Murder Of Linda Pagano
Unsolved Murder Case
CLASSIFICATION: Murder
LOCATION
Akron, Ohio
TIME PERIOD
1974-1975
VICTIMS
1 confirmed
Linda Marie Pagano, a 17-year-old from Akron, Ohio, was reported missing after an argument with her stepfather, Byron Claflin, on September 1, 1974. Following her disappearance, partial skeletal remains were discovered on February 5, 1975, in a park in Strongsville, Ohio, but remained unidentified for 44 years due to a clerical error. In June 2018, advancements in forensic technology and renewed public interest led to the identification of the remains as belonging to Pagano, revealing she had died from a gunshot wound to the head. Currently, the case remains unsolved, with no suspects identified, and investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding her murder.
Linda Pagano's murder is speculated to be connected to her argument with her stepfather just before her disappearance, leading some to believe he may have been involved. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that her remains were not properly processed due to a clerical error, which allowed the case to remain unsolved for decades. Some community members also suspect that her murder could be linked to other unsolved cases in the area from that time period.
The Unresolved Tragedy of Linda Pagano
On a warm summer night in 1974, the life of 17-year-old Linda Marie Pagano took a mysterious turn, plunging her family into decades of uncertainty and heartache. The Akron, Ohio teenager, once vibrant and full of promise, vanished after a quarrel with her stepfather, only to become an unidentified decedent known for decades as Strongsville Jane Doe.
A Vanished Future
Linda Pagano, born on April 11, 1957, was a high school student at Springfield High in Akron. She lived with her stepfather, Byron Claflin, and her siblings, Michael and Cheryl, in an apartment on Carnegie Avenue. Linda's life was typical of many teenagers, filled with schoolwork, a part-time job at the A&W in Tallmadge, and a passion for rock music. Despite Claflin's reputation for drinking and a fiery temper, no significant animosity between him and Linda was ever reported.
The night of August 31, 1974, was supposed to be like any other for Linda. She attended a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert in Cleveland with her boyfriend, Steve Wilson. After a night of music and joy, they returned to Akron in the early hours of September 1. Linda dropped Steve off at his house before heading back to her stepfather's home, where an argument erupted over her late return. According to Claflin, this disagreement led to him throwing Linda out of the house. That was the last time anyone saw Linda alive.
Initially, Linda's family believed she was staying with friends. When Byron Claflin contacted Michael Pagano's mother to inquire about Linda's whereabouts, the family began to worry. By September 2, Linda was officially reported missing, but the case received little attention. Authorities pursued it as a runaway case, despite Linda's car, a Ford Mustang, remaining untouched. The media stayed silent, and Linda's disappearance became a ghost of a story.
A Gruesome Discovery
Months later, on February 5, 1975, three young boys stumbled upon partial skeletal remains along the banks of Rocky River in Strongsville, Ohio, now known as Mill Stream Run Reservation. The bones, weathered by time and missing a jawbone, belonged to a white female, estimated to be around 20 years old. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, a grim clue that pointed to murder.
At the time, Michael Pagano, struck by a TV broadcast about the unidentified body, proposed that it might be his sister. However, authorities dismissed his theory, citing the victim's supposed age and height discrepancies. The remains were eventually buried in an unmarked grave at Memorial Gardens in Highland Hills, largely forgotten due to a clerical error that kept them out of national databases.
The Case Reawakened
Decades passed until 2016, when a college student named Christina Scates, engrossed in her own genealogical research, uncovered the forgotten records of this unidentified body. Puzzled by the lack of information and the apparent disregard for this young woman's identity, Scates shared her findings on Reddit. This post caught the attention of Carl Koppelman, a volunteer forensic artist, who was inspired to create a facial reconstruction of the victim.
Scates' persistence led to the discovery of a spelling error that had kept Linda's remains out of national databases. Prompted by her findings, Cuyahoga County law enforcement added the case to NamUs, the national database for missing and unidentified persons, reigniting hope for a resolution.
A Breakthrough in Identification
The addition to NamUs quickly yielded a potential match. An internet sleuth on a subreddit dedicated to unsolved mysteries suggested that the unidentified body could be Linda Pagano. Akron police reached out to Cuyahoga County authorities to explore this possibility, leading to an exchange of dental records. By October 2017, discussions about exhuming the body for DNA analysis were underway.
The exhumation process, complicated by numerous unmarked graves, required multiple attempts. Assistance from the University of Akron's magnetic surveying eventually pinpointed the correct grave. Bone samples from the exhumed body and DNA swabs from Linda's siblings were sent to the University of North Texas for mitochondrial DNA testing.
On June 29, 2018, the remains were conclusively identified as Linda Pagano, closing a tragic chapter that spanned 44 years. Her family was finally able to lay Linda to rest next to her late mother at Holy Cross Cemetery in Akron. A memorial service was held in January 2019 to honor her memory.
An Unfinished Investigation
Despite the breakthrough in identification, Linda's murder remains unsolved. The Cleveland Metroparks police now lead the investigation, given the location of her remains. Updates to the family have been sparse, and as of 2022, no official suspects have been identified. However, two persons of interest have emerged: her stepfather, Byron Claflin, who passed away in 1990, and her boyfriend, Steve Wilson, who is considered a key witness rather than a suspect.
The case continues as an active investigation, with law enforcement re-interviewing family members and potential witnesses. The quest for justice for Linda Pagano, a young woman whose life was cut short, remains an urgent and unresolved chapter in the annals of unsolved mysteries.
Sources
The information for this narrative was derived from the Wikipedia article on the Murder of Linda Pagano.
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Linda Disappears
Linda Pagano leaves her stepfather's apartment after an argument and is never seen again.
Body Discovered
Partial skeletal remains of a female are found by boys in a park in Strongsville, Ohio.
Remains Buried
The unidentified remains are buried in an unmarked grave due to a clerical error.
Case Rediscovered
A college student discovers the unidentified skeleton while researching genealogy.
Identification Confirmed
The remains are conclusively identified as Linda Pagano, 44 years after her disappearance.
Memorial Service Held
A memorial service is held for Linda Pagano after her remains are returned to her family.
Investigation Continues
Law enforcement names two persons of interest in Linda's murder, including her stepfather.
Linda Marie Pagano, a 17-year-old from Akron, Ohio, was reported missing after an argument with her stepfather, Byron Claflin, on September 1, 1974. Following her disappearance, partial skeletal remains were discovered on February 5, 1975, in a park in Strongsville, Ohio, but remained unidentified for 44 years due to a clerical error. In June 2018, advancements in forensic technology and renewed public interest led to the identification of the remains as belonging to Pagano, revealing she had died from a gunshot wound to the head. Currently, the case remains unsolved, with no suspects identified, and investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding her murder.
Linda Pagano's murder is speculated to be connected to her argument with her stepfather just before her disappearance, leading some to believe he may have been involved. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that her remains were not properly processed due to a clerical error, which allowed the case to remain unsolved for decades. Some community members also suspect that her murder could be linked to other unsolved cases in the area from that time period.
The Unresolved Tragedy of Linda Pagano
On a warm summer night in 1974, the life of 17-year-old Linda Marie Pagano took a mysterious turn, plunging her family into decades of uncertainty and heartache. The Akron, Ohio teenager, once vibrant and full of promise, vanished after a quarrel with her stepfather, only to become an unidentified decedent known for decades as Strongsville Jane Doe.
A Vanished Future
Linda Pagano, born on April 11, 1957, was a high school student at Springfield High in Akron. She lived with her stepfather, Byron Claflin, and her siblings, Michael and Cheryl, in an apartment on Carnegie Avenue. Linda's life was typical of many teenagers, filled with schoolwork, a part-time job at the A&W in Tallmadge, and a passion for rock music. Despite Claflin's reputation for drinking and a fiery temper, no significant animosity between him and Linda was ever reported.
The night of August 31, 1974, was supposed to be like any other for Linda. She attended a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert in Cleveland with her boyfriend, Steve Wilson. After a night of music and joy, they returned to Akron in the early hours of September 1. Linda dropped Steve off at his house before heading back to her stepfather's home, where an argument erupted over her late return. According to Claflin, this disagreement led to him throwing Linda out of the house. That was the last time anyone saw Linda alive.
Initially, Linda's family believed she was staying with friends. When Byron Claflin contacted Michael Pagano's mother to inquire about Linda's whereabouts, the family began to worry. By September 2, Linda was officially reported missing, but the case received little attention. Authorities pursued it as a runaway case, despite Linda's car, a Ford Mustang, remaining untouched. The media stayed silent, and Linda's disappearance became a ghost of a story.
A Gruesome Discovery
Months later, on February 5, 1975, three young boys stumbled upon partial skeletal remains along the banks of Rocky River in Strongsville, Ohio, now known as Mill Stream Run Reservation. The bones, weathered by time and missing a jawbone, belonged to a white female, estimated to be around 20 years old. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, a grim clue that pointed to murder.
At the time, Michael Pagano, struck by a TV broadcast about the unidentified body, proposed that it might be his sister. However, authorities dismissed his theory, citing the victim's supposed age and height discrepancies. The remains were eventually buried in an unmarked grave at Memorial Gardens in Highland Hills, largely forgotten due to a clerical error that kept them out of national databases.
The Case Reawakened
Decades passed until 2016, when a college student named Christina Scates, engrossed in her own genealogical research, uncovered the forgotten records of this unidentified body. Puzzled by the lack of information and the apparent disregard for this young woman's identity, Scates shared her findings on Reddit. This post caught the attention of Carl Koppelman, a volunteer forensic artist, who was inspired to create a facial reconstruction of the victim.
Scates' persistence led to the discovery of a spelling error that had kept Linda's remains out of national databases. Prompted by her findings, Cuyahoga County law enforcement added the case to NamUs, the national database for missing and unidentified persons, reigniting hope for a resolution.
A Breakthrough in Identification
The addition to NamUs quickly yielded a potential match. An internet sleuth on a subreddit dedicated to unsolved mysteries suggested that the unidentified body could be Linda Pagano. Akron police reached out to Cuyahoga County authorities to explore this possibility, leading to an exchange of dental records. By October 2017, discussions about exhuming the body for DNA analysis were underway.
The exhumation process, complicated by numerous unmarked graves, required multiple attempts. Assistance from the University of Akron's magnetic surveying eventually pinpointed the correct grave. Bone samples from the exhumed body and DNA swabs from Linda's siblings were sent to the University of North Texas for mitochondrial DNA testing.
On June 29, 2018, the remains were conclusively identified as Linda Pagano, closing a tragic chapter that spanned 44 years. Her family was finally able to lay Linda to rest next to her late mother at Holy Cross Cemetery in Akron. A memorial service was held in January 2019 to honor her memory.
An Unfinished Investigation
Despite the breakthrough in identification, Linda's murder remains unsolved. The Cleveland Metroparks police now lead the investigation, given the location of her remains. Updates to the family have been sparse, and as of 2022, no official suspects have been identified. However, two persons of interest have emerged: her stepfather, Byron Claflin, who passed away in 1990, and her boyfriend, Steve Wilson, who is considered a key witness rather than a suspect.
The case continues as an active investigation, with law enforcement re-interviewing family members and potential witnesses. The quest for justice for Linda Pagano, a young woman whose life was cut short, remains an urgent and unresolved chapter in the annals of unsolved mysteries.
Sources
The information for this narrative was derived from the Wikipedia article on the Murder of Linda Pagano.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Linda Disappears
Linda Pagano leaves her stepfather's apartment after an argument and is never seen again.
Body Discovered
Partial skeletal remains of a female are found by boys in a park in Strongsville, Ohio.
Remains Buried
The unidentified remains are buried in an unmarked grave due to a clerical error.
Case Rediscovered
A college student discovers the unidentified skeleton while researching genealogy.
Identification Confirmed
The remains are conclusively identified as Linda Pagano, 44 years after her disappearance.
Memorial Service Held
A memorial service is held for Linda Pagano after her remains are returned to her family.
Investigation Continues
Law enforcement names two persons of interest in Linda's murder, including her stepfather.