‘Long overdue justice’: West Linn Police Department identifies suspect in 1978 murder case

Published 2:22 pm Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Through investigation and modern technology, the West Linn Police Department closed a 46-year-old cold case on Tuesday, July 1. 

In December 1978, 20-year-old Diane Kuhn was murdered in West Linn and, for more than 40 years, the case remained unsolved. 

However, through reassessment of the case details and evidence, WLPD Detective Sergeant Todd Gradwahl and property and evidence technician Nicole Hedley recently identified a suspect. 

“A critical piece of evidence that had not been previously tested was discovered and submitted to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab by Hedley, which proved instrumental in advancing the case and ultimately led to key breakthroughs. Through DNA, a previously identified person of interest was confirmed to be the suspect in the homicide,” the department said in a press release. 

The suspect is David Lawrence Atkeson, who died in February 1989.

Advancements in forensic DNA analyses have made it possible to reevaluate closed cases, including those that go back close to 50 years. The cold case was forwarded to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office. According to the release, the office  said it “strongly believes”  that, if Atkeson was alive today, “he would be indicted, tried and subsequently convicted” for the sexual assault and aggravated murder of Kuhn.

“This case serves as a powerful example of how persistence, teamwork, and modern investigative methods can breathe new life into old cases and deliver long-overdue justice,” the department said in the release. 

The department did not respond to requests for further comment.