Mom of girl killed in 1973 'carried guilt over her death for the rest of her ...

The sister of an 11-year-old girl killed in a 1973 cold case murder says their mother carried guilt over her death for 'the rest of her life' after not picking her daughter up from summer school and making her walk home instead. 

Cindy Borgeson said her sibling Linda Ann O'Keefe asked for a lift home on July 6, 1973 but their mom refused. She then disappeared in Newport Beach, California, and her body was found the next day.

Their mother 'carried that guilt the rest of her life,' Borgeson told ABC News. 

Now, more than 40 years after Linda's death, a Colorado man has been arrested in connection with the case.   

Tragically, Linda's parents passed away before they ever learned of a suspect. But investigators were able to share the news of an arrest with her two sisters.

One sister, Cindy, said: 'I never really thought that they would actually ever find the individual responsible. After all this time, finding out there is a face and a name just brings additional closure.

'My hope is that this [case] brings hope to other families who haven't had closure yet. I'm sure she and my parents are rejoicing.

'Because of my profound faith, I've been able to forgive the individual. I couldn't carry that burden in my heart of hating an individual even though he committed this horrible crime. I hope that he has remorse.'

She also said she also prayed for Neal's family, adding: 'They probably are so shocked. I'm sure they're going through a lot of grieving of their own.' 

Cindy Borgeson, pictured, said her mother carried guilt over Linda's death for 'the rest of her life' after not picking her up from summer school.

Authorities have released a decades-old photo James Alan Neal, pictured, after he was arrested over Linda's murder

Cindy Borgeson, left, said her mother carried guilt over Linda's death for 'the rest of her life' after not picking her up from summer school. Authorities have released a decades-old photo James Alan Neal, right, after he was arrested over Linda's murder 

Linda was walking home from school in 1973 when she strangled and her body left in a ditch

Linda was walking home from school in 1973 when she strangled and her body left in a ditch

James Alan Neal, 72, was arrested in Colorado Springs, Colorado at 6.29am on Tuesday.  On Thursday California authorities released a decades-old photo of Neal in the hopes of jogging the memory of potential witnesses.    

Officials in Orange County said Thursday that the photo may depict what James Neal looked like around the time Linda O'Keefe was killed. 

They're asking anyone who saw him around then to come forward. The photo shows a smiling Neal with bushy hair and a mustache. 

Neal nodded at his crying relatives as he was led into court for a brief appearance Thursday. A judge scheduled a February 28 hearing, where Neal could say if he will fight extradition to California to face a murder charge. 

Genealogical DNA coupled with 'old-fashioned' police work led detectives to Neal, according to Orange County District Attorney Public Administrator Todd Spitzer. 

Following a genealogical submission to site Family Tree DNA, authorities were alerted to a DNA hit in the case in January. That pointer identified Neal as a suspect. 

Investigators located him in Colorado and put him under surveillance and retrieved more DNA from the victim to corroborate their new findings. 

'Our investigators used forensic DNA testing and an online genealogy website to identify the suspect's DNA as being consistent with DNA left at the crime scene,' Newport Beach Police Chief John Lewis added.  

James Alan Neal, 72, has been arrested as the suspect behind the decades-old murder of 11-year-old California girl Linda Ann O'Keefe whose body was found strangled to death  in 1973

A judge scheduled a February 28 hearing, where Neal could say if he will fight extradition to California to face a murder charge

James Alan Neal, 72, has been arrested as the suspect behind the decades-old murder of 11-year-old California girl Linda Ann O'Keefe whose body was found strangled to death  in 1973

Several members of James Alan Neal's family leave El Paso County's Terry R. Harris Judicial Complex on Thursday after he was arrested over the death of Linda O'Keefe

Several members of James Alan Neal's family leave El Paso County's Terry R. Harris Judicial Complex on Thursday after he was arrested over the death of Linda O'Keefe

Neal nodded at his crying relatives, pictured, as he was led into court on Thursday

Neal nodded at his crying relatives, pictured, as he was led into court on Thursday

His DNA was found on the victim and placed into the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) database where it failed to yield a hit for decades, Orange County District Attorney Public Administrator Todd Spitzer said in a press conference Wednesday 

His DNA was found on the victim and placed into the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) database where it failed to yield a hit for decades, Orange County District Attorney Public Administrator Todd Spitzer said in a press conference Wednesday 

Then in January following a genealogical submission, it finally made a hit and led police to Neal. He was tracked to Colorado and arrested Tuesday morning. Newport Beach Police held a press conference identifying Neal on Wednesday (above)

Then in January following a genealogical submission, it finally made a hit and led police to Neal. He was tracked to Colorado and arrested Tuesday morning. Newport Beach Police held a

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