The Mystery of Linda Sue Childers Solved After 50 Years

LEDYARD, Conn. (WTNH) — A 50-year-old mystery has finally been put to rest as Connecticut State Police announced the identification of Linda Sue Childers, a victim in a 1970s homicide case.

The breakthrough came as the Connecticut State Police and Medical Examiner revealed that the previously unidentified remains found in a shallow grave in Ledyard, Connecticut, in 1974 belonged to Linda Sue Childers from Kentucky.

It was on May 30, 1974, that Childers’ remains, along with another victim, were discovered in Ledyard. The tragic double homicide took place on December 31, 1974, and thanks to a witness, the location of the grave was provided.

Childers’ true identity remained a mystery for decades as she had been using an alias. However, her family confirmed that she had been in the northeast before her disappearance.

“It is gratifying to have helped identify Linda and, most importantly, give her family some answers,” the police stated in a press release.

The cause of Linda Sue Childers’ death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head, with the manner of death classified as a homicide.

Despite years of investigation with no leads from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a breakthrough finally came in July 2022.

Forensic and genetic genealogy company Othram received samples of DNA from Childers’ remains, which were added to a database. In January of this year, her sister was identified through DNA matching, leading to the confirmation of Linda Sue Childers’ identity.

It was revealed that the suspects involved in the double homicide had been arrested shortly after the murders and were convicted of the crimes. Both suspects have since passed away.