Kathy Halle's Family 'Incredibly Grateful To Have Closure' In 1979 Slaying

NORTH AURORA, IL — Police say they have cracked a 45-year-old cold case, linking suspected killer Bruce Lindahl to the 1979 murder of Kathy Halle of North Aurora. Meanwhile, Halle's family released a statement after learning of the news, stating they are "incredibly grateful to have closure after 45 years."

Lindahl, who is suspected of killing several young women in the 1970s and early 1980s, died in 1981. During a press conference Wednesday, authorities say they used new technology DNA evidence found on Halle's clothing to link her murder to Lindahl.

Halle, 19, left her home on Volks Court in North Aurora on March 29, 1979, to pick up her sister at Northgate Shopping Center in Aurora, Kane County officials said. She never arrived.

Authorities believe Lindahl abducted Halle from the parking lot of her apartment complex and later dumped her body in the Fox River. Her body was found three weeks later.

In 2020, authorities used DNA evidence to link Lindahl to the murder of Pamela Maurer — a 16-year-old girl who was found sexually assaulted and murdered near the intersection of College Road and Maple Avenue in Lisle in 1976.

DNA Labs International used the evidence collected by Lisle police to link him to Halle's murder, authorities said Wednesday. Police said it's possible this DNA evidence and new technology could be used to solve more cold cases.

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During Wednesday's news conference, State's Attorney Jamie Mosser assured the public — and Halle's family — that if Lindahl was still alive, first-degree murder charges would have been filed against him and the case would have went to trial.

"We would have finally obtained justice for Kathy," Mosser said Wednesday.

In a statement, Halle's family thanked law enforcement for never giving up on Kathy and for the kindness and respect they'd shown their family over the years.

"While revisiting this case has been incredibly difficult for our family, we are incredibly grateful to have closure after 45 years," Halle's family said in the statement.

Charles Huber's Murder and Lindahl's Death

Lindahl was found dead in 1981 of accidental, self-inflicted wounds after he cut his femoral artery while fatally stabbing Naperville resident Charles Huber Jr., 18, who was a senior at Waubonsie Valley High School, Robert Berlin, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in 2020.

Lindahl's body was found next to Huber's, and police determined that he died after accidentally stabbing himself.

Murder of Debra Colliander

Berlin said Lindahl's DNA may also be used to solve the murder of Debra Colliander, an Aurora woman who had accused Lindahl of kidnapping and raping her. She disappeared just before she was to testify against him.

Colliander, a Wisconsin native, was last seen leaving her job at Aurora's Rush-Copley Hospital on Oct. 7, 1980. Her body was discovered in a shallow grave in Oswego Township on April 30, 1982, Berlin said.

Lindahl A Suspect In More Murders

According to media reports, Lindahl is a suspect in the 1979 disappearance of Deborah McCall, 19, of Downers Grove, and the 1977 murder of Elizabeth Drews of Downers Grove, according to the Daily Herald.

Police also suspect Lindahl was involved in the 1980 murder of Susan Jabczynski, 21, of, Aurora and two other young women, according to the newspaper.

In total, Lindahl may be behind as many as 12 murders and nine rapes in the western suburbs in the 1970s and 1980s, according to ABC Chicago.