Linda Hewitt was 28 when she was murdered on April 17, 1978, in a residence where she worked as a housekeeper and babysitter. Two young children she was caring for went to a neighbor and reported that something was wrong; investigators then found Linda’s body in the living room, tied with drapery cords, raped and fatally stabbed, with a pool of blood at the scene. Her nine-month-old son was unharmed but covered in blood and crying nearby.

The perpetrator was identified as 24-year-old ex-Marine Billy Lee Chadd. He was arrested shortly after the killing and confessed, describing the sexual assault and threats made against the infant to force compliance. The confession and evidence tied him to multiple violent crimes; he was convicted of first-degree murder and received life imprisonment.

What did neighbors or the children who sought help observe that day, and can anyone with memories of the neighborhood from April 1978 add details that might clarify the sequence of events?