Murder in the Fox Valley - The True Story of Serial Killer Bruce Lindahl

by Jim Ridings

The western suburbs of Chicago were being terrorized by a serial rapist and murderer in the 1970s and 1980s. Bruce Lindahl was a psychotic rapist and killer who preyed on girls and young women for almost a decade. He managed to escape detection because he did not leave his rape victims alive. But in 1980, he kidnapped and raped Debra Colliander in Aurora, Illinois. She escaped before he could murder her, and Lindahl finally was arrested. Two months later, just before he was to go on trial on charges of kidnapping, rape and deviate sexual assault, Lindahl kidnapped and murdered Miss Colliander. Lindahl disposed of her body and no one could find her. The following year, because the victim did not show up in court, the kidnapping and rape charges had to be dropped – and he could not be charged with murder without a body. Reporter Jim Ridings wrote a number of stories for The Beacon-News over several months, determined to shine a light to try to stop Lindahl from getting away with another murder. Suddenly, the public knew the truth about this monster who had been able to evade justice and public attention. Aurora police said Lindahl planned to kill Ridings once the judge finally dismissed the case. But fortunately, a few days after the charges were dropped, Lindahl accidentally killed himself while murdering another person. The story took another turn nearly 40 years after Lindahl’s death when DNA tests linked Lindahl to an unsolved cold case murder from 1976. Murder in the Fox Valley tells the story of Bruce Lindahl’s terrible crime spree and how he finally was stopped. The communities involved were Downers Grove, Naperville, Woodridge, Lisle and Aurora, Illinois.

168 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 30, 2022

About the author

Jim Ridings was born in Joliet, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1976.

He was a reporter for The Daily Times in Ottawa and The Beacon-News in Aurora. He won more than a dozen awards for investigative reporting at both newspapers, from the Associated Press, United Press International, Copley Press, Illinois Press Association, Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, Aurora Lions Club, SDX Society of Professional Journalists and other organizations.

Jim Ridings was presented a Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award from the Illinois Humanities Council in 2006.

Ridings has written and published more than 20 books of local Illinois history. Four of his books have won awards from the Illinois State Historical Society: County West: A Sesquicentennial History of Western Kankakee County in 2004, Cardiff: Ghost Town On the Prairie in 2007, Cardiff 2 in 2009, and Greetings From Starved Rock in 2012.

His most popular books are Len Small: Governors And Gangsters (2009); Small Justice (2014); Cardiff: Ghost Town On the Prairie (2006); Wild Kankakee (2012); Kankakee County Confidential (2016); Kankakee County Stories (2019); Chicago To Springfield: Crime and Politics in the 1920s (2010); Greetings From Kankakee (2005); Kankakee Makes Good (2007).

Reviews

[John C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in Joliet with friends and relatives all around the south suburbs of Chicago, I was astounded by this story. That a killer this evil could flourish for years and evade the justice system so easily scares the hell out of me.

And how was Ridings the only one, among bigger newspapers and TV investigators, to sniff out and doggedly pursue this story? If you’ve read Ridings before, you know he finds details others miss.

This is my favorite of his books, closely followed by his towering study of Illinois Governor Len Small (Governors and Gangsters), and the Stephen Small kidnapping (Small Justice), where he helped free the uninvolved girlfriend of the kidnapper years after the trial. His books dig deep and they’ll tell you terrifying and damning stories.

[Novel Crush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in the Fox Valley is a gripping and unsettling true-crime account that exposes Bruce Lindahl’s decade of terror across Illinois. Jim tells the story with clarity, depth, and respect for the victims, showing how one predator managed to evade justice for years. The investigative details, especially the journalist’s persistence, make the book both compelling and haunting. If you enjoy well-researched, real-life crime stories that reveal the failures and triumphs of justice, this book is absolutely worth reading.

[Sharon Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in Downers Grove and never heard of the disappearances/murders of young women at the time. This book is a fascinating history. Well researched, well organized and impossible to put down. You will be astounded that this was happening around us in towns that were considered very safe yet none of us were safe. I highly recommend this book.

[Robert Triggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazes me how this guy was able to go on for so long even after having run ins with the law and the articles Mr.Ridings was writing at the time ! Lots of great investigating like work done by Mr.Ridings ,excellent read for sure would surely recommend it !!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was in all these locations as a teenager - Gala Lanes, Fox Valley Mall, etc. at the time these crimes were occurring. Very unnerving as Naperville and Du Page County had a very safe reputation.

I particularly liked the recaps of the main players and family members.

[Joanne Zienty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local interest for me, as a resident of the western suburbs of Chicago. The writing was a little disjointed, however.

[Mary Hately · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing that a news article kept pressure on to do something about this monster who literally got away with murder.

[Larry Burnside · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was interested in reading this book because I went to junior high and high school with Lindahl. I was shocked by his heinous murders and assaults and the book did a good job of presenting that information in a tasteful and non exploitative manner. Unfortunately the content was enough for an in depth magazine article but not a book. The author repeated a great deal of information and went into extreme detail of background characters that added nothing to the story.