Serial killer Bruce Lindahl linked to 1979 cold case murder

Bruce Lindahl, a suspected serial killer from the 1970s who has been deceased for decades, has been identified as the perpetrator in a 1979 cold case murder, Illinois officials revealed on Wednesday.

Kathy Halle, 19, departed her apartment on 29 March 1979 to collect her sister from the Northgate Shopping Centre in Aurora but never arrived, according to North Aurora Police Detective Ryan Peat. Weeks later, Halle’s body was discovered in a river.

The investigation remained unsolved for decades. In 2019, authorities in Lisle, Illinois, reopened the 1976 murder case of 16-year-old Pamela Maurer and used DNA to connect Lindahl to the crime, Peat stated.

Suspected 1970s serial killer Bruce Lindahl, who has been dead for decades, has now been identified as the culprit in a 1979 cold case murder, Illinois authorities announced Wednesday. https://t.co/QQWlxR3nT0

— ABC News (@ABC) October 23, 2024

By 2020, North Aurora detectives revisited Halle’s case, collaborating with Lisle investigators. Evidence underwent re-evaluation and additional testing, revealing a mixture of two individuals’ DNA, though it was too degraded for a definitive profile, Peat explained.

In 2022, North Aurora police found evidence linked to Lindahl at the police department in Naperville, Illinois. This evidence indicated Lindahl’s frequent visits to the Northgate Shopping Centre, where Halle was employed, Peat mentioned. Peat then explored a new DNA collection method, the “M-Vac” DNA wet-vacuum, which is effective for older cases.

In June 2023, North Aurora police transported evidence from Halle’s case to DNA Labs International in Florida for analysis using the “M-Vac” tool, Peat noted. In August, the lab reported that DNA on Halle’s clothing was “approximately 9.4 trillion times more probable” to have come from Lindahl, Peat announced.

“We can conclude Lindahl was responsible for Kathy Halle’s death,” Peat added, suggesting Halle was abducted from her apartment complex parking lot. “Lindahl has been linked to several other cases in the area from that era,” Peat said.

Lindahl might be connected to the murders of up to twelve young women, as reported by The Associated Press. Lindahl died in 1981 at 29 years old after accidentally severing a major artery in his leg while attacking an 18-year-old man in Naperville, according to the AP.

“Had he not died while committing a murder, we would have pursued first-degree murder charges against Bruce Lindahl and proceeded to trial for Halle’s case,” stated Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser.

Halle’s family expressed in a statement, “Revisiting this case has been incredibly difficult, but we are deeply grateful to finally have closure after 45 long years. With advancements in DNA technology and innovative investigative tools, we hope other families will not have to endure the prolonged pain and uncertainty we’ve faced for so many years.”