TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A long-standing mystery may finally be closer to resolution. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Leelanau County man in connection with the brutal 1989 murder of Linda Marie Meteer.
Meteer, a 41-year-old mother of five and factory worker at Burwood Industries in Traverse City, was savagely beaten to death. Her naked body was discovered in a secluded field in the Hoosier Valley, near the county fairgrounds in Blair Township – about seven miles south of Traverse City.
For years, the case remained a frustrating enigma, with investigators chasing leads that went cold. But thanks to advancements in forensic technology and the determination of law enforcement, a suspect has finally been taken into custody.
From petty crimes to murder.
The man accused of killing Meteer has been identified as Steven Gary Koon of Grawn. He was arraigned in the 86th District Court in Grand Traverse County on the charge of first-degree murder on Wednesday, February 19th and is scheduled to be back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 11th. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bond.
Public records indicate that Koon was involved in legal matters in the early 1990s. In March 1991, at the age of 29, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted larceny by conversion. Later, in July 1991, he was found in contempt of court for nonpayment of fines and costs.
Grand Traverse County records also indicate that Koon was convicted and sentenced in 1994 for breaking and entering a motor vehicle with intent to steal. Beyond that, little is known about him. He has no apparent presence on Facebook and the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Department has not disclosed much about him.
A crime that shook Northern Michigan.
News reports and the “Unsolved” podcast say that Meteer was spending the night of April 19, 1989 socializing with friends. They had gone to a bar, then to a private home and then to another bar. Meteer was last seen alive in the early morning on April 20, 1989 leaving Spike’s Peak Bar just before closing time near an area called “Chums Corner ” about 15 minutes south of the City of Traverse City.
A week later, on April 27th, her naked and decomposing body was discovered in a wooded area near Vance Road by a mushroom hunter. Her death certificate said she had been beaten to death, with no gunshot or stab wounds mentioned. Older news reports say that Grand Traverse County Medical Examiner William Springstead listed her primary cause of death as a lacerated liver and internal hemorrhaging. She also suffered blows to the chest and abdomen and a collapsed lung.
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A 1989 article in the Muskegon Chronicle reported Undersheriff Harold Barr saying investigators believe she was dead for about three days before being found – even though she had been missing for seven days.
A family’s resolve.
Despite law enforcement’s efforts – including an attempt at DNA testing in 1999 – the case remained unsolved until now. Her family, particularly her daughter Lisa Haney, has spent the last 36 years searching for answers. Haney said to the Record-Eagle in April of last year, “When somebody’s life is taken so tragically as hers was, and it’s been an open case for so long, for 35 years, of course everybody says: ‘Time heals all wounds,’ and in some ways that is true, but not totally. You have to try and deal with and cope with the emotions that come along with it.”
Haney also told Up North Live, “Almost everybody was drawn to my mom. She had an outgoing personality. No matter what was going on in her life or anything, people just gravitated to her and wanted to be around her.”
Determination lead to an arrest.
In recent years, investigators ramped up their efforts to solve the case including partnering with Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program. WMU took the case information that was collected and digitized it. They also worked on detailed timelines.
In a May interview with 9&10 News, Captain Chris Clark explained that investigators were examining Meteer’s life in the months leading up to her murder – not just the night it happened – in an effort to understand her “pattern of life.” He noted they were “digging into what may have happened a year before, six months before” to gain insight into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Law enforcement hasn’t said what exactly led to Koon’s arrest, however after Koon’s arraignment, Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Department, Captain Chris Clark said, “I think when we took a real hard look at the case about a year and a half ago, we went through all the police reports, all the evidence. We’ve gone over all the evidence multiple times. We’ve consulted with, experts in multiple fields, and, I think collaboratory with all that information that we gathered, that that kind of pointed us towards to where we are today.”
The probable cause affidavit adds a little more to the story and says that Koon was seen at the same bar where Meteer was last seen. The Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office says the relationship between Koon and Meteer was “casual.”
A long road to justice.
For Meteer’s family, the arrest marks a significant turning point in their decades-long search for answers. But while this is a major step, the legal process is just beginning. Authorities continue to ask anyone with information about the case to come forward, ensuring no stone is left unturned as they work toward a conviction. After 36 years, justice for Linda Marie Meteer is no longer just a hope – it’s finally within reach.
