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// COLD CASES · 1 MIN READ

Police identify victim of 1969 Oakland killing as Joanne Yvonne Burdick

A relative's DNA sample confirmed the identity of the 16-year-old girl, Oakland police announced on October 1. The homicide investigation remains active.

THE DECODER NEWSROOM PUBLISHED 3 NOVEMBER 2026 · UPDATED 4 NOVEMBER 2026
Joanne Yvonne Burdick at age 13 in a photograph released by the Oakland Police Department.Joanne Yvonne Burdick · FILE PHOTO
Joanne Yvonne Burdick at age 13. Oakland police released the photograph while announcing her identification in 2026.Photo: Oakland Police Department, via CBS San Francisco
Development
1 October 2026
Coverage
Cold-case development
Current status
Investigation updated
Source record
2 verified sources
Detailed case report · Facts are attributed to the linked court, agency and reporting records. Allegations remain allegations unless a court has returned a verdict.

Victim identified

Oakland police identified a teenage girl killed in a city hotel in 1969 as Joanne Yvonne Burdick, the department announced on October 1.

Burdick, known to her family as Joanie, was 16 when she died. FBI investigators located a living relative who provided a DNA sample that confirmed her identity, according to the police release. [1]

Hotel homicide investigation

Officers found Burdick at the former Hotel St. Louis on October 2, 1969. Investigators determined that she had been strangled. She had no identification, and police were unable to establish her name at the time.

Witnesses and hotel staff reported seeing her enter a room with a man who left before officers arrived. The original investigation identified Taylor Morris Teaford as a potential suspect, police said. [1]

Police continue reviewing evidence

According to KTVU FOX 2, investigators are trying to determine what happened to Teaford and whether he is still alive. The station reported that the DNA investigation led to Burdick's brother and that her family had reported her missing.

Oakland police said detectives continue to review evidence and pursue leads. The department credited cooperation with the FBI and Alameda County Coroner's Office and asked anyone with information to contact its Homicide Section or tip line. [1] [2]

Sources & further reading

  1. For Immediate Release: 10/1/2026 — OPD Announces Breakthrough in Decades-Old Cold Case ↗Oakland Police Department, official Nextdoor release · 2026-10-01 · Primary source
  2. Oakland police, FBI identify teen girl killed in 1969 cold case with help of DNA ↗KTVU FOX 2 · 2026-10-01
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