find a connection with the victim's sister. Investigators then found out Childers had a daughter and she provided a DNA sample, which last month confirmed the victim's identity, Connecticut State Police said.
The state's cold case unit has about 1,000 unsolved cases and has closed approximately four dozen previously unsolved homicides since the unit was formed in 1998. The unit has issued decks of playing cards, each set featuring 52 unsolved murders to highlight long-standing cold cases.
- In:
- Connecticut
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor and journalist at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]
veryGood! (5395)
Related
- Stuffed or real? Photos show groundhog stuck inside claw machine
- Breaking down everything we know about Taylor Swift's album 'Tortured Poets Department'
- Luke Combs pays tribute to Tracy Chapman after 'Fast Car' duet at the 2024 Grammy Awards
- 'Lisa Frankenstein' struggles to electrify box office on a sleepy Super Bowl weekend
- Get 70% Off Kate Spade, 70% Off Coach, 40% Off Banana Republic, 40% Off Disney & Today's Top Deals
- How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs won? All of Kansas City's past victories and appearances
- Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios Share Rare Insight into Their Relationship During Super Bowl Party Date
- Mariah Carey, Cher, Sade, Oasis and Ozzy Osbourne among Rock Hall nominees for 2024
- Ex-YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki dies a year after stepping down. Who is the current CEO?
- Paul Rudd, Jay-Z and More Turn Super Bowl 2024 into a Family Game Night
Ranking
- Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
- Republicans have a plan to take the Senate. A hard-right Montana lawmaker could crash the party
- Post Malone and Andra Day Give Rockstar Performances Ahead of Super Bowl 2024
- 'NCIS' Season 21: Premiere date, cast, where to watch new episodes
- Jim Harbaugh wants to hire Colin Kaepernick to Chargers' coaching staff. Will the QB bite?
- CBP dog sniffs out something unusual in passenger’s luggage -- mummified monkeys
- Taylor Swift's fans track down her suite, waiting for glimpse of her before Super Bowl
- Don't Pass Up the Chance to See the Sweetest Photos of 49ers' Brock Purdy and Fiancée Jenna Brandt
Recommendation
-
Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigns after federal bribery charge
-
Who is favored to win the 2024 Super Bowl, and which team is the underdog?
-
Who is 'The Golden Bachelorette'? Here are top candidates for ABC's newest dating show
-
Maryland man becomes second winner of $5 million from 50 Years scratch-off game
-
A fiery Texas politician launched a legal assault on Google and Meta. And he's winning.
-
49ers star Deebo Samuel returns to Super Bowl 58 after hamstring injury
-
NFL schedule today: Everything you need to know about Super Bowl 58
-
Hundreds gather in St. Louis to remember former US Sen. Jean Carnahan