Linda O’Day:1981, New Castle, Delaware

   

  Linda O’Day was born on January 13th, 1953 to Martha S. and Maurice O’Day in Wilmington, Delaware. She had three sisters and three step sisters. 


  When Linda was only ten, she and her eight year old sister, Martha, were in a car accident. The two had been passengers in a car and Linda’s little sister, Martha, was fatally injured in that accident. That must have been a very traumatic loss for Linda and her family.


  Linda grew up in New Castle, Delaware. She graduated from William Penn High School. 


 In 1981, she lived just a block from the house she’d grown up in. Her parents had sold the house in the previous years. Linda's apartment was at 129 East Third Street in New Castle.

#129 is the Blue House.

  Linda worked as a secretary at the State Hospital near Farnhurst for Dr. Cono A. Galliani in 1981. She had worked there for several years. 


  She also worked part time in the evenings at a McDonald’s as a cashier. In those days someone took your order at the counter and handed your food to you after taking your payment. Linda had been there for about a year. 


  She went out with friends on Friday May 29th, 1981. Her friend dropped her off near her apartment late that night. It was thought to be after midnight. Saturday was Memorial Day that year. 


  On Monday afternoon, her landlord and a neighbor were concerned because her door was ajar. The landlord knocked, called out and opened the door. The two then saw Linda’s body. She was partially clothed and had been stabbed. The knife was still in her chest. 



  Linda did not have a lot of visitors in her apartment at 129 East Third Street. She worked quite a lot between the two jobs and kept to herself. 


 The building was a multistory home that had been converted to apartments. There was no sign of forced entry. 


  I am wondering if someone followed them from the nightclub or place that they had been that evening. Many times the main front door would be left unlocked to a building like that. (In the early 90’s I lived in an older converted home and the main door was always unlocked.) 


  Perhaps that man followed her into the apartment building and knocked on her door or just entered before she had locked that apartment door. Maybe he stood outside long enough to watch the lights go on to determine which apartment she lived in. 


  I think someone to look at for this crime is David Sinopoli. In 1975, he murdered his neighbor, Lindy Biechler, in a very similar way. He was only recently caught when DNA linked him to her murder. When I researched and wrote about the murder of Lindy Biechler it seemed to me that Sinopoli probably did not just kill one woman that one time. 


   Lancaster is only about an hour away from New Castle, Delaware. Perhaps they had been at the same club that night. Perhaps he followed Linda’s friend’s car and watched Linda enter her apartment building. 


  I submitted a tip to investigators. David Sinopoli is serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania currently. Hopefully evidence was preserved in Linda O’Day’s murder case. 


 Perhaps it wasn’t Sinopoli. But testing might still reveal her killer’s identity. 


  Linda O’Day was only 28. She was working hard and taking care of herself. She was a beloved daughter, sister and friend. She had a tremendous amount of living left to do. She should still be here living her life. 


  If you have information about the murder of Linda O’Day please call the 410-265-8080. 



  

  




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