The following day, The Orange County Register published the article. Microfilm stored at the Santa Ana Public Library has preserved its unsettling title. Under a section labeled ‘news highlights,’ “S.A. Man Finds Nude Body of Young Wife” is printed in bold letters.
At the time, the story held a column on page 1 of the Register’s morning edition. Now, what once was front-page news has gone decades without being solved. Fifty years later, questions surrounding the early death of Linda Smit remain unanswered.
A Husband’s Discovery
According to the Register article, Eric found “the nude body of his wife” in their bedroom. At the time, the Santa Ana Police Department announced that the death had been labeled a murder. Fire Captain Dough Robertson’s report of “two blood stains” on Linda’s neck was also highlighted in this initial article on the attack.
At the time of her death, authorities determined that Linda had been strangled around 7:00 a.m. This indicates that her killer would have entered their upstairs apartment sometime after Eric had left for work. In hopes that a witness may come forward, Long Beach’s Independent Press-Telegram ran a set of advertisements offering a cash reward for information about Linda’s murder.
