PA - Lindy Sue Biechler, 19, fatally stabbed, Lancaster County, 5 Dec 1975 *arrest in 2022*

  • #201
'Ello, all. Chiming in here.

I've been kinda rooting around a bunch of older news articles, and apologies if I've missed where this was discussed before, but I'm curious as to how seriously anyone views Mark Capollupo as a valid suspect? If anyone has dug around Lancaster New Era and Intelligencer Journal articles from early 76, he was an 18 year old who was arrested and charged with four separate rapes/sexual assaults in and around Lancaster County very close to where Lindy was murdered. The attacks began late November and ended in January, when a woman called the police after he followed her home and rang her doorbell after she rushed inside. He was arrested, matched the descriptions given by the two women and two teen girls he had assaulted in the prior weeks, and charged with their attacks. He would threaten and sometimes assault them with a screwdriver, sometimes abduct them in his car, and sometimes gain access to their homes. Disorganized to boot.

While in custody, he was questioned about possible involvement in Lindy's murder. He said he was at work on December 5th, and then demanded a lawyer.

On April 20th, Capollupo was charged with first degree murder of a man in Kingman, Arizona the previous September.

On May 20th, Capollupo was found guilty on all seven counts against him in the first of four cases against him in Pennsylvania.

On July 2nd, Capollupo was shot to death by a guard while attempting to escape.

Everything about this dude was bad news. While in custody, the DA from Camp Hill came forward with Capollupo's juvenile record, which contained multiple sexual assaults and prison break attempts, as well.

What keeps me on the fence about this guy is how many details get flubbed in the slew of articles, specifically the dates. And especially, for one attack in particular. A fifteen year old girl was walking home from school along Rte 23 in East Lampeter Township. She remembered him pulling up alongside her and asking if she wanted a ride. She said no. She remembered him getting out, grabbing hold of her face. She has no memory of anything else, until someone was standing over her and asking if she was OK before being taken to the hospital, where she had numerous bruises and scratches on her body she couldn't account for.

The date of this attack? December 5th, 1975. Putting him within 20 minutes of the Biechler home within a few hours of her murder.

Mostly, that's what it's reported as. A few articles say it happened on December 4th. One article even lists both dates within a few paragraphs, if you can believe that. In the news, LE makes the claim at one point that they have temporarily ruled him out and were in the process of checking out his alibi, but never conclusively ruled him out. It's never mentioned if he's completely ruled out.

And the parabon snapshot doesn't not look like him. . .
 
  • #202
'Ello, all. Chiming in here.

I've been kinda rooting around a bunch of older news articles, and apologies if I've missed where this was discussed before, but I'm curious as to how seriously anyone views Mark Capollupo as a valid suspect? If anyone has dug around Lancaster New Era and Intelligencer Journal articles from early 76, he was an 18 year old who was arrested and charged with four separate rapes/sexual assaults in and around Lancaster County very close to where Lindy was murdered. The attacks began late November and ended in January, when a woman called the police after he followed her home and rang her doorbell after she rushed inside. He was arrested, matched the descriptions given by the two women and two teen girls he had assaulted in the prior weeks, and charged with their attacks. He would threaten and sometimes assault them with a screwdriver, sometimes abduct them in his car, and sometimes gain access to their homes. Disorganized to boot.

While in custody, he was questioned about possible involvement in Lindy's murder. He said he was at work on December 5th, and then demanded a lawyer.

On April 20th, Capollupo was charged with first degree murder of a man in Kingman, Arizona the previous September.

On May 20th, Capollupo was found guilty on all seven counts against him in the first of four cases against him in Pennsylvania.

On July 2nd, Capollupo was shot to death by a guard while attempting to escape.

Everything about this dude was bad news. While in custody, the DA from Camp Hill came forward with Capollupo's juvenile record, which contained multiple sexual assaults and prison break attempts, as well.

What keeps me on the fence about this guy is how many details get flubbed in the slew of articles, specifically the dates. And especially, for one attack in particular. A fifteen year old girl was walking home from school along Rte 23 in East Lampeter Township. She remembered him pulling up alongside her and asking if she wanted a ride. She said no. She remembered him getting out, grabbing hold of her face. She has no memory of anything else, until someone was standing over her and asking if she was OK before being taken to the hospital, where she had numerous bruises and scratches on her body she couldn't account for.

The date of this attack? December 5th, 1975. Putting him within 20 minutes of the Biechler home within a few hours of her murder.

Mostly, that's what it's reported as. A few articles say it happened on December 4th. One article even lists both dates within a few paragraphs, if you can believe that. In the news, LE makes the claim at one point that they have temporarily ruled him out and were in the process of checking out his alibi, but never conclusively ruled him out. It's never mentioned if he's completely ruled out.

And the parabon snapshot doesn't not look like him. . .

Mark Capollupo below. Died at age 18 after being shot by a prison guard while trying to escape. For someone so young, he had been involved in some very serious crimes.
 

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  • #203
You ain't kidding. Had 7 different assault charges against him, and also traveled across the country throughout 1975. Doubtless he had a few victims along that way, if the rapidity with which he attacked in late 75 is any indication.

I really wonder how conclusively they were able to rule him out. If his claim that he was at work was taken at face value and all. I believe he worked at a used car lot and wonder how easy it would have been to sneak out, if he was there. He apparently just denied the charges and lawyered the 🤬🤬🤬🤬 up immediately.

I scoured damn near everything article I could find about the guy. The woman that called the cops the night he was arrested, those events really ring similar to what investigators believe happened to Lindy. I'm really trying to not be myopic here, but this guy seems way too good to have been ruled out. Maybe the cops thought that since he was in custody and not going anywhere, they'd have time to build a case against him?
 
  • #204
You ain't kidding. Had 7 different assault charges against him, and also traveled across the country throughout 1975. Doubtless he had a few victims along that way, if the rapidity with which he attacked in late 75 is any indication.

I really wonder how conclusively they were able to rule him out. If his claim that he was at work was taken at face value and all. I believe he worked at a used car lot and wonder how easy it would have been to sneak out, if he was there. He apparently just denied the charges and lawyered the **** up immediately.

I scoured damn near everything article I could find about the guy. The woman that called the cops the night he was arrested, those events really ring similar to what investigators believe happened to Lindy. I'm really trying to not be myopic here, but this guy seems way too good to have been ruled out. Maybe the cops thought that since he was in custody and not going anywhere, they'd have time to build a case against him?


This guy does sound awful and I'm sure there are other cases to link to him but since they do have some DNA- it would seem that they'd be able to link it to him (even though knowing lancaster- I'm sure figuring that out would be difficult) - I haven't looked up his picture but the details should match to some extent to the DNA profile.
Also he seemed to be a bit more prepared for his attacks and had worked out how to immobilize his victims. And if he had already attacked that day it's East Pete- Millersville is not a logical place for a second attack. Yes 20 minutes but the other side of the city.
 
  • #205
Wanted to see if anyone had any new theories or information as we come up on the 15th anniversary.

I'm from Lancaster PA- and became obsessed with this case when searching for cold cases last year.

It seems so solvable and it's so sad that most of her family didn't get to at least get a piece of justice for her death.

I have devoured this thread and a few others on the web and I'm beginning to question if a woman was involved. Obviously a man committed the crime- since they have semen. But did a woman tell him to or tell him she knew Lindy'd be alone? Is that where this letter is coming from?

I wanted to just give my insight having grown up in Lancaster (Lan-kiss-ter is how the locals pronounce it- I live in California now and know we are the only ones who do so). Lancaster County includes amish country. Lancaster City is diverse. Millersville would have been on the way away from diversity but not quite into the Amish. I have a feeling my grandmother was probably in John Herrs that night with Lindy- she often grocery shopped there on Friday evenings.

Millersville is really a small little collection of blocks that surround the university and the small suburbs between the city and the school. These apartments are kind of out of the way. It would have been a bit odd to pick this apartment at Radom unless she had left the door unlocked and walked in on a burglar which the case doesn't seem to indicate at all.

Anyway- just my tidbits of info. Would love to know if anyone's heard more. Listened to your most recent podcast on this Morf- thanks for getting so many of these details out there.
 
  • #206
obviously mean the 45th anniversary...
 
  • #207
523104d5e9a1c.image.jpg

Lindy Sue Biechler


LINK:

A national team of investigators takes a fresh look at Lindy Biechler's baffling murder
 
  • #208
I'm excited, there is a real chance Lindy's case can and will be solved in 2021
 
  • #209
I'm excited, there is a real chance Lindy's case can and will be solved in 2021
I’m hopeful that it is going to be the case!
Lindy’s case will eventually get a resolution!
 
  • #210
I'm excited, there is a real chance Lindy's case can and will be solved in 2021

Also, you’ve done such an excellent job regarding her case!
 
  • #211
  • #212
  • #213
This article is from 2006. It's the source of this photo. I just want to make sure no one else was confused like I was thinking the article had just come out...

I felt that a photo of Lindy should be posted, as there hadn't been one in the thread for some time. I just think that it helps folks focus on a case when they can see and remember the face of the victim.

I always try to credit any photos or list their source - and simply linked the article the photo came from. Unfortunately, often the link will include its own caption or title rather than just a website address.

Sorry for any confusion.
 
  • #214
I enhanced some photos of Lindy!
 

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  • #215
Just wondering,

¿Does anyone know what Lindy wore the day of her murder?
Perhaps someone saw her talking with her killer as she was bringing the groceries inside.
 
  • #216
  • #217
I *finally* got around to watching the Netflix series on Henry Lee Lucas, and towards the end they showed a collage of photographs of (presumably) murdered women. Displayed pretty prominently was a photograph of Lindy. A later collage shown displayed less photographs, but with hers shown much more front and center. Obviously the DNA from the case would show he wasn't responsible, but has it ever been released or claimed that he confessed to Lindy's murder? There was a brief clip of him speaking with troopers from Pennsylvania State Police, but nothing identifying what the case was. If that was the case, could this have maybe been something that sidetracked the investigation for a time in the eighties and/or nineties?
 
  • #218
I've recently started to wonder a bit more about that trip to the grocery store. John Herrs was a family owned grocery store and while I grew up in the 90s - there were always boys who would carry your bags to your car. They ranged from high school to college age and I'd assume they had them in the 70s. She wouldn't have carried the 4 bags herself.
I'm not saying one of them did it (the thought crossed my mind) but maybe one of them saw something that night that didn't seem like anything at the time or even immediately after.
It would be easy to follow someone from that parking lot to the apartment with or without knowing where she lived already.
 
  • #219
I've recently started to wonder a bit more about that trip to the grocery store. John Herrs was a family owned grocery store and while I grew up in the 90s - there were always boys who would carry your bags to your car. They ranged from high school to college age and I'd assume they had them in the 70s. She wouldn't have carried the 4 bags herself.
I'm not saying one of them did it (the thought crossed my mind) but maybe one of them saw something that night that didn't seem like anything at the time or even immediately after.
It would be easy to follow someone from that parking lot to the apartment with or without knowing where she lived already.

After reading your description of the layout of the town, it does sound as though Lindy was being stalked.
 
  • #220

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