The Antinette “Toni” Keller investigation has brought back memories of the 1970 cold case of Donna Doll.

NIU student Donna Doll was reported last seen on Oct. 2, 1970 leaving work from the Swen Parson Library.

Donna Chiarelott, former Northern Star reporter, was supposed to meet with Doll on Oct. 2, the last day she was seen, according to a 1989 Northern Star article.

Doll’s parents reported her missing to police on Oct. 4.

During the time she was missing, Doll’s family received six to seven calls from someone who said, “I know where your daughter is,” according to the 1989 article.

Doll’s body was found nine days later on Oct. 11, 1970 near Nelson Road by three teenagers who were on their way to a party. Doll was found under a tree and on her back with only her shoes missing, according to the article. 

The article states her death occurred on Oct. 2 and the cause was suffocation.

At the time the police had possible suspects, but no one was ever charged with murder and the case is still unsolved.

Ray Gibson, former Northern Star editor and current Chicago Tribune reporter, saw similarities in the reactions of the DeKalb community in 1970 to the mood in recent weeks when it was announced in a Oct. 26 press conference that the Keller case had been turned into a homicide investigation.

“[Doll’s murder] created the same kind of fear in the atmosphere that was around recently,” Gibson said.

Gibson said the similarities between the disappearances of Doll and Keller are strange.

“It was eerie, especially since both were reported missing around the same time,” Gibson said.

Prior to when Chiarelott had planned to meet with Doll, the last time she actually saw her was the summer before.

“The last time I saw her was in June [of that year] at my wedding,” Chiarelott said. “She was my maid of honor.”

Chiarelott said it would’ve been the first time they spent time together since the wedding.

That summer Doll studied in Pennsylvania at a languages institute, according to a 1989 article. Doll was a Russian major.

 Doll was a Riverside Brookfield High School graduate who was in the National Honors Society, according to the 1989 article.

Chiarelott described Doll as “a very trusting and intelligent person.”

Gibson said efforts were made to look for Doll by means of fliers similar to ones made in searching for Keller.

Chiarelott said Doll was not the type to run away.

“While she was missing I knew she wouldn’t have just left,” she said. “I expected the worst.”