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Cold Case Revisited: 40 Years Since Rousseau's Murder

By Caroline Lowe, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As Caroline Lowe prepares to start a new adventure at KSBY in California, she's spending the next couple of weeks revisiting cold cases she's profiled over the past several decades as a crime reporter for WCCO.

Lowe keeps a wall of photos of the victims next to her desk so she'll never forget them. When she clears out her desk for the last time, Lowe said she'll put the photos in an album to take with her to California.

Many of the victims' relatives have contacted her in recent days and before she departs, Lowe will be sharing their stories.

Next month will mark a painful anniversary for the family of Linda Rousseau of St. Paul. It'll be 40 years since Rousseau was murdered.

She was just 19 years old when she left her family's home to buy some fast food in the Midway area of the city. She never returned. About three months later, her remains were found in a shallow grave off Mississippi River Boulevard  in Hidden Falls Park.

"Every year we have thought about her," said her sister, Judy DePaul, who spoke with Lowe on Thursday.

Linda's sister and brother, Terry Rousseau, have never given up finding the killer. They have revisited the crime scene and done a lot of digging, trying to gets answers.

"We couldn't forget. We went down to the police station. They let us go through their files and we did a lot of work," said DePaul.

The siblings persistence got the St. Paul Police homicide office to reopen the case and take a fresh look when WCCO profiled it in 2007. But four years later, police say they still have no suspect and desperately need more information to help solve the case.

Rousseau's family hopes spotlighting her unsolved murder four decades later may finally bring some answers.

"Everyone says there is closure. I don't think there is closure ever, when someone's been murdered. A loved one. But it would sure help us to move on, know what happened. To know who did it and why," said DuPaul.

Anyone who has information of Rousseau's murder should call St. Paul Police homicide investigators at 651-291-1111.

Caroline Lowe's Original Report

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