Linda was born January 21, 1961 in Springfield, Illinois.

She had 5 sisters and 3 brothers.

In 1984 Linda enlisted in the United States Navy. She was Honorably Discharged in 1993. At the time she was stationed at Puget Sound in Bremerton Washington. Linda rented a home and stayed in the area.

Linda enjoyed cooking and spending time with her friends, especially singing karaoke.

Linda worked in the legal field as a legal assistant, first for the Kitsap County Prosecutors Office and later for two different law firms.

The evening prior to her murder, Linda emailed her sister and indicated she had accepted a job with the Social Security Administration at their office in Bremerton. She planned on moving soon to be closer to the new job.

Additionally, the home she rented on on Sidney Ave was built in 1920 and was scheduled for demolition on May 15th, approximately two weeks later. 

Linda had rented the Sidney Ave residence for 11 years.

At approximately 4am. a neighbor reported hearing loud popping sounds. He looked outside and saw flames reportedly shooting six feet high out the windows of her home. He attempted to enter the home to check on her, but the smoke was too thick. 

When the fire was extinguished, the home was burnt nearly to its shell. Linda's body was found in a bedroom.

Port Orchard Fire Investigators and Detectives spent the following day examining all evidence at the scene. The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab and Seattle Fire Department assisted in the investigation.

The Seattle Fire Dept. brought out dogs capable of sniffing out accelerants.

Investigators determined the fire was started in the Living Room/Kitchen at the front of the home. Linda was found in the bedroom at the rear of the home.

Linda's body was badly burned, but not completely. Enough tissue remained for the Medical Examiner to determine she Linda was dead prior to the fire. Multiple stab wounds were reported as the cause of death. 

Detectives said in news interviews that they were confident Linda's murder was not a random act of violence.

Detectives later said they were confident they had the right person identified, but did not have enough evidence at that point to proceed with any charges. They noted that person had been involved in other criminal activity.

Linda's ex-boyfriend at the time of her murder was interviewed by investigators. He was "not forthcoming" with information and refused a polygraph test. He was considered a Person of Interest at the time. He died of natural causes in early September, 2009.

In 2005, Linda was arrested on drug charges, and she was fired from the prosecutors office. The charges were dropped three months later due to issues with the warrant. There is no evidence suggest this event was related to Linda's murder, however, it has also not been ruled out.

In 2016, Detectives said they had at least half a dozen persons of interest, but did not have any suspects.