IN IN - Linda Weldy, 10, Laporte, 24 Feb 1987

[cowgirl35]

Linda Weldy 10 taken Feb.24,1987 i haven't heard nothing about it. I was 13 when she was killed and where they found her body was only about 2 miles away from where i lived, something like this i would have remembered that's to close for call.She was taken right in front of her house when she got off the bus her body was found along abandoned railroad tracks off Hwy.35 near Kingsbury. I tried to research her case and there is hardly any information.How do i go about to try to bring this case back to life to help get it solved? Her killer is still out there free to kill again if he hasn't already.Anybody knows anything i would love to hear about it.

 

[Jenny60123]

I just googled and there's nothing on this little girl. So sad. She had a family who has never had an answer.

 

[SunnieRN]

Her name should be Weldy, not Wedly. Here is one article, the DOC is trying to solve 26 murders, including hers.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/15730882.html

A Websleuths thread which talks about two murders in Indiana, and a book that may name the killer:

Rayna Rison 16,unsolved murder in Laporte Indiana - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[SunnieRN]

People discuss the case here, quoting newspaper articles also. Also a copy of the original post of this thread:

http://www.topix.com/forum/tv/crime/TR2QJ4I4ICALET8HK/p123\\


another Websleuth thread that mentions Linda:

Unsolved murders in Indiana small town - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[Jay Christian]

There is a book by an Indiana author called Urges: A Chronicle of Serial Killer Larry Hall. The author, Christopher Hawley Martin, lived in the same city as Hall, Wabash, Indiana. Wabash is less than two hours from La Porte. The book indicates Hall killed Linda Weldy and more than 25 other women and young girls.

 

[colette]

Here is a newer video/article from May 2013 about Linda Weldy. LE thinks the killer is local. She was abducted after getting off her bus after school.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-cold-...0yearold-linda-weldy-20130510,0,4618629.story

 

[colette]

LaPorte LE reopen Linda's cold case. They say evidence taken at the time of the murder has been well preserved.


Evidence previously tested along with new evidence never tested before will be turned over to Indiana State Police for laboratory analysis, hoping that better technology can produce DNA leading straight to the killer.


"We're hoping the evidence that we're going to resubmit will provide us with something more," Cicero said.




http://www.southbendtribune.com/new...cle_a7fe9976-a07d-11e3-8766-001a4bcf6878.html

 

[bessie]

This is wonderful news!

LaPorte County police Detective Pat Cicero said "people of interest" have developed over the years and more recently others have either been added or taken off a list of possible suspects, but there has never been an arrest.

Evidence previously tested along with new evidence never tested before will be turned over to Indiana State Police for laboratory analysis, hoping that better technology can produce DNA leading straight to the killer.

"We're hoping the evidence that we're going to resubmit will provide us with something more," Cicero said.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/new...cle_a7fe9976-a07d-11e3-8766-001a4bcf6878.html

 

[stereot]

As mentioned above, Larry Hall is a strong suspect:

http://articles.wsbt.com/2013-05-10/bus-stop_39174808

Rayna Rison's boyfriend was charged with her murder more recently (Dec. of 2014)

 

[colette]

Here is an original story from The Chicago Tribune from 1987.

``We think she was abducted only minutes after she left the bus,`` said Capt. Gary Cooper of the sheriff`s department. ``But we have no evidence that she was forceably taken, and it`s possible she may have known her assailant.`` When Linda`s body was found she was wearing the same clothing she had when she was last seen walking from the bus stop on McClung Road toward her home 200 yards away down a dirt road, he said.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-03-19/news/8701210844_1_abducted-body-school-bus

Here is the Indiana State Police page on Linda's cold case. Here is the contact:

Indiana State Police
District Investigative Commander
1550 East 181 Ave.
Lowell, IN 46356
1-219-696-6242 or 1-800-552-8917

http://www.in.gov/isp/2928.htm

 

[STANDREID]

Too bad 30 years have passed. Unfortunately after this time by my own experience, there's less than one half of one per cent chance that it will ever be solved. I'm about to add this case to my top 1000 classic unsolved murders list in the range of 906-909.

 

[GreyClay]

A new article on this case. Found this part particularly interesting:

Her mother, Karen Egolf, previously told The Times she was working late that night and it wasn't until 11:30 p.m., when her shift ended, that her boyfriend at the time notified her on a CB radio in her car that Linda had not returned home.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...ion_b9b06cba-a36c-56c9-bb33-427b8f511b1d.html

Also:

In 2014, evidence previously tested, along with new evidence, was turned over to Indiana State Police for a laboratory analysis, hoping DNA would lead police to Linda’s killer.
Cicero this week said the results allowed police to “pursue different avenues,” but he declined to elaborate.

 

[margarita25]

(Subscribing)

 

[mtnlites]

A new article on this case. Found this part particularly interesting:



Also:

The anecdote about the boyfriend (whom the mother later married) being home at the time was an interesting inclusion. In another article that was posted, LE inferred that she may have known her attacker.

 

[margarita25]

COLD CASE FILES: The kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old Linda Weldy
http://wsbt.com/news/local/cold-case-files-the-kidnapping-and-murder-of-10-year-old-linda-weldy

 

[MissMo]

I am preparing a video to get her case back out there. Does anyone have any other information on her case? Does anyone know if their home was searched? They jumped to abduction very quickly.I have my suspicions about her stepfather.

 

[Shiressleuth]

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...Brandie-Peltz-11-Argos-11-December-1986/page5

Does anyone think there could be a connection to the '86 Brandie Peltz case? LaPorte and Argos are only approx 46 miles apart.

Link above.

 

[Slawsb]

Was there any DNA evidence retrieved from the crime scene???

 

[CatsNTats]

There was DNA evidence and fibers found on her body. Unfortunately, at the time of her death we didn't have the science we have today. That being said... we now have the advancements necessary to test that DNA and it is being done. This has been transferred to the State Police as well as the LaPorte detectives and they feel they know who is responsible, it is just a matter of building the case against the person/persons involved. My team and I also feel we know who is responsible and we have produced a podcast based around it which comes out on July 12th. I really feel like there will be an arrest in this case before the end of the year and possibly the end of the summer. I hope I'm correct. Our podcast is Cold Case Chronicles and you are welcome to check out the trailer on the website by the same name prior to the release date if you'd like. There's a M rating of course for content and a little language as well. We want to help bring light to cold cases, but we are four good friends hanging out over mics, soooo.... I'm determined to find justice for this little girl!

 

[Moonwalker9]

Its on this website
Project Cold Case Database

Here's another article. Her mother thinks a serial killer is behind her murder
COLD CASE FILES: The kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old Linda Weldy