Looking for Linda's Killer: Investigating the family (Part 4)

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LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- “They have said to me too many times, ‘We’re on the verge. We’re on the verge. Somebody is going to be arrested tonight. Somebody is going to be arrested tomorrow. We have what we need.’ And it never happens.” Karen Egolf, Linda Weldy's mother, said.

32 years after the abduction and murder of 10-year-old Linda Weldy, her mother says she is skeptical of investigators and the investigation.

“I feel like they have tunnel vision. All of their thoughts are focused on two people. And they’re not willing to look in any other directions." Egolf said. 

When asked if she knows who those people are she said "Yes."

“My husband Robert, because at the time he was my boyfriend. And, statistically speaking, the probability of being the boyfriend is quite high and if it wasn’t my boyfriend, it was my boyfriend’s brother.” She said.

Robert and Mark Egolf say they have been on the radar of detectives since the very beginning. Detectives confirmed those details.

“They are leads. They are on the radar and we are looking at them, yes.” Al Williamson with the Indiana State Police said.

But both brothers have seemed to cooperate with the investigation. They claim that they've gone to several interviews and even provided DNA.

“We gave them our samples of DNA because at the time they said ‘Well, with the new DNA testing, we can do this.’ But we never heard anything back. So, if there was some positive DNA evidence, somebody would be in jail now, I would think. I’ve talked to lawyers and stuff who said if they had anything on me I would not be standing here talking.” Robert Egolf said.

His brother, Mark Egolf, said much of the same. He was 19-years-old when Linda died. Several years ago he says he provided a mouth swam, skin samples, blood and hair when it was requested by investigators. He also took a lie detector test. 

However, he tells ABC57 news detectives are still interested in him because of what they said early in the investigation. He claims one detective told him they found fibers and a grease stain on Linda's coat that connected her to the trunk of a car he was driving. Egolf says he had been borrowing the car from a girlfriend. 

Egolf explains he doesn't know exactly how anything from the truck of that vehicle would have ended up on Linda's coat. But, he did do work on the vehicle while at his brother's house and believes Linda and her brother may have been playing in the car while he was there.

Karen Egolf finds it hard to believe that either her husband or brother-in-law would have been involved.

“I would not have married him If I had thought so” She said. “I don’t think so. In my heart I do not think so. I really don’t think so. My husband’s brother, he liked Linda. And he was at the house that day, but he had left to go to work before her bus was scheduled to come.”

Investigators said there is at least one other person who could be considered a suspect, but would not go into details.

Karen Egolf doesn't believe the case is going to be solved unless someone comes forward with a confession.

“I don’t think this case is going to get solved. If somebody walks in later down the line to the police station and says, ‘You know what, I did this 30 some years ago. Probably.” She said.


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