Linda Louise LeBeau, aged 27, was reported missing on October 6, 1977, in Tustin, California. Her disappearance remained a mystery for nearly a decade until her skeletal remains, including a skull, were discovered in 1986 by a survey crew along the Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore. The remains were initially unidentified, but further investigation revealed that Linda had been shot in the head.
It wasn't until 2022 that the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, through DNA analysis, confirmed the remains as those of Linda LeBeau.
Linda's case was complex and filled with suspicion. On the day she went missing, she was supposed to meet her ex-husband, Phillip LeBeau, at a restaurant to collect $300 he owed her for damaging her boyfriend's car. Witnesses reported seeing Linda arguing with a man, believed to be Phillip, at a nearby gas station. Her Volkswagen van was found abandoned three days later, with all her belongings inside. Phillip LeBeau, who had a history of harassing Linda, became the primary suspect. However, he passed away in 2008, and no arrests were made.
The Tustin Police Department maintained an active investigation into Linda's disappearance and possible homicide for years, but they were unable to resolve the case. The cold case team’s efforts in 2021, which included exhuming several sets of remains for DNA comparison, finally provided some answers. Despite the identification of Linda's remains, the primary suspect's death left the case unresolved, and no further legal actions were pursued.
