For the second time this year, residents of Evanston, Illinois are shaking their heads over a killing in our town. In June, a couple of angry young men fought in a bar and one got shot to death. The murder of 43-year old Linda Twyman is much more disturbing to settled, middle-aged people like me - she was stabbed to death in her own apartment. For my wife and me, this was also a blow close to home - Linda is our neighbor and we knew her personally.
Linda was a kind-hearted single mom that struggled to pay the rent and raise her daughter. She wasn't a rich person - Linda didn't own a car when we knew her. She sent her daughter (now 20 years old)to the local Catholic school even though she didn't have much money for tuition. Her ex-husband moved to Oregon, so she was really on her own as a single parent. She loved to travel and became a travel agent in order to incorporate that passion into her work life. Linda was a lovely, "normal" person who worked hard to have a decent life. She was always on the early train to her job in downtown Chicago. She had a smile for everyone she met. Her boyfriend is serving in the National Guard, currently posted to a base in Wisconsin.
The Evanston Police haven't announced any suspects. It may be an act of random violence - quite unsettling for all of us in the neighborhood (Linda's apartment is a five-minute walk from my house; my wife is opening her art gallery around the corner from Linda's building). So the tragedy is increased by this feeling of fear and uncertainty - what type of evil beasts would do this and where are they now?
Linda had many friends in this community. She is mourned, and we are wary of strangers now.
Still waiting for a real suspect to be found.. just wanted to make one note though, Linda's daughter attended the public school here until she moved to Oregon. She didn't go to Catholic school, at least not in middle or high school.
ReplyDeleteWhen I knew Linda, her daughter was in elementary school, and I am pretty sure she was in Catholic school.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the Evanston Police Dept. is doing to pursue this case? It is weird that nothing has broken yet.
WE still think about Linda all the time.
According to James Twyman's book Barn Dance, the police contacted the family 3 1/2 yrs after Linda's death about a suspect in custody who admitted to the murder. Also in his book, Mr. Twyman never mentioned that Linda was involved with the Master Sergeant.
ReplyDeleteI'm attending a spiritual class in which we'll be communicating with Mr. Twyman via Skype about his book and his experience of seeing Linda in the spiritual form.
Have you read this book?
Linda was in a relationship with David Bakke. She had a very strained relationship with Jim Twyman who refused to pay child support or grant her a divorce for years. More basic, she couldn't stand Jim Twyman but kept this amicable from a distance for Angela. I know this first hand, as I had numerous heart to heart conversations with Linda directly. She and my wife Gina were best friends for years and when Linda was murdered.
DeleteI firmly believe Jim Twyman had a hand in her death.
Her husband Jim Twyman never paid support for their daughter ... Linda complained about it all the time, particularly given his large income. Further, he wouldn't give her a divorce and was worried about what he would have to pay her after publishing of his book, so she communicated to me.
ReplyDeleteThis all around the time of her murder ...I will always believe he was involved. He's a psychopath!