Thousand Oaks Woman Slain at Buffalo Campus

A jogger from Thousand Oaks was found strangled along a bicycle path at the state University of Buffalo, a killing apparently linked to two rapes in the past year, police said Sunday.

The body of Linda Yalem, 22, was found about 5:20 p.m. Sunday on the campus in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, said Amherst Police Chief John Askey.

Yalem, a University of Buffalo sophomore, had been reported missing by her roommate at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The roommate told police Yalem went jogging about 12:30 p.m.

Police believe Yalem was attacked sometime before 2:30 p.m. in a remote area along the bicycle trail, Lt. Thomas Gould said. Her body was found in the woods about 50 feet off the trail, he said.

An Amherst police officer found the body. The search included bloodhounds, a helicopter and foot patrols.

Yalem apparently was sexually assaulted, although police would not be certain until they got autopsy results, Gould said.

Yalem, a native of Thousand Oaks, was studying communication and had transferred to the University of Buffalo from the state University College at Old Westbury on Long Island three weeks ago.

Two other women were raped in the same area in the past year, Gould said. Police think the same assailant may have killed Yalem, he said.

“The method of attack was similar,” Gould said.