Break the Case

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Jen Bucholtz recently returned to Port Orchard, Washington to conduct additional on-the-ground investigation and meet with law enforcement officials.  

In this episode, hear her observations about Linda’s house and neighborhood at night. Listeners will also hear from one of Linda’s best friends, Robin, as she recalls memories of her friend and her thoughts on the murder. 

Jen and George provide updates on their recent meeting with the Police Chief at the Port Orchard Police Department. They share the revelation that police had collected unknown DNA from the crime scene and investigators are currently using investigative genetic genealogy to identify the owner of that DNA. Does it belong to Linda’s killer? The team hopes to soon have an answer to that. 

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Renowned cold case investigator Paul Holes, who is credited with identifying the Golden State Killer, met in-person with Jen to discuss Linda Malcom’s case. During his 30 years of investigative experience, Paul said he has never seen a case where the victim’s body wasn’t the point of origin in a case where a fire was set after the murder.  

Paul and Jen discussed how that peculiar detail—that the fire was started at the opposite end of the house from where Linda was killed—is likely a significant clue. Hear why this detail led Paul to surmise that two people may have been involved in committing this crime: one person who killed Linda and the other who set the fire.  

Also in this episode, Jen and George share updates about Linda’s case. Hear how, after more than a year of searching, they finally tracked down and met with a significant person of interest who knew Linda well in the months leading up to her murder.  

Jen and George also ask for listener assistance to try to figure out a strange bill from Linda’s cable company, which shows two movie rentals after the time of her death. Are you familiar with the cable company, Wave Broadband? Do you know how customers rented pay-per-view movies in 2008? What time zone did the company bill in? This information could provide significant clues about the minutes surrounding Linda’s murder.  

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April 30, 2023 marked the 15-year anniversary of Linda Malcom’s murder. AMU investigators Jennifer Bucholtz and George Jared traveled to Port Orchard to join four of Linda’s sisters, Cindy, Dianna, Rochell, and Sherry, to commemorate this solemn milestone.  

During their trip, Jen and George arranged to meet with Port Orchard Police Department. Upon arrival, they were pleasantly surprised to be introduced to three new investigators from the FBI and state-level attorney’s office, who had been solicited by local police to provide investigative assistance on Linda’s case.  

In addition, Jen and George also learned the police department had applied for, and received, financial grants to fund extensive, high-tech DNA testing on evidence from Linda’s case.  

As part of their effort to spread the word on Linda’s case in the community, Jen, George and Linda’s sisters sat down for an interview with local news media journalist, Elisha Meyer. You can read his article in the Kitsap Daily News.  

They also hosted several public events including a presentation and meet-and-greet, where community members were invited to join, in order to build renewed interest in Linda’s case. Hear reaction from Linda’s family as they learn police are really “sinking their teeth” into solving Linda’s case.  

Listen to the episode to hear more about the incredible progress on Linda’s case and the renewed hope among Linda’s family member that her killer will soon be identified and brought to justice.  

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When a case goes unsolved for years, law enforcement agencies often reduce the investigative resources dedicated to it.  

Even as evidence-testing technology has improved dramatically, the rate of unsolved murders continues to climb to crisis levels. With estimates of 280,000 unsolved homicides across the country, something must change systematically to force renewed investigative attention and resources towards these unsolved cases.  

However, what it often takes is persistent and relentless family members.  

In this special episode, Jen and George talk to victim-advocate and popular podcast host, Bill Thomas. His sister, Cathy, was one of the victims in the series of Colonial Parkway murders in Virginia. Her case has gone unsolved for over 36 years. Bill is the co-host of Mind Over Murder, a popular true-crime podcast.  

During his discussion with Jen and George he shares his first-hand experiences of having to fight for more law enforcement attention and resources. If family members don’t continuously hound investigators and work to draw media and public attention, little progress is often made in the case.  

Like Bill, Linda Malcom’s family was changed forever by her murder. Hear how he’s worked to find balance and light in the midst of such darkness, remain vigilant that police work her case, and maintain never-ending hope that his sister’s case will be solved. 

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In episode 6, Jen and George consult two experts with backgrounds and experience in firefighting and arson investigation. Hear Jerry Bucholtz and Alan Haskins discuss their thoughts after examining photos of the crime scene. Both believe an accelerant was likely used to help increase the initial intensity of the fire and ultimately destroy as much of the residence as possible. Was the fire set to cover up forensic evidence left by the killer? Or did the killer have a personal vendetta against Linda?  

Hear their thoughts on whether Linda’s car was also targeted by the killer, what the level of damage in certain rooms suggests about the killer’s intent, and why they believe the killer was unsuccessful in removing all of their own DNA from the scene.  

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Identifying the style of knife used to stab Linda Malcom can provide clues about both the crime and the killer. Hear from knife expert, Jeff Schafer, about the type of knife he believes was used in this attack and why he thinks Linda likely had a weapon of her own. He also suspects the killer may have had martial arts training and yet was likely injured in this dynamic fight. 

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In this episode, Jennifer Bucholtz discusses her on-the-ground investigation into the murder of Linda Malcom. Hear what Jen learned after meeting with the current coroner, detective from the Port Orchard Police Department, Linda’s former landlords, neighbors who witnessed the fire, bartenders at her favorite bars, and friends.

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