James Alan Neal to be extradited to California to face charges in 1973 murder
Monument resident James Alan Neal is heading back to California to face charges in the 1973 death of an 11-year-old girl.
The 72-year-old waived extradition Thursday at a hearing in El Paso County Court, so he’ll face the murder charges filed against him this month.
California authorities have until March 14 to transport him there, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
Neal is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Linda Ann O’Keefe as she walked home from summer school in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, on July 6, 1973.
DNA evidence found on O’Keefe’s body led authorities to Neal with the help of a genealogical website, FamilyTreeDNA.
At the time of the killing, Neal lived in Orange County under the name James Albert Layton Jr. Shortly after the murder, he moved to Florida, where an “incident” caused him to change his name to James Alan Neal, authorities said.
Records indicate he moved to Monument in 2016 with his wife and her daughter’s family.
They were renting a house on Spaatz Road where homeowner Michael Thulson said they were the perfect tenants.
Monument police say Neal caused no problems there.
Reached by phone last week, Neal’s son-in-law declined comment.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office previously said it is considering seeking the death penalty against Neal.
James Alan Neal