Current:Home > FinanceHalf a century after murdered woman's remains were found in Connecticut, she's been identified -Wealth Evolution Experts
Half a century after murdered woman's remains were found in Connecticut, she's been identified
View
Date:2025-04-12 21:57:17
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! (69)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Chipotle testing a robot, dubbed Autocado, that makes guacamole
- How Riley Keough Is Celebrating Her First Emmy Nomination With Husband Ben Smith-Petersen
- TikToker Alix Earle Hard Launches Braxton Berrios Relationship on ESPYS 2023 Red Carpet
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Permanently Ban Rail Shipments of Liquefied Natural Gas
- When Will We Hit Peak Fossil Fuels? Maybe We Already Have
- New York City Begins Its Climate Change Reckoning on the Lower East Side, the Hard Way
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Meghan King Reveals Wedding Gift President Joe Biden Gave Her and Ex Cuffe Biden Owens
Ranking
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Renewables Projected to Soon Be One-Fourth of US Electricity Generation. Really Soon
- In Pennsylvania, Home to the Nation’s First Oil Well, Environmental Activists Stage a ‘People’s Filibuster’ at the Bustling State Capitol
- Travis Barker Praises Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian's Healing Love After 30th Flight Since Plane Crash
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- RHOBH's Garcelle Beauvais Shares Update on Kyle Richards Amid Divorce Rumors
- Why Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea, may prove to be a nuisance for Kim Jong Un's regime
- Save 30% on the TikTok-Loved Grande Cosmetics Lash Serum With 29,900+ 5-Star Reviews on Prime Day 2023
Recommendation
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
20 Top-Rated Deals Under $25 From Amazon Prime Day 2023
How Riley Keough Is Celebrating Her First Emmy Nomination With Husband Ben Smith-Petersen
The Surprising History of Climate Change Coverage in College Textbooks
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Get a 16-Piece Cookware Set With 43,600+ 5-Star Reviews for Just $84 on Prime Day 2023
These 14 Prime Day Teeth Whitening Deals Will Make You Smile Nonstop
38 Amazon Prime Day Deals You Can Still Shop Today: Blenders, Luggage, Skincare, Swimsuits, and More