A 1981 Florida Murder Went Cold...Then Investigators Made an Arrest

In September 1981, 31-year-old Linda Slaten was found dead inside her Lakeland, Florida apartment. Her two young sons were asleep nearby, unaware that their mother had been taken from them. For nearly 40 years, Linda’s case remained unsolved. Then investigators discovered that the answer had been hiding in plain sight. A palm print recovered from Linda’s bedroom window. DNA preserved from the original investigation. And a football coach named Joseph Mills, who had driven Linda’s younger son, Tim, home from practice the night before Linda was killed. Decades later, forensic genetic genealogy finally pointed investigators toward Mills. But detectives still needed to prove it. The evidence that followed would connect him to the crime — and reveal an unsettling connection that Linda’s son had never known. Tim had trusted Coach Joe. He had even kept a football photograph for decades with Mills standing directly behind him. In this episode, we follow Linda Slaten’s case from the night she was killed in 1981, through decades of unanswered questions, to the genetic genealogy breakthrough that finally identified the man investigators believed was responsible. After 38 years, Linda’s sons finally knew who had taken their mother. But one question remained unanswered: Why? Watch the full story to discover how a decades-old palm print, preserved DNA, forensic genetic genealogy, and evidence hiding in an old case file finally brought Linda’s family an answer. If you enjoy detailed stories about solved cold cases, forensic breakthroughs, and investigations that took decades to reach the truth, subscribe to the channel for more. Music 🎵 © Kevin MacLeod #coldcase #solvedcoldcase #truecrime #LindaSlaten #ForensicGeneticGenealogy