heartanium
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So far Linda is not on Namus, DoeNetwork, or Charley Project, but I will work on getting a write up done for her and hopefully submitted. She is listed as missing on the Reno PD website.
Linda Lou Taylor
Missing Since: March 6, 1979
Date Of Birth: April 1, 1955 (Listed on Reno PD as August 1, 1955)
Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 145lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel or Brown
Details of Disappearance
Originally from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Linda Taylor moved to Reno, Nevada in November of 1978. Unable to find a job at Lake Tahoe, Linda settled for a bartender job at the Gold Dust West in Reno, Nevada.
On the morning of March 6th, 1979, Taylor was seen speaking to a “husky, bearded young locksmith” at the Keystone Ave branch of the First National Bank of Nevada in Reno. Both of them were there to have documents notarized. After this, she was seen at Frank Moore’s Shoe store, located at 137 North Sierra Street. She told an employee there that she was on the way to have a luncheon date with the man she met at the bank. After this, she was never seen again.
Linda was reported missing by her roommate on March 9, 1979, after she failed to her apartment at 3880 Wixom Ave for several days. She was described as very punctual and dependable, and her disappearance was out of character for her.
Linda’s car, a station wagon, was found parked at a Raley’s supermarket on Pyramid Way in Sparks, Nevada by her brother George. It was determined that it had been driven 23 miles that was unaccounted for. The family was under a strong impression that someone had driven her car there and left it to be found, but no evidence was ever found in her car.
The locksmith that Linda allegedly went on date with was identified as Charles Garry Sullivan. He initially denied knowing Taylor at all when questioned, but than admitted to detectives that he had indeed met her at the bank and than supposedly went on a luncheon date with her. Detectives also questioned two of Sullivan’s girlfriends, but reportedly both women refused to talk about Sullivan’s involvement in Taylor’s disappearance.
Sometime after Linda disappeared, Sullivan shaved his beard, quit his job as a local locksmith, and moved from town without warning. His two girlfriends also skipped town with him when they were wanted for questioning by the police. Investigators eventually tracked him to Missoula, Montana, but were unable to get further information on Linda's whereabouts. No further leads were found.
As a result, Linda's case has been cold for years. Most, if not all, of her direct family has passed away.
In 2019, Charles Garry Sullivan was extradited back to Nevada from Arizona, accused of killing 17-year old Jeannie Smith and 21-year old Julia Woodward in 1979. Like Linda, both were working as waitresses at casinos around Reno at the time of their disappearance. Both woman were found blindfolded and bound, and killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Their bodies were found dumped very close to each other in the Hungry Valley area north of Reno. The Raley’s that Taylor’s car was located at was found 10 miles from where the bodies of Julia and Jeannie were found.
Websleuths article on Julia Woodward can be found here.
Sullivan is accused of being a serial killer, and may have operated within and around California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Arizona state lines.
RPD Case #: 79-31147
Case Media
22 March 1979 - The Reno-Gazette Journal, pg 49
29 March 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 35
6 April 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 25
9 April, 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 21
18 April 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 31
25 April 1979, The Reno-Gazette, pg 25
Linda Lou Taylor
Missing Since: March 6, 1979
Date Of Birth: April 1, 1955 (Listed on Reno PD as August 1, 1955)
Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 145lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel or Brown
Details of Disappearance
Originally from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Linda Taylor moved to Reno, Nevada in November of 1978. Unable to find a job at Lake Tahoe, Linda settled for a bartender job at the Gold Dust West in Reno, Nevada.
On the morning of March 6th, 1979, Taylor was seen speaking to a “husky, bearded young locksmith” at the Keystone Ave branch of the First National Bank of Nevada in Reno. Both of them were there to have documents notarized. After this, she was seen at Frank Moore’s Shoe store, located at 137 North Sierra Street. She told an employee there that she was on the way to have a luncheon date with the man she met at the bank. After this, she was never seen again.
Linda was reported missing by her roommate on March 9, 1979, after she failed to her apartment at 3880 Wixom Ave for several days. She was described as very punctual and dependable, and her disappearance was out of character for her.
Linda’s car, a station wagon, was found parked at a Raley’s supermarket on Pyramid Way in Sparks, Nevada by her brother George. It was determined that it had been driven 23 miles that was unaccounted for. The family was under a strong impression that someone had driven her car there and left it to be found, but no evidence was ever found in her car.
The locksmith that Linda allegedly went on date with was identified as Charles Garry Sullivan. He initially denied knowing Taylor at all when questioned, but than admitted to detectives that he had indeed met her at the bank and than supposedly went on a luncheon date with her. Detectives also questioned two of Sullivan’s girlfriends, but reportedly both women refused to talk about Sullivan’s involvement in Taylor’s disappearance.
Sometime after Linda disappeared, Sullivan shaved his beard, quit his job as a local locksmith, and moved from town without warning. His two girlfriends also skipped town with him when they were wanted for questioning by the police. Investigators eventually tracked him to Missoula, Montana, but were unable to get further information on Linda's whereabouts. No further leads were found.
As a result, Linda's case has been cold for years. Most, if not all, of her direct family has passed away.
In 2019, Charles Garry Sullivan was extradited back to Nevada from Arizona, accused of killing 17-year old Jeannie Smith and 21-year old Julia Woodward in 1979. Like Linda, both were working as waitresses at casinos around Reno at the time of their disappearance. Both woman were found blindfolded and bound, and killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Their bodies were found dumped very close to each other in the Hungry Valley area north of Reno. The Raley’s that Taylor’s car was located at was found 10 miles from where the bodies of Julia and Jeannie were found.
Websleuths article on Julia Woodward can be found here.
Sullivan is accused of being a serial killer, and may have operated within and around California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Arizona state lines.
RPD Case #: 79-31147
Case Media
22 March 1979 - The Reno-Gazette Journal, pg 49
29 March 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 35
6 April 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 25
9 April, 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 21
18 April 1979, The Reno Gazette-Journal, pg 31
25 April 1979, The Reno-Gazette, pg 25
