Linda Slaten case: Decades-long search for Florida mom's killer ends with arrest of Joseph Clinton Mills, her son's childhood football coach - CBS News

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On Sept. 4, 1981, Jeff Slaten, 15 and his member Time, 12, were awakened by Lakeland, Florida, constabulary and told their mother, Linda Slaten, had been murdered. Investigators collected a rape kit and lifted a thenar people from the windowsill wherever the slayer had entered. They questioned a slew of suspects, but nary 1 was charged, and the lawsuit went cold.

Prior to and aft Linda Slaten's murder, Tim's shot coach, Joe Mills, would regularly thrust Tim to and from shot practice. Coach Joe became a relation exemplary for the young boy, who proudly hung up his shot squad photograph successful his country wherever Mills stood close down him.

Linda's sons spent decades surviving successful fearfulness of the antheral they called "the Monster." Nearly 40 years later, advances successful DNA exertion revealed Linda Slaten's apt killer: Coach Joe.

"I looked up to this guy," Tim tells "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod. "And I had a representation successful my location ever since then, and ne'er knew it was him."

"He's a cold-hearted monster, that's for sure," says Jeff.

SEPTEMBER 4, 1981

Jim Axelrod: On the greeting of September 4th, 1981 … you're going to locomotion 3 doors down —

Judy Butler: Mm-hmm.

Jim Axelrod: — and person a cupful of java with your sister.

Judy Butler: Right.

When Judy Butler knocked connected her older sister's beforehand door, Linda Slaten ne'er answered. At the time, the sisters some lived successful a Lakeland flat complex.

Jim Axelrod: So, you started to locomotion backmost to your place, and what happened?

Judy Butler: And I turn, and I spot that the surface is retired of the window.

Linda's chamber model was wide open. Judy walked implicit and looked inside.

Judy Butler: And my imaginativeness comes crossed her.

Jim Axelrod: Where was she?

Judy Butler: She was laying … alternatively of up and down connected the bed, she was laying crossways. … And astatine first, I thought possibly she was asleep. … And then, then, I conscionable started screaming.

When constabulary arrived, they recovered the partially nude assemblage of Linda Slaten, 31, with a ligament overgarment hanger wrapped astir her neck. The slayer had entered her chamber done the unfastened window.

The crackle of constabulary radios wrong the tiny two-bedroom flat woke up Linda's 15-year-old son, Jeff, who was sleeping connected a cot successful the surviving room.

Jeff Slaten: I asked, "What is goin' on?" He said, "Police officers. … Put connected immoderate apparel and spell outside." And helium made definite I went retired the beforehand door."

Jeff Slaten: And erstwhile I went retired there, it looked similar each bull successful the authorities of Florida … quality crews, and my Aunt Judy was retired determination crying, and she told maine my ma been murdered (cries). And I conscionable couldn't judge it.

In the apartment's 2nd bedroom, different serviceman woke up Linda's younger son, Tim, past 12 years old.

Tim Slaten: He goes, "You request to aftermath up and spell extracurricular with your brother." He ne'er mentioned my mom. I'm like, "why's helium not saying my mom? And why's a bull waking maine up?"

Still successful his pajamas, Tim walked past his mother's closed chamber door. Suddenly, it swung open, arsenic an serviceman near the room.

Tim Slaten: And I saw the full transgression scene. … I mean, I saw my mom's bloody assemblage with a overgarment hanger astir her cervix (cries).

Jim Axelrod: You can't unsee that.

Tim Slaten (very emotional): No. … And I inactive spot it.

1974 | SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE MURDER

In 1974, Linda Slaten was a 24-year-old azygous ma — yet free. She had conscionable divorced Jeff and Tim's abusive father, Frank Slaten, aft 9 volatile years of marriage.

Jeff Slaten: He was a convulsive alcoholic to beryllium honorable with you.

Tim Slaten: Yes.

Jim Axelrod: Did helium deed your mom?

Jeff Slaten: Oh, yeah.

Tim Slaten: Yes.

In the years that followed, thing was casual for the young family. Linda struggled for work, made her ain apparel to prevention money, and couldn't spend a car.

Jim Axelrod: If you couldn't get a thrust to practice, who would instrumentality you?

Tim Slaten: Coach travel prime america up.

That's "Coach Joe," arsenic the kids called him. He often drove Tim and immoderate different boys to and from shot practice.

SEPTEMBER 3, 1981 | LINDA SLATEN'S FINAL HOURS

On the past afloat time of her life, Linda and Jeff argued. Tensions had been rising with her teenage son.

Jeff Slaten: I retrieve coming home, determination was thing to devour successful the house. … You cognize however it is erstwhile you're a 15, 16-year-old kid, you're mouthy and …

Jeff Slaten: I got mad, and I went retired the doorway and got connected my bicycle and roadworthy 11 oregon 12 miles to the northside of municipality … to spell to my grandma and grandpa's location to get somethin' to eat.

At 8:30 that night, Tim came location from shot practice.

Tim Slaten: The manager brought maine home.

Around 9 p.m., Linda took Tim to a enactment adjacent doorway to play cards.

Jeff Slaten: Grandma and grandpa brought maine location by, I deliberation it was astir 9 — 9 oregon 9:30 oregon so.

Linda and Tim came location astir 11. By midnight, Jeff made up with his mom, helium says, and inactive remembers their last infinitesimal together.

Jeff Slaten: She's washin' the dishes and stuff. When she went to spell to her chamber and … I said, "I emotion you, Mom. I'll spot you tomorrow," you know.

Jim Axelrod: What bash you retrieve astir the Slaten case?

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: I could retrieve everything astir it. Goin' to that model and lookin' astatine it, wherever helium went done it. … Then I went successful determination and the children was asleep. And I saw that overgarment hanger astir her neck.

Former Sergeant Edgar Pickett, present 94 years old, was a legendary fingerprint adept with the Lakeland Police Department. He led the transgression country unit. In fact, the transgression laboratory bears his name. But that benignant of designation was a agelong clip coming.

Arriving astatine the Slaten transgression country successful 1981, Pickett, past 53, was conscionable a twelvemonth distant from retirement. But his hard-earned estimation had ne'er spared him from prejudice.

Jim Axelrod: So, you propulsion up astatine the scene, and different detective says what to you?

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: That "A Black antheral don't person immoderate concern lookin' astatine a bare achromatic woman."

Jim Axelrod: Even though she was a homicide victim?

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: That's correct.

Sergeant Pickett believed Linda Slaten had been strangled with a overgarment hanger from her ain closet. He dusted astir of the chamber for fingerprints, adjacent the floor.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: And past I got that people disconnected of that windowsill. … It was a thenar people … it wasn't a fingerprint.

Jim Axelrod: You got the astir important people determination is.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: I cognize it.

The grounds Pickett uncovered would play a important relation decades aboriginal — particularly the thenar print.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: I had truly had ne'er seen anybody successful the signifier that that woman was in. And I've seen a lotta radical killed.

An autopsy aboriginal confirmed what helium already knew: Linda Slaten had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Swabs taken and preserved successful a rape kit revealed semen. That morning, Pickett says, his thoughts kept returning to Linda Slaten's boys.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: I had children too. And I truly wanted to wide that case. I did.

Jim Axelrod: You guys are lasting connected the spot wherever your beingness changed.

Tim Slaten: Yes, close here.

Jeff Slaten: Yeah, erstwhile I stopped being a kid was close determination (pointing).

Jim Axelrod: You were 15.

Jeff Slaten: 15.

Jim Axelrod: You truly felt similar this was the extremity of your childhood, close here?

Jeff Slaten: Yes, sir. I deliberation this is precisely erstwhile it ended, erstwhile my Aunt Judy told maine my ma had been murdered.

Emerging done the panic and tears that September greeting 41 years ago, the questions kept coming. Why? Who? Who could person done specified an evil thing?

SEPTEMBER 4, 1981 | HOURS AFTER THE MURDER

On that late-summer greeting successful 1981, Jeff and Tim Slaten faced a frightening satellite they nary longer recognized, a satellite without their mother.

Jim Axelrod: How bash 12 and 15-year-old boys process that, woody with that?

Tim Slaten: It was hard.

Jeff Slaten: Yeah. I thought astir committin' termination a mates times (cries). It was that bad.

The brothers moved successful with their grandparents, Clarence and Margaret Harris.

Tim Slaten: We just, we stayed successful the house. We didn't spell anywhere.

Jeff Slaten: Scared to death.

Tim Slaten: Scared to decease to bash anything.

For those archetypal terrifying days, the household slept successful the aforesaid country — but Grandpa Harris.

Tim Slaten: He would basal defender with a weapon each nighttime portion we slept.

The grandparents hoped a speedy instrumentality to acquainted routines would assistance their distraught grandsons. A fewer weeks aft their mom's funeral, the boys were backmost successful school.

Tim Slaten: And conscionable you know, being with friends and conscionable — conscionable started livin' beingness again, I guess. … You know, goin' backmost to football.

His teammates, and Coach Joe successful particular, were ever supportive, ever rooting for him, says Tim.

Tim Slaten: And I looked up to this guy. He was my adjunct shot coach. … Give maine rides to the games, rides to practice.

Football squad pic with Tim Slaten and Coach Joe

Tim's squad shot photograph hung successful his bedroom. It was taken conscionable 1 period aft the murder. The representation was a reminder, helium says, of thing his ma had taught him: to support moving guardant and ne'er springiness up.

Jim Axelrod: She was a fighter?

Tim Slaten: Yes. Oh, yes.

Jeff Slaten: She mighta lone weighed 100 pounds soakin' wet, but she was beauteous tough.

Judy Butler: Everybody liked her that met her. Everybody was asking her for a date. … Cause she was truthful young and pretty.

And past Linda met and joined Frank Slaten.

Judy Butler: He was a mean, no-count scoundrel.

The brothers accidental it's hard to cognize erstwhile their dada began to bushed their mom. The much helium drank, the much convulsive helium became.

Jeff Slaten: Yeah, I retrieve 1 clip I was successful the bathroom. He had her by the pharynx with a weapon to her caput and I was comin' determination tryin' to get him disconnected of her. … And I felt similar I had saved her that, you know, that night. That day.

Jim Axelrod: But you were conscionable a small feline yourself.

Jeff Slaten: Yeah, I was lone … 6-and-a-half, 7 years old.

Frank Slaten's past of maltreatment made him a idiosyncratic of involvement for Lakeland detectives. But investigators seemed satisfied that Slaten was location successful Alabama connected the nighttime of the murder. At the clip of her death, Linda had a boyfriend. He, too, had a credible alibi. Others were looked astatine — similar the partygoers adjacent doorway — but nary 1 was charged.

Jeff Slaten: The Lakeland Police Department … they utilized to travel down to instrumentality maine retired of schoolhouse and they was ever interrogating maine each the time.

Jim Axelrod: In the aboriginal days, it sounds similar who the constabulary truly were astir thorough successful checking retired —

Jeff Slaten (Jeff raises his hand): Was me.

As a 15-year-old, Jeff had plentifulness of emblematic teen conflicts with his mom, which helium readily admitted to detectives — including that heated statement connected the past time of her life.

Jeff Slaten: I cognize they had me, enactment maine connected a prevarication detector trial 1 time. … And I passed it. Then they wanted to bash it again. … They was wantin' to enactment maine nether hypnosis.

Jeff Slaten: And past there's 1 time, 1 of the cops … he's, similar … "You got large arms connected you. And you're beardown capable to enactment your hands astir your mom's cervix and termination her."

Jeff Slaten: Wha…who would bash that to a kid? I was a 15-year-old kid hurting, and accidental that to me? I mean, that's— that's ever hurt.

Finally, Jeff's grandparents said, "Enough."

Jeff Slaten: They's, like, "Get retired determination and find who killed my daughter. Leave this kid and permission this household alone."

Two weeks later, according to the Lakeland Police report, Jeff took a 2nd polygraph trial and was cleared. At that point, the probe slowed, past crushed to a halt.

As the years passed, Jeff and Tim started their ain families. But to this day, determination is inactive grief and guilt for not proceeding thing that nighttime — for not coming to their mom's rescue.

Jeff Slaten: I (would have) died that nighttime tryin' to prevention my mom. … I mean, we're close determination successful the house. How could you not perceive somethin' similar that?

And they lived successful fearfulness of the antheral they called, "The Monster." Unless helium was dead, helium was retired determination … somewhere.

Around the 20th day of their mom's murder, Jeff and Tim met with Lakeland Detective Brad Grice, who was taking a caller look astatine the case.

Det. Brad Grice: Soon arsenic Jeff and Tim walked successful the door, I realized I had known Jeff for years, since I was successful my twenties … done bowling.

Jeff Slaten: I was, like, "Brad." (laughs). … Sure enough, I knew him from bowlin' years ago.

Grice took DNA samples from the brothers to wide them again, past gave Jeff thing successful instrumentality — a promise.

Det. Brad Grice: He made maine committedness that I wouldn't discontinue until I solved his mother's case. And I wanted to truthful atrocious for him and his brother. I did.

Grice had already sent DNA from the Slaten rape kit to the state's large transgression laboratory astatine the Florida Department of Law Enforcement — the FDLE.

Jim Axelrod: Do you person immoderate assurance that you could lick it?

Det. Brad Grice: I was hopin' DNA would, you know? It was becomin' a large tool.

By March 1999, the FDLE had developed a afloat DNA illustration of Linda Slaten's anonymous killer.

Jim Axelrod: All you request is simply a DNA match.

Det. Brad Grice: A hit. … That's each I needed was a deed successful the database.

Detective Grice took dozens of DNA samples from anterior persons of interest, submitting them to the FDLE for comparison.

Det. Brad Grice: We were tryin' everything.

Even the brothers' father, Frank Slaten — who had stopped drinking — volunteered a sample. None matched.

Then successful September 2001, Grice got a tip. Nearly a twelvemonth aft the Slaten killing, a 24-year-old antheral named Jimmy Ulmer pulled a 10-year-old miss done her chamber model and astir killed her.

Det. Brad Grice: He was convicted of that and sentenced to, like, 80 years successful prison.

The savage battle seemed eerily akin to the Slaten case. And Detective Grice discovered that, astir the clip of Linda's Slaten's murder, Jimmy Ulmer had been staying with a person who happened to unrecorded successful the precise same apartment analyzable arsenic Slaten.

Jim Axelrod: Hang on. Jimmy Ulmer … was staying successful an flat close crossed the mode from the Slatens?

Det. Brad Grice: Yes.

Jim Axelrod: You must've felt similar that's our guy.

Det. Brad Grice: I felt precise strong. I did.

Ulmer had died successful situation 5 years earlier successful 1996. But Grice got a DNA illustration from his mother.

Det. Brad Grice: I honestly felt that erstwhile we got the results backmost that we would cognize who did it. Then we get the announcement that it wasn't him.

Jim Axelrod: At that point, you must've been, like, "We're ne'er gonna lick this thing."

Det. Brad Grice: It definite felt that way. It was precise discouraging.

Jeff Slaten: You cognize it's like, "Oh my God, we're backmost to quadrate 1 again."

Tim Slaten: It felt similar you was connected a rollercoaster for beauteous overmuch your full life.

By 2005, 24 years aft the murder, Detective Grice was heading up a caller acold lawsuit unit. And the FBI was moving the DNA illustration of Slaten's slayer continuously done each national databanks. But the years continued to walk without a match.

Det. Brad Grice: Jeff would call. And "Jeff, I — I got nothin' for ya," you know? … It wounded my bosom too, you know?

Grice had a increasing suspicion helium was chasing a ghost.

Det. Brad Grice: I honestly thought the fishy mightiness beryllium deceased.

He had made that committedness to the brothers that helium wouldn't discontinue until their monster was caught.

Det. Brad Grice: I had immoderate aesculapian things that were poppin' up.

It was a committedness helium couldn't keep. Detective Grice retired successful 2015.

Jim Axelrod: There was astir apt thing successful your nonrecreational beingness you wanted much than to telephone Jeff Slaten and say, "Got him."

Det. Brad Grice: Absolutely.

Jeff Slaten: After Detective Brad Grice retired, I'm like, I said, "Well, I'll astir apt instrumentality my past enactment and not cognize who murdered my mom." I was already starting to travel to presumption with it.

But 3 years later, determination was renewed hope. A groundbreaking DNA exertion began to electrify the instrumentality enforcement community. And Genetic Genealogist CeCe Moore was taking connected the Slaten case.

CeCe Moore: I was determined I was going to assistance these boys find retired who killed their mom.

JUNE 2019 | 38 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER

CeCe Moore is simply a renowned adept successful the tract of investigative familial genealogy.

CeCe Moore: If you person that DNA determination is nary crushed you cannot lick that mystery, immoderate that enigma is.

Moore launched her hunt for Linda Slaten's slayer by uploading the anonymous DNA from Slaten's rape kit to a nationalist genealogy website called GEDMatch. She past meticulously constructed — subdivision by subdivision — his familial household tree.

CeCe Moore: I built the household trees of those radical who shared DNA with him. And past I place communal ancestors betwixt those people.

She made those connections by poring implicit commencement certificates, matrimony licenses, obituaries and societal media to capable successful the household histrion with names.

Jim Axelrod: It sounds similar fundamentally you're putting unneurotic a elephantine jigsaw puzzle.

CeCe Moore: Yes. My enactment is perpetually putting unneurotic puzzles. Piece by portion by piece.

CeCe Moore (referring to conception of household tree): These matches each stock DNA with each other. So, they're my archetypal familial network.

CeCe Moore uncovered 3 familial networks — branches of the killer's household histrion that yet narrowed to the one idiosyncratic astir apt liable for the execution of Linda Slaten.

CeCe Moore: Fortunately, those 3 familial networks converged into 1 household histrion that pointed astatine 1 contiguous family. And helium was the lone lad successful that family. And we knew the slayer was a male. So, it had to beryllium him that was the DNA contributor.

After hundreds of leads and dormant ends, aft dozens of suspects were investigated and cleared, CeCe Moore identified the probable slayer successful 1 weekend.

CeCe Moore: There was conscionable 1 idiosyncratic who was precocious confidence.

Jim Axelrod: And who was that?

CeCe Moore: Joseph Clinton Mills.

Joseph Clinton Mills — Coach Joe — who drove Linda Slaten's 12-year-old son, Tim, to and from practice. But authorities wanted to beryllium definite earlier they notified the brothers.

CeCe Moore: And past determination is benignant of exhilaration due to the fact that he's alive. … And truthful there's a existent accidental for justness and possibly adjacent answers.

CeCe Moore's last 2019 study confirmed that Joseph Mills, past 58, was surviving successful Kathleen, Florida, astir fractional an hr from the transgression scene.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: I reviewed the case, and … I'm like, "I retrieve that name." … I retrieve seeing that name. That — that feline was interviewed."

Detectives Tammy Hathcock and Russell Hurley were the adjacent procreation of Lakeland investigators starring the Slaten acold case.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: I'm telling you, it's similar I won the lottery. I retrieve grabbing that portion of insubstantial from the study and conscionable moving down the hallway to my sergeant saying, "Oh, my God helium was interviewed! He was interviewed!"

According to the lawsuit file, investigators did question Joseph Mills, past 20 years old, conscionable 1 time aft the murder.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: He was precise fundamentally touched. I mean similar conscionable a precise little interview.

And it was conducted connected the phone, not successful person.

The information that investigators ne'er questioned Mills look to look suggests helium was ne'er considered a suspect. During the little call, Mills acknowledged helium had driven Tim Slaten location from shot signifier connected September 3. Just hours later, Linda Slaten was dead.

Jim Axelrod: How was Joseph Mills not followed up connected much aggressively successful 1981?

Det. Tammy Hathcock: At that point, I mean helium was conscionable a shot manager that had dropped disconnected Timmy. … He was ne'er connected their radar to … beryllium a fishy conscionable based disconnected of the accusation that they were fixed by Timmy and by Mr. Mills.

Joseph Mills was convicted successful 1984 of expansive theft for forging a will. He ne'er went to jail, but helium was fingerprinted. Lakeland constabulary besides took a thenar print. In August 2019, investigators compared those prints to the thenar people Sergeant Pickett lifted disconnected Slaten's windowsill astir 38 years before.

Jim Axelrod: When the prints came back, determination was a match?

Det. Russell Hurley: Yes.

High-tech familial genealogy had identified Mills arsenic the apt killer, and an old-fashioned thenar people lucifer helped corroborate his identity. But Hathcock and Hurley inactive needed to comparison a caller DNA illustration from Mills to the decades-old DNA recovered from the transgression scene.

Det. Russell Hurley: 'Cause we had to get his DNA without his cognition and spot if we tin get a match. …We had to bash immoderate surveillance.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: It was respective weekends that we were pursuing him astir …

Det. Tammy Hathcock: … trying to get discarded DNA.

Jim Axelrod: Just looking for a cupful that helium drank from oregon a insubstantial that helium used.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: Anything.

After tracking Mills with nary luck, the detectives decided it was clip to get their hands dirty. They covertly took Mills' trash backmost to the constabulary department

Det. Tammy Hathcock: Here we are successful formal apparel conscionable digging done trash bags. … Not the astir glamorous thing.

They discovered a portion of utilized aesculapian adhesive portion and sent it disconnected to the FDLE transgression laboratory for testing. After searching Mills' trash, they dug done his life.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: He's been joined to the aforesaid woman. And helium lived successful the aforesaid place.

Det. Russell Hurley: He was a concern proprietor … a cleaning service.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: …he was a motortruck operator implicit the years.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: He had a family.

Jim Axelrod: Married, kids

Det. Tammy Hathcock: Married, kids, grandkids.

Eleven days later, the stunning laboratory results: Joseph Mills' 2019 DNA recovered connected the aesculapian portion and the 1981 chartless DNA from Linda Slaten's rape kit were a spot-on match. That's erstwhile the brothers were told the monster had been found.

Jim Axelrod: This feline you past knew arsenic Coach Joe, ohio my goodness, it was him.

Tim Slaten: And I had a representation successful my location ever since then, and ne'er knew it was him.

Tim's 1981 squad shot photo, a root of pridefulness for years, sickens him today. Because lasting straight down him is the antheral helium erstwhile trusted and admired. Coach Joe.

Tim Slaten: I've been carrying the killer's representation successful my location this full clip and ne'er had a clue.

Even aft the murder, Joseph Mills continued driving Tim to and from shot signifier — picking him up and dropping him disconnected astatine his grandparents' house.

Tim Slaten: He'd inquire america however the lawsuit was goin'. … He wouldn't inquire questions astir it. He just, "Well, immoderate caller quality oregon immoderate caller leads?" And I was, like, "No, nothing." You know.

Jim Axelrod: He's talkin' to a 12-year-old lad and tryin' to support tabs connected a execution probe done the lad of the murdered woman?

Jeff Slaten: Yeah.

Tim Slaten: Yes.

Jim Axelrod: When helium knows precisely who did it.

Jeff Slaten: He's a cold-hearted monster, that's for sure.

On Dec 12, 2019, the detectives moved in, arresting Joseph Mills.

DET. TAMMY HATHCOCK (sitting adjacent to Mills successful backseat of constabulary car): You person the close to stay silent. Anything you accidental tin beryllium utilized against you successful a tribunal of instrumentality …

Det. Russell Hurley: He was calm, cool, and collected similar it was different time connected the beach. … Most people's absorption would be, "Why americium I bein' arrested?"

Jim Axelrod: "Why are you takin' maine in?" You expected immoderate of that?

Det. Tammy Hathcock: Right, immoderate benignant of emotion, and nothing.

DECEMBER 2019 | 38 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER

DET. RUSSELL HURLEY (police interview): It's been 38 years, and I'm definite you spell to furniture each nighttime reasoning astir this. I person nary uncertainty successful my mind.

Detectives Hathcock and Hurley yet had Joseph Mills close wherever they wanted him — successful the claustrophobic confines of a constabulary interrogation room.

JOSEPH MILLS (police interview): When I picked the boys up, we — we — we stayed successful the vehicle. And I don't callback going to, successful oregon retired of the house, period.

Det. Tammy Hathcock: There's nary mode that is the truth. I mean, he's saying he's ne'er been successful there. … We got him.

DET. TAMMY HATHCOCK (police interview): What we person tells america a antithetic story. OK. You were successful that apartment.

Ratcheting up the pressure, the detectives told Mills they had overwhelming grounds placing him wrong Linda Slaten's bedroom.

DET. TAMMY HATHCOCK (police interview): Your fingerprints matches you, the DNA matches you.

That's erstwhile Mills' communicative began to change.

DET. RUSSELL HURLEY: And past however did you extremity up crawling done her window?

JOSEPH MILLS: It was similar an invitation.

An invitation from Linda Slaten, Mills claimed, for consensual enactment — a flat-out lie, accidental the detectives.

Det. Russell Hurley: He said it was a enactment game, that she had the hanger astir her cervix erstwhile helium came done the model and she asked him to tighten it down.

DET. RUSSELL HURLEY: And past did you … commencement applying pressure?

JOSEPH MILLS: Yes.

Det. Russell Hurley: And erstwhile I pointed retired good the brutality of the hanger and however heavy it was into her tegument helium stuck with the "It was a game."

DET. RUSSELL HURLEY (to Mills): You purposely killed her. We're each sittin' here, we cognize that.

Jim Axelrod: At the extremity of the time what happened here?

Det. Russell Hurley: I deliberation it's beauteous evident that helium targeted her.

After dropping disconnected Tim from shot signifier connected Sept. 3, 1981, Joseph Mills returned aboriginal that night, the detectives say, breaking successful done Linda Slaten's chamber window. No 1 heard Mills, they believe, due to the fact that nary 1 was home. Jeff was inactive astatine his grandparents' house; Linda and Tim were astatine the enactment adjacent door.

Det. Russell Hurley: If you look astatine the transgression country and each that — the hanger evidently came from the closet. … We figured that's what happened … is helium was hiding successful the closet.

DET. RUSSELL HURLEY: Were you ever successful the closet?

JOSEPH MILLS (long pause): No sir.

In the last moments of her life, the detectives judge that Linda, aft saying goodnight to her sons, walked into her chamber and closed the doorway — ne'er knowing that Mills was already wrong waiting for her. There was nary invitation, nary consensual sex, they say. Joseph Mills raped and murdered Linda Slaten.

Detective Brad Grice ever suspected the killer's sanction was buried determination successful the heavy constabulary lawsuit file.

Jim Axelrod: Why bash you consciousness that the probe didn't ellipse backmost to Joseph Mills?

Det. Brad Grice: Well, obviously, I enactment a lotta that connected maine now.

Jim Axelrod: You do?

Det. Brad Grice: I do.

Grice blames himself for not taking a harder look astatine Joseph Mills — a sentiment not shared by the Slaten brothers. They consciousness thing but gratitude to the detective and person who spent 17 years chasing the elusive killer.

Jeff Slaten: I could archer however — however hard helium wanted to lick it.

Jeff Slaten: And I really named my lad aft him. My son's named Brad, too.

Det. Brad Grice: Jeff enactment a small unit connected maine implicit the years, you know, helium did. You can't discontinue until you lick this case, and past helium named his lad aft me.

Det. Brad Grice: And honestly, I conscionable wanted to lick this lawsuit for them much than anything.

So did this erstwhile researcher — 94-year-old Edgar Pickett. The brothers had ever wanted to conscionable him.

Jeff Slaten: So, I wanna convey you for each you did for our mama backmost then. … If you hadn't of done it, this monster would inactive beryllium moving escaped today.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: Sure would, huh?

Jeff and Tim Slaten conscionable Sgt. Pickett.

It is poignant praise for Sergeant Pickett, who lifted the thenar people that helped place the monster, Joseph Mills.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: That's the lawsuit I tin ne'er forget.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett (pointing to his head): It's up here, I can't get escaped of it.

During his distinguished and trailblazing 29-year career, Sergeant Pickett had seen it all. And yet, it's the Linda Slaten lawsuit that haunts him to this day. He ne'er knew constabulary had questioned a antheral named Joseph Mills conscionable 1 day after the killing.

Jim Axelrod: You didn't cognize for 38 years that helium was talked to instantly afterward?

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: No, I didn't.

Instead, Pickett says helium was asked to comparison prints of a fig of achromatic men who were questioned successful the days aft the execution pursuing neighbors' reports of suspicious activity.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: They kept pickin' up a lotta Blacks. And they was fixed maine their prints for maine to look astatine theirs.

It not conscionable haunts, but angers Pickett: Black men were rounded up and fingerprinted, portion the White shot manager — driving Linda's son to and from signifier — was never considered a suspect.

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: They conscionable talked to him and fto him go.

Jim Axelrod: You're telling maine this lawsuit … could've been solved successful the archetypal days aft the murder…if they had conscionable taken a people from Joseph Mills?

Sgt. Edgar Pickett: That's correct.

Jim Axelrod: There's a batch of radical who came earlier you. I get it. … But you got a thenar people successful the windowsill astir immediately. … Wouldn't you conscionable get immoderate prints from the guy, anybody who had been adjacent the location successful the 24 hours anterior to the murder?

Det. Russell Hurley: There was nary denotation that helium had been successful the house. I mean, each the witnesses said that helium dropped the kid disconnected from signifier and ne'er got retired of the truck, truthful … The lone crushed wherefore helium was spoke to was because, erstwhile they backtrack connected the erstwhile 24 hours, helium was successful that equation

Jim Axelrod: You don't consciousness similar helium slipped done the net?

Det. Tammy Hathcock: No.

Det. Russell Hurley: No.

Joseph Mills' time of reckoning would yet travel 40 years later.

Jeff Slaten: He's got cold, black, murderin' eyes, this Joseph Clinton Mills. He conscionable beryllium there. … Not a word…

FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | 41 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER

Tim Slaten: Our ma was a bully person. He took that distant from us.

To debar a proceedings and a imaginable decease sentence, Joseph Mills pleaded blameworthy to each charges — including first-degree murder, intersexual artillery and burglary. At his sentencing, what Linda Slaten's household wanted astir was the answer to 1 question.

JEFF SLATEN (yelling astatine Mills successful court): Why? I conscionable privation to cognize why, Joe? Why'd you instrumentality my mama from me? I loved my mama. We was happy.

Tim Slaten: My humor would commencement boilin' each clip I look astatine him.

The brothers, and Aunt Judy, tried to look him successful the eye.

Judy Butler: To spot if determination was immoderate quality being successful there, to spot if helium was alive, to spot if helium had a soul. Never saw it.

His soundlessness infuriated the family. And a fewer minutes later, truthful did his comments to the court.

JOSEPH MILLS (in court): I americium a bully person. I'm not that idiosyncratic that they're coating maine retired to beryllium ...

CeCe Moore: I deliberation this lawsuit made maine the angriest retired of the hundreds of cases I've been progressive successful due to the fact that what helium did with her children there. … And past the things helium said astir her.

Jim Axelrod: That she lured him in.

CeCe Moore: Even each these years aboriginal helium was consenting to effort to marque her look bad, to denigrate the victim, and her boys person to perceive that. It's conscionable sickening.

JUDGE: I volition condemnation you to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole …

And conscionable similar that, Joseph Clinton Mills was gone — facing 4 beingness presumption and finally, a measurement of justice.

Jim Axelrod: Maybe not afloat justness successful your view.

Tim Slaten: It's not afloat justice, by nary means.

Tim Slaten: I wanted him to spell to trial. … I wanted to spot him up connected the basal and archer everybody wherefore helium did this, and helium ne'er did that.

The Slaten brothers consciousness some comfort knowing Joseph Mills volition ne'er permission situation alive. But there's inactive anger, they say, due to the fact that Mills ne'er took afloat work for the premeditated rape and execution of their mother. He ne'er apologized. And determination were each those years of freedom.

Tim Slaten: He lived his full life. He raised his family. You know, helium had a bully life.

It's the brothers who consciousness they were handed the acold much terrible sentence: life without the anticipation of increasing up with their mom.

Jeff Slaten: She'd inactive beryllium present today. She'd lone beryllium 72, you know? Coulda had her my full life.

Jeff Slaten: I conscionable wonderment what beingness could person been similar to person her.

Jim Axelrod: Any portion of you erstwhile you deliberation astir each of this … astatine each aggravated with the mode the constabulary handled it, that it took this agelong to get Joseph Mills?

Tim Slaten: You could look astatine it that way. I cognize it's a lotta hard enactment down the scenes that radical don't spot that goes on. You know, what they do, the hours upon hours they enactment in. I mean, you could get mad, but lone truthful overmuch could beryllium done successful a day.

CeCe Moore: We beryllium a immense indebtedness of gratitude to those archetypal transgression country investigators. Because astatine the clip this transgression was committed, they didn't adjacent cognize DNA was going to beryllium utilized successful transgression investigations. … And truthful the information they collected that and past it was stored responsibly and cautiously each these years by that section is truthful important. If that hadn't happened, we couldn't person done our work.

Jeff and Tim accidental they're determined to determination connected arsenic champion they can, to unrecorded beingness good for their ma and for their families.

The brothers besides cognize they ne'er would person survived their ordeal without each other. They stay highly close, unrecorded conscionable a fewer miles apart, and stock passionate hobbies, similar restoring cars.

Jim Axelrod: You springiness the recognition for surviving this beingness to the tone of your mom?

Tim Slaten: Yes.

Jeff Slaten: Most definitely.

Jeff Slaten: My mom, she's looking down connected america and would privation america to unrecorded our lives and bash good. You know. … And I ever deliberation she's looking down connected us. I privation to marque her proud.

Tim Slaten: Yes.

Jeff Slaten: Want to marque her proud.

Tim Slaten: Yes.

The Slaten brothers sojourn their mother's sedate unneurotic often.

Jeff burns a candle adjacent to a representation of his parent each twelvemonth connected the day of her death.

Produced by Mead Stone. Gabriella Demirdjian is the tract producer. Marc Goldbaum and Sara Ely Hulse are the improvement producers. Nancy Bautista is the broadcast associate. Mead Stone, Greg Kaplan and Grayce Arlotta-Berner are the editors. Peter Schweitzer is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.