330:
stepfather, Byron
Claflin, and Linda's boyfriend, Steve Wilson. Claflin, a key witness and potential suspect, died in 1990. No suspects have ever been officially identified, but several loved ones of Pagano believe that Claflin is somehow involved in her death. Because Pagano's disappearance is now classed as a homicide, family members and potential witnesses will be re-interviewed by law enforcement. Police are particularly interested in locating Steve Wilson. Wilson is not considered a suspect, but he is considered a key witness, being one of the last people to see Pagano alive.
224:
162:. During the summer of 1974, Pagano and her siblings were living with their stepfather, Byron Claflin, in his apartment on Carnegie Avenue in Akron. Claflin was employed as a bartender, and was described as a regular drinker with a volatile temper, however, Linda and Claflin were not reported to be on bad terms.
175:
disappearance. According to
Claflin, Pagano's late return at odd hours prompted an argument between Claflin and Pagano. The argument resulted in Claflin throwing Pagano out of the house. According to Claflin, Pagano left the apartment and did not return. This would be the last time anyone saw Pagano alive.
199:
on the banks of Rocky River, now known as Mill Stream Run
Reservation. The remains were heavily weathered, including a missing jawbone, and no physical evidence was recovered from the scene. It was determined that the remains belonged to a white female, and initial age estimates placed the remains at
290:
was soon discussed between
Strongsville law enforcement, city officials, and medical examiners. After several months of discussion, the exhumation was performed in October 2017. Due to the many unmarked graves in the potter's field where the victim was buried, it took multiple attempts to exhume the
264:
reached out to
Koppelman regarding a different case, Koppelman asked them about the unidentified bones. Scates also contacted law enforcement with concerns about how the bones did not appear on Cuyahoga County's list of unidentified remains. New photos of the skull were sent to Koppelman, and it was
211:
At the time of its discovery, Michael Pagano saw a TV broadcast about the unidentified body. Michael called the
Strongsville police with the theory that it might be Linda, but was dismissed, being told that the victim was too old and likely too tall. After the body continued to remain unidentified,
250:
research on her own family history when she discovered the unidentified skeleton in the cemetery records. The available information about the skeleton was sparse. Scates, confused as to why it seemed like this young woman had been forgotten about, sought access to police files and autopsy records.
178:
In the immediate days after Pagano's disappearance, family members assumed Linda was staying with friends. Claflin called
Michael Pagano's mother to see if Linda was staying with her. A day after she was last seen, family members reported Linda Pagano as missing. At the time, Pagano's case gained
329:
land, the investigation is in the purview of the
Cleveland Metroparks police. Michael Pagano has reported that updates from police regarding the investigation have been scarce since the identification conference. As of 2022, law enforcement has named two persons of interest in the case; Linda's
277:
Once the case had been added to NamUs, a potential match was quickly identified. The theory was first raised by an internet sleuth on a subreddit for unsolved mysteries. Akron police reached out to police in
Cuyahoga County regarding the possibility of the unidentified body being Linda Pagano.
174:
with her boyfriend, Steve Wilson. Early on the morning of
September 1, Pagano and Wilson arrived back in Akron. Pagano dropped Wilson off at his house and then returned to her stepfather's house. The stepfather, Byron Claflin, was the only witness to the following events leading up to Pagano's
311:
Following Linda's identification, Michael Pagano met Scates in person to express his gratitude. Linda's remains were returned to her family to be given a proper burial. In January 2019, a memorial service was held for Linda. The parts of Linda's skeleton that had been recovered were
33:
130:. After remaining unidentified, the bones were buried in an unmarked grave. Due to a clerical error, the bones were never entered into databases of unidentified decedents, and the case was largely forgotten about. In 2016, a college student doing
125:
for 44 years. Following an argument with her stepfather on September 1, 1974, Pagano left her stepfather's apartment and was never seen again. On February 5, 1975, partial skeletal remains of a white female were found by three boys in a park in
179:
little attention. Law enforcement were pursuing it under the impression that Pagano had run away, and there was no media coverage of the case. However, Pagano was not regarded as the type who would run away without a word, and her car, a
265:
also discovered that a spelling error in the case files had prevented the bones from being added to databases for the missing and unidentified. Shortly after Scates contacted Cuyahoga County law enforcement, the bones were added to
150:. Linda was the youngest of three children, with an older brother Michael Pagano and an eldest sister Cheryl Pagano. Linda Pagano was described as honest, hard-working, and shy. Pagano had an after school job serving food at the
259:
Carl Koppelman. Koppelman created a reconstruction of the victim using photos of the skull which Scates had attained through her research, but this original reconstruction got little traction. When county law enforcement in
324:
The investigation into Pagano's murder is still considered an active case. Following Pagano's identification, the focus of the investigation was shifted to finding Pagano's killer. Because Pagano's remains were found on
299:
to map the unmarked graves. Once the correct body had been exhumed, bone samples were taken from the victim, and DNA mouth swabs were taken from Cheryl and Michael Pagano. In late 2017, the samples were sent to
762:
138:, a forensic sketch artist. The new attention to the case led to a connection being made by the Akron police, and in June 2018 the remains were conclusively identified as Linda Pagano.
852:
862:
538:
603:
339:
736:
398:
344:
781:
847:
637:
817:
822:
827:
200:
approximately 20 years old. The cause of death was ruled as a gunshot wound to the head, leading the case to be investigated as a
837:
308:
testing. On June 29, 2018, the unidentified body was conclusively identified as Linda Pagano, 44 years after her disappearance.
842:
134:
research of her own family rediscovered the unidentified body. After posting about it online, the case gained the attention of
832:
704:
296:
857:
763:"A skeleton with a hole in its head found in 1975 is no longer just a 'Jane Doe' - thanks in part to internet sleuths"
458:
354:
243:
359:
301:
349:
498:
812:
364:
287:
261:
223:
122:
539:"Linda Pagano: Remains Found in 1975 Identified as Missing Ohio Girl After Clerical Error Is Corrected"
670:
403:
326:
196:
292:
279:
192:
127:
83:
151:
305:
217:
155:
737:"Linda Pagano case timeline: A missing teen, a partial skeleton and an unsolved mystery"
399:"Siblings of slain Akron teen disappointed murderer not identified, over 40 years later"
170:
On August 31, 1974, Pagano attended a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young rock concert in
231:
213:
135:
32:
806:
256:
228:
70:
146:
At the time of her disappearance, Linda Pagano was a student at Springfield High in
205:
180:
782:"Family, Akron community gather to remember teen who vanished over 44 years ago"
147:
118:
94:
60:
283:
159:
313:
247:
171:
131:
204:. Initially, attempts were made to link the bones to then-missing heiress
201:
104:
Mike Pagano (brother), Cheryl Pagano (sister), Ann Collins (late mother)
252:
499:"Officials identify missing Akron teenager 43 years after her death"
266:
222:
638:"Investigators identify remains as Akron teen missing since 1974"
316:
and interred next to her late mother in Holy Cross Cemetery.
705:"Missing Akron Teen Linda Pagano Identified 40 Years Later"
397:
Warsmith, Stephanie; Schleis, Paula (December 16, 2020).
191:
On February 5, 1975, three boys were hiking in a park in
269:, the national database for missing and unidentified.
100:
89:
77:
66:
54:
39:
23:
282:were exchanged as a preliminary comparison, and
780:Chris; erson; Nyorkor, Sia (January 18, 2019).
497:Justin Madden, cleveland com (July 12, 2018).
459:"Missing Akron girl identified 40 years later"
291:correct body. Exhumation was assisted by the
255:, where it caught the attention of volunteer
8:
208:, who disappeared from California in 1974.
853:September 1974 events in the United States
604:"Cold Cases | Not forgotten: Linda Pagano"
31:
20:
273:Identification and ongoing investigation
242:In 2016, Christina Scates, a student at
735:Warsmith, Paula Schleis and Stephanie.
376:
320:Continued investigation into the murder
251:Scates then posted her discoveries on
220:at Memorial Gardens in Highland Hills.
863:Unsolved murders in the United States
598:
596:
594:
592:
590:
588:
586:
584:
582:
580:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
7:
730:
728:
726:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
665:
663:
661:
659:
632:
630:
628:
626:
624:
578:
576:
574:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
562:
560:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
523:
521:
519:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
480:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
429:
427:
425:
423:
421:
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
340:List of solved missing person cases
117:was an American murder victim from
16:Formerly unidentified murder victim
14:
671:"CRIME HUNTER: One dead in Ohio"
212:the remains were interred in an
58:September 1, 1974 (aged 17)
761:Flynn, Meagan (July 19, 2018).
183:, had not been taken with her.
1:
195:when they discovered partial
848:Missing person cases in Ohio
227:Reconstruction of Pagano by
355:Murder of Elizabeth Roberts
879:
818:1970s missing person cases
244:Cleveland State University
823:Deaths by firearm in Ohio
360:Murder of Tammy Alexander
302:University of North Texas
30:
828:Deaths by person in Ohio
350:Murder of Aundria Bowman
345:List of unsolved murders
158:, and was interested in
838:Formerly missing people
709:Ideastream Public Media
238:Rediscovery of the case
843:History of Akron, Ohio
234:
115:Strongsville Jane Doe,
833:Female murder victims
463:News 5 Cleveland WEWS
365:Unidentified decedent
226:
187:Discovery of the body
123:unidentified decedent
93:Holy Cross Cemetery,
741:Akron Beacon Journal
404:Akron Beacon Journal
786:www.cleveland19.com
767:The Washington Post
642:Fox 8 Cleveland WJW
293:University of Akron
111:Linda Marie Pagano,
67:Cause of death
858:Strongsville, Ohio
297:magnetic surveying
235:
193:Strongsville, Ohio
128:Strongsville, Ohio
113:formerly known as
84:Strongsville, Ohio
25:Linda Marie Pagano
306:Mitochondrial DNA
108:
107:
870:
797:
796:
794:
792:
777:
771:
770:
758:
752:
751:
749:
747:
732:
721:
720:
718:
716:
701:
686:
685:
683:
681:
667:
654:
653:
651:
649:
634:
619:
618:
616:
614:
600:
555:
554:
552:
550:
535:
514:
513:
511:
509:
494:
475:
474:
472:
470:
455:
416:
415:
413:
411:
394:
286:of the body for
197:skeletal remains
81:February 5, 1975
49:
47:
35:
21:
878:
877:
873:
872:
871:
869:
868:
867:
803:
802:
801:
800:
790:
788:
779:
778:
774:
760:
759:
755:
745:
743:
734:
733:
724:
714:
712:
711:. July 12, 2018
703:
702:
689:
679:
677:
669:
668:
657:
647:
645:
644:. July 12, 2018
636:
635:
622:
612:
610:
602:
601:
558:
548:
546:
545:. July 12, 2018
537:
536:
517:
507:
505:
496:
495:
478:
468:
466:
465:. July 12, 2018
457:
456:
419:
409:
407:
396:
395:
378:
373:
336:
322:
275:
262:Cuyahoga County
257:forensic artist
240:
229:forensic artist
189:
168:
144:
82:
78:Body discovered
59:
45:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
876:
874:
866:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
815:
805:
804:
799:
798:
772:
753:
722:
687:
655:
620:
556:
543:Inside Edition
515:
476:
417:
375:
374:
372:
369:
368:
367:
362:
357:
352:
347:
342:
335:
332:
321:
318:
280:Dental records
274:
271:
239:
236:
232:Carl Koppelman
218:potter's field
214:unmarked grave
188:
185:
167:
164:
143:
140:
136:Carl Koppelman
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
91:
87:
86:
79:
75:
74:
68:
64:
63:
56:
52:
51:
50:April 11, 1957
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
875:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
813:1970s in Ohio
811:
810:
808:
787:
783:
776:
773:
768:
764:
757:
754:
742:
738:
731:
729:
727:
723:
710:
706:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
688:
676:
672:
666:
664:
662:
660:
656:
643:
639:
633:
631:
629:
627:
625:
621:
609:
605:
599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
585:
583:
581:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
557:
544:
540:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
524:
522:
520:
516:
504:
500:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
481:
477:
464:
460:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
428:
426:
424:
422:
418:
406:
405:
400:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
377:
370:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
337:
333:
331:
328:
319:
317:
315:
309:
307:
303:
298:
294:
289:
285:
281:
272:
270:
268:
263:
258:
254:
249:
245:
237:
233:
230:
225:
221:
219:
215:
209:
207:
203:
198:
194:
186:
184:
182:
176:
173:
166:Disappearance
165:
163:
161:
157:
153:
149:
141:
139:
137:
133:
129:
124:
120:
116:
112:
103:
99:
96:
92:
90:Resting place
88:
85:
80:
76:
72:
71:Gunshot wound
69:
65:
62:
57:
53:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
789:. Retrieved
785:
775:
766:
756:
744:. Retrieved
740:
713:. Retrieved
708:
678:. Retrieved
674:
646:. Retrieved
641:
611:. Retrieved
607:
547:. Retrieved
542:
506:. Retrieved
502:
467:. Retrieved
462:
410:November 19,
408:. Retrieved
402:
323:
310:
288:DNA analysis
276:
241:
210:
206:Patty Hearst
190:
181:Ford Mustang
177:
169:
145:
114:
110:
109:
18:
791:November 4,
746:November 4,
715:November 3,
680:November 3,
648:November 4,
613:November 3,
549:November 3,
508:November 3,
469:November 3,
295:, who used
148:Akron, Ohio
121:who was an
119:Akron, Ohio
95:Akron, Ohio
73:to the head
61:Akron, Ohio
55:Disappeared
807:Categories
675:torontosun
371:References
327:Metroparks
284:exhumation
246:was doing
160:rock music
142:Background
46:1957-04-11
503:cleveland
248:genealogy
172:Cleveland
156:Tallmadge
132:genealogy
101:Relatives
608:wkyc.com
401:. News.
334:See also
314:cremated
202:homicide
152:A&W
253:Reddit
267:NamUs
216:at a
793:2022
748:2022
717:2022
682:2022
650:2022
615:2022
551:2022
510:2022
471:2022
412:2023
304:for
40:Born
154:in
809::
784:.
765:.
739:.
725:^
707:.
690:^
673:.
658:^
640:.
623:^
606:.
559:^
541:.
518:^
501:.
479:^
461:.
420:^
379:^
795:.
769:.
750:.
719:.
684:.
652:.
617:.
553:.
512:.
473:.
414:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
