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Unsolved homicide

Killing of Linda Sykes

Year
1981
Where
Hampton, Virginia
Source
Virginia State Police
Evidence
1
What the record says

On February 24, 1981, the victim was found deceased by her mother in an upstairs bathtub in her residence. The victim was a student at Christopher Newport College at the time of her murder. The victim was also struck by a blunt object in another area of her home before being drowned in the bathtub.

From the Virginia State Police cold case database. Records change. The source is the authority.

Where to start

Got ten minutes? Do one of these.

What does the record establish, and what has never been explained?

  • Read the source and write down every date, place and name it gives.
  • Find the earliest news report you can and note what it says that later accounts dropped.
  • List what has never been explained. One line each.

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