By Shawn R. Dagle
In a wooded area behind a home near the Ledyard and Stonington town line the blade of a bulldozer unearths a human leg.
For more than two weeks in May of 1974 police had been searching and digging in the woods behind the home looking for the remains of a murdered, escaped bank robber and his girlfriend. Then after 19 days - and more than five acres of cleared trees and overturned earth - the bulldozer uncovered the human leg.
There police found the body of escaped bank robber - Gustavous Lee Carmichael – and his girlfriend wrapped in blankets and twine and buried together.
Near the woman was a brown tweed skirt, brown Grannie boots, a tan leather “wet look” vest and gold and tan colored sweater.
Two rings (one of which appeared to be a school ring with initials) were on the woman’s fingers and a wood carved broach or pendant around her neck.
Years earlier her vehicle – a green 1964 Oldsmobile – had been found in Hartford and police were able to recover a yellow raincoat and Lady Clairol hair roller set that belonged to her as well. The woman’s identity however remained a mystery.
It wouldn’t be until decades later – this March – that police would finally be able to identify the victim using DNA as Linda Sue Childers.
At the time of her murder however Childers was simply known by an alias she was using at the time –“Lorraine Stahl.”
Three years prior to her murder – in October of 1970 - Childers’ boyfriend Carmichael had escaped federal custody with another man named Roger Brown after stealing nearly $1 million in a series of bank robberies in Connecticut and Massachusetts in 1968.
Brown and Carmichael were eventually caught in Brockton, Massachusetts and arrested for those robberies after their vehicle crashed during a high-speed chase.
While in prison however a sawed off shotgun was smuggled into Brown and Carmichael through a jailhouse window. They used it to escape three days after being taken into custody.
Two months later the pair were recaptured in Reno, Nevada and eventually sentenced.
After being recaptured and sentenced Brown and Carmichael made their second escape in October of 1970. This time they obtained a key to their handcuffs and were able to overpower two federal marshals while being transported to court in Hartford and escape – taking one of the marshal’s guns with them.
In late December of 1970 while still on the lamb Carmichael had enlisted the help of a man named Richard DeFreitas to get him and his then girlfriend “Lorraine Stahl” with fake identification. DeFreitas was also supposed to help them hide from police.
Depending on the account DeFreitas either became worried that Lorraine Stahl was going to lead to police to him or in an effort to get his hands on as much as $35,000 worth of stolen cash from Carmichael’s robberies decided to murder the pair.
According to police DeFreitas invited Carmichael and Stahl to his home where he shot Carmichael. An accomplice than took a gun off Carmichael and put it to Stahl’s head. The gun however was empty. Stahl – terrified – was then shot in the head after an accomplice loaded the weapon and shot her.
DeFreitas and an accomplice were eventually arrested and convicted in connection to the murders. The identity of the woman however remained a mystery.
That is until March of this year when – after decades of investigation – police were finally able to identify the murdered victim as Childers – a native of Louisville, Kentucky.
After decades of what seemed like fruitless investigation that included a composite sketch and putting her information on NamUs it appeared as if “Stahl’s” real identity would never be known.
Then in 2022 the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner teamed up with Othram Laboratory and used Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing to develop a DNA profile for the victim.
Using that profile a genetic genealogy team and Medicolegal Death Investigator Michelle Clark were able develop new leads and eventually locate relatives of Childers’ that led to her identification.
Sources
The Hartford Courant “Holdup Pair Said ‘Dangerous’” November 13, 1968
The Sacramento Bee December 12, 1968
Messenger and Inquirer “Two Marshals Are Handcuffed to Tree By Prisoners” AP October 6, 1970
The Hartford Courant “DeFreitas Denies Role in Slayings” Lawrence Rasie July 19, 1976
The Day “Convict Relates Story of Slaying” Tim Murphy July 2, 1976
The Day “Bodies of Murdered Man Woman Found in Stonington” Peter Lord May 31, 1974
Othram.com