Police still looking for person who broke in, killed Mesa woman in 1988
Sep 18, 2019, 10:00 AM
(Mesa Police Photo)
Decades later, the murderer of 26-year-old Loretta Lynn is still walking our streets.
“It’s just a tragic, tragic case,” says Mesa Homicide Detective Teresa Van Galder.
It happened in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 14, 1988.
Lynn and her family had just moved into the house. In fact, they were living there for only a day and a half before someone broke in and killed her.
Van Galder says Lynn’s husband worked the swing shift and got home to find the front door ajar.
“And when he walked into the house, he turned on a light and saw the back door was also slightly open,” Van Galder says .
“He went in to check on his wife, and, not seeing her in bed, turned on a light and discovered her next to it on the floor. The baby was found unharmed sleeping in her crib.”
Van Galder really wants to catch the killer of this young, pregnant wife and mother.
“We have some prints that have not been identified over the years. One is a small palm print, possible from a smaller-sized adult or a juvenile.”
There are also a couple of suspicious vehicles noted in this case.
Van Galder says “Her husband saw a vehicle that was driving by the residence as he was pulling up. It was a light blue Nissan Pathfinder.”
Another person told police about a light-colored Chevrolet El Camino.
Learn more about the case here.