In 1981, Tim Slaten found his mother, Linda, dead in the home where she and her children lived.
It took the authorities 38 years to find the person responsible for her murder. And it was someone Tim knew very well...
A Vibrant Woman
Tim and his brother were very close with his mother. They described her as a vibrant woman who loved her life and her children.
In her free time, she enjoyed swimming and learning new skills such as making clothing. “She enjoyed life," Jeff told a local newspaper.
Moving
In August of 1981, Linda and her two sons moved into a new apartment on Brunnell Parkway in Lakeland.
The tragedy happened less than a month after they moved into their new home. Linda was brutally murdered in her bedroom on September 4, 1981.
The Day Of
Tim and his brother still remember this day like it was yesterday. According to Tampa Bay Times, the two brothers returned home after football practice and searched for food at home.
They didn't find much food at home, so Jeff decided to visit his grandparents' house around 9 PM.
Empty Appartment
When Jeff returned home, he didn't find Linda and his brother in the apartment.
At approximately 10 PM, Linda came in to let him know that she and her brother were playing cards at their neighbor's house.
Final Moments
One hour later, Tim and Linda finally returned home, and Tim went straight to sleep. The last time Jeff saw his mother alive was when she was washing dishes that night.
Linda went to her bedroom after finishing the dishes, while Jeff stayed up to watch some TV.
Tim's Memories
Tim's last memories of that night start with his coach, Joe Mills picking him up for practice. He would often give him a ride because Linda didn't have a car.
He dropped him off at home between 8 PM and 8:30 PM, and Tim went to play cards with his mother at their neighbor's house.
Tim's Impression
Tim came home at 11 PM and saw his brother Jeff watching TV in the living room. He told him goodnight and went to sleep.
The two brothers later told the police that they didn't hear anything in the night. However, while they were sleeping, someone entered their house and murdered Linda in her bedroom.
No Answer
The next morning, Linda's sister, Judy Butler, had found her dead body in her bedroom. She told the authorities that she had visited Linda's house because she wanted to invite her for a coffee.
She knocked on Linda's door but didn't get an answer.
Something Was Wrong
Judy felt that something was wrong, so she walked past her sister's bedroom window to see if she was maybe hurt or ill.
That's when she noticed that the screen that covered her bedroom window was not there.
Dead Body
She peeked in and saw her sister's lifeless body strangled by a wire coat hanger.
Judy was so horrified by what she saw that she started to scream. Her cries were heard by a Lakeland Housing Authority maintenance worker, John Allen.
Horrifying Scene
John called the police at around 8:35 AM. When the authorities arrived, they learned that Linda had been strangled with the hanger. She was also half-naked.
The police believed that she had been sexually assaulted too.
No Signs Of Struggle
However, no signs of struggle were found in her bedroom or bed. The authorities noticed that the window in her bedroom was missing the screen, and it was unlocked as well.
But who was responsible for her murder?
Autopsy
The authorities performed an autopsy at the Lakeland General Hospital. They also performed a sexual assault kit.
However, the DNA in the sperm found didn't match anyone in the databases back in 1981.
Arrested
It was only in December 2018 that the evidence from the crime scene was processed once again, and this time it produced a match. In December 2019, Mills was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Tim was shocked when the news of his coach's arrest broke. Mills was someone he had trusted. "I got so much hate for you right now," Tim told him.