'Crew Cut Killer': Oakland teen girl killed in 1969 cold case identified, suspect named
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland police announced Thursday that a teenage girl found strangled inside a downtown Oakland hotel in 1969 has been identified as 16-year-old Joann Yvonne Burdick, known to her family as Joanie.
But identifying the victim leaves another mystery unsolved: Who killed her?
Police have identified Taylor Morris Teaford, a former FBI 10 Most Wanted Fugitive known colloquially as the "Crew Cut Killer," as a potential suspect in her murder. Investigators say that's about all they know.
"We don't have an actual answer as to where he's at right now or if he's even still alive," Oakland Police Chief James Beere said.
Burdick was found dead inside a room at the St. Louis Hotel on the 500 block of 7th Street on Oct. 2, 1969.
An autopsy determined she had been strangled. Toxicology testing found no alcohol or drugs in her system.
She had no identification, and despite years of investigation, police could not determine who she was.
MORE: Father of Polly Klaas still grieving 33 years after Petaluma 12-year-old's abduction and murder
"For decades, her family lacked the answers they deserved about what happened," Beere said.
Photos released by police show Burdick at ages 11 and 13. She was just 16 when she was killed.
The FBI's San Francisco Field Office joined the renewed investigation in 2020, bringing modern forensic analysis and genealogical expertise to evidence collected decades earlier.
Investigative genetic genealogy eventually led investigators to Burdick's brother, who voluntarily provided a DNA sample. That sample allowed investigators to confirm the unidentified victim was his sister.
"Modern forensic tools made it possible to revisit evidence that could not be fully analyzed decades ago," FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble said.
"No matter how much time has passed, victims are not forgotten," Schelble said.
With one mystery solved, investigators are still working on another.
MORE: Former husband arrested in Big Bear Lake cold case after DNA identifies remains
Police say Teaford had a significant criminal history. He was once one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and was also suspected in the killing of his grandmother and the shooting of his sister, according to Beere.
Police are now working with other law enforcement agencies and say additional searches and technology could help determine what happened to Teaford.
Investigators also aren't ruling out whether he could be connected to other cold cases.
"We're still looking at all of our cold cases, whether they're homicides or missing persons cases," Beere said.
Friday marks exactly 57 years since Burdick was killed.
Police now know who the teenage girl found dead inside that Oakland hotel room was. The investigation into who killed her remains open.
"Regardless if this happened 57 years ago or it happened two months ago, we're still keeping hope alive," Beere said. "We're going to continue to search for your loved ones, and our investigations won't stop."
