Authorities believe they have found remains of Lynsie Ekelund, 20-year-old Fullerton College student who disappeared in 2001 [Updated]

Remains believed to be those of Lynsie Ekelund, a 20-year-old Fullerton College student who has been missing since 2001, have been discovered on a hillside in Santa Clarita, authorities said Thursday.

Last week, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office charged Christopher McAmis, 31, with murder in the Ekelund case, said spokeswoman Jane Robison. McAmis told authorities that Ekelund's remains were at a construction site where he worked at the time, according to the Placentia Police Department.

[For the record at 12:15 p.m.: An earlier version of this post cited Robison as the source for information that McAmis led authorities to the remains. The Placentia Police Department provided that information.]

Investigators began the recovery effort Wednesday at a site off Bouquet Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, said Lt. Brian Elias of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

McAmis was arrested Oct. 27 at his home in Fullerton, officials said.

Authorities allege that on the morning of Feb. 17, 2001, McAmis attempted to rape Ekelund at his apartment in Whittier, and then killed her and disposed of the body. McAmis had driven Ekelund and two other friends to a San Diego nightclub that evening.

Ekelund's mother, Nancy, who lived in Placentia at the time, reported her daughter missing the next day. Shortly after the disappearance, Nancy Ekelund told The Times she was holding out hope. "It's been two weeks, but I'm not going to allow myself to think negatively," she said.

Placentia police interviewed McAmis at the time but said he was not a suspect. Initially, detectives said they were unsure if foul play was involved. The case went cold, but it was reopened in 2008 through the Orange County district attorney's office.

McAmis, who is being held on $1-million bail, is expected to be arraigned Nov. 30.

-- Sam Allen and Richard Winton

Photo: Lynsie Ekelund. Credit: Handout photo

Comments

[Aimee]

I remember this, wow. Here is an article from 2009. I'm glad they finally arrested this man. I am very curious to know what evidence after all this time led to his arrest.

http://www.fctorch.net/2.2502/no-body-of-evidence-1.236243?pagereq=1

[LAHuman]

How sad: women inevitably die when faced with the double-whammy of generalized violence and disdain by so many men in the world, and then institutional apathy in a disinterested police force.

I wish her mother all the strength she can muster to get through the heartache.

[BillN]

Perhaps one of her 'friends' finally spoke up.

[Mark]

this is an important article:
http://www.fctorch.net/2.2502/no-body-of-evidence-1.236243?pagereq=1

the police screwed this up. Chris should have been the primary suspect from day one of the investigation:

"...Lynsie Ekelund told her mother she was going to stay with a friend named Andrea. Later that evening, Nancy says 22-year-old Chris McAmis arrived at the door to pick Lynsie up. ..."

The following afternoon, Nancy says she called McAmis. He told her that he had dropped Lynsie off near her home the previous night at around 11. "He said he left her at the corner, but our house was two doors down from the corner -- so why would he do that? Any gentlemen would walk a lady to the door and make sure the key fit in and say goodnight, so he lied."

Her mother knew that Chris told a lie. Also Chris worked at construction site and police should have looked at what equipment Chris had permit to operate.

[kwitcherbellyakin]

Thanks Aimee. After reading the article about Lynsie's injuries in the hit and run wreck it makes this whole story even more heart wrenching. I hope her mother finds comfort and closure.

[KC]

Mark....wow..you should be a detective..I am sure the police never thought of any of those ideas that you just came up with.