Mark Nichols remarried years ago and won a custody battle with Christi Jos family for daughter Lindsey and son Preston. Debbie had visited her while she was working at a bar. When she was later spoken to by investigators, she would say she never saw, nor heard Christi enter the house. Find out with these charts and graphs, updated weekly. After she went missing, a note from Christi, addressed to the other man, was found in the Nicholses' car. The Gothenburg Police Department initially handled the case, but were soon joined by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office. In some cases while it appears they have been able to outsmart the law, the reality is that they simply found a way to avoid a murder charge, for the time being. Rumors swirled that some sort of letter was found from Christi Jo to an unnamed man explaining that she was in the process of leaving her husband and would be in touch in a few months. In March 1988, Christis suitcase and purse were located, with everything still with them, at a rest stop on I-80, near Maxwell, Nebraska. She made another appointment to see him, but disappeared before she could keep it. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Christi, circa 1987 Missing Since 12/11/1987 Missing From Gothenburg, Nebraska Classification Endangered Missing Sex Female Race White Date of Birth 09/06/1965 (56) Age 22 years old Height and Weight 5'9, 120 pounds Clothing/Jewelry Description Blue jeans and hiking boots. The attorney stated Christi was extremely stressed and appeared to have been beaten. The State Patrol lists Nichols case as one of about 250 unsolved homicides. And 32 years later, they are still looking for answers. She was last seen at Catalyst Church in Bentonville. She could not have gottenup tosneak out of the home in the middle of the night. Dinner cooked wrong, laundry not put away to his specifications, bed made wrong, kids too loud, a family pet misbehaving or not doing what he wants it to do or act how he wants it to, not wanting to have sex when and how he wants it. Then, they were with both sets of grandparents. Mark says that he and Christi Jo left the bar around midnight and stopped at an all-night convenience store. I am confident, in fact I am positive that if investigators work the point of origin from the rest-stop back to somewhere in between the bar, the convenience store and her home, that they will finally locateChristi Jo. Everyday is a day lived in constant fear of what the victim might be capable of being able to do wrong so as to displease her abuser. Decks were distributed to prisons and jails across the state and are posted on the patrols website in hopes of producing tips or leads that might be a missing link in solving a case. At 1:37pm, Mark filed a missing persons report with the Gothenburg Police Department. A mother disappears during an evening out with her husband. Between 12:30am and 1:00am, Mark came home. Investigators no longer believe that Christi vanished voluntarily; they are now investigating this case as a probable homicide. Jessica Ridgeway. Her body and car were discovered in the parking lot of Northwest Medical Center in Springdale on September 13. He now lives in Arkansas and is married for the third time. Its believed that the then-police chief, who was friends with Christis husband, had informed Mark of her visit to the divorce lawyer. The case has been included in a deck of playing cards that featured photographs of unsolved homicide victims, which were distributed to prisons and jails throughout Nebraska. Berreckman noted that she seemed stressed and appeared to have been recently beaten, so the pair planned to contact the authorities and press charges against Mark for abuse. . After this, he claims to have spent approximately two hours driving around Gothenburg looking for his wife. . Christi Jo Nichols is the queen of hearts. (LogOut/ Violet hopes and prays that she is still alive, but if she is deceased, she would like to know where she is so that she can be given a proper burial. She was very proud of them and loved them. Maybe an area he spoke about with friends; land that he was able to get on that he shouldnt have been on etc. Scared. Christi already had two siblings and now she gained three stepbrothers. 10 days before her disappearance, Christi went to the emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. Check out the peaks and valleys in volatile local gas prices, and track motor vehicle sales, financing and production. Christi also told her cousin, Debbie Frederickson, that she had been abused by Mark. Men like Markare clever, manipulative, misleading and always seem to be able to have a reason and answer for why or how something happened. Christi Jo Nichols was born on September 6, 1965 in Overton, Dawson County, Nebraska to Connie Stanley and Ken Williams. Trace amounts of Christi's blood were found on the floor of her bedroom, and in the trunk of Mark's 1977 Mercury Cougar. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Christi Jo lived every day of her life in constant fear, a fear that really no words could ever truly describe. Nobody in town reported having seen him do this, however. She was also trapped in an abusive relationship at the hands of her husband Mark. Christi left behind all her other belongings, including her diamond jewelry and driver's license, and she never picked up her last paycheck from the bar where she worked part time. He moved out of the home pretty quickly after Christi Jo vanished, got rid of all traces of her and has since remarried, from what I understand twice. He knew that she needed help. Change). Violet died in 1999 at the age of seventy-eight and Claude died in 2013 at the age of eighty. According to Mark, the pair had a good time that night. She couldn't trust anyone for help. Mark said she took a suitcase and her purse with her, and was able to describe the contents exactly: the suitcase contained jeans, a sweatshirt, a bra and jacket and the purse held a hairbrush, a pen, a lighter, a matchbook, lipstick, Neutrogena cream, a nail file, a mirror and one piece of gum. More blood was found in the trunk of Mark's car. Since Christi vanished, no one, relatives or friends, have had any contact with her. Kniss now works part time at a warehouse but maintains documents on the case to help researchers and investigators. Trace amounts of Christi's blood were found on the floor of her bedroom, and in the trunk of Mark's 1977 Mercury Cougar. The police cleared the man. Abusers like Mark simply will not stand for or allow for, property to walk out the door. According to those who knew her, Christi was known for being a dedicated mother, whose life revolved around Mark and her children. Tips can also be called into the Patrols general number at 402-479-4049 or the Nebraska Missing Persons Information Clearinghouse at 1-877-441-5678. By all accounts, she was trapped in a marriage gone wrong. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Christi Jo Nichols isn't the only missing person in the state who authorities believe to be dead. Mark was seemingly aware of this and had suggested to authorities that shed run off with him. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Where are the hotspots for buyers and sellers? Diane had been doing her homework in front of the television at the time. He most likely wouldnt have shot her or stabbed her to death in his car or home, and most definitely would not kill her in such a way that a huge amount of blood would have been lost on any of his property, i.e. He is presumed. Change). Authorities believe she was seeing another man at the time of her disappearance. Townspeople speculated that her body was buried in the local railroad overpass or entombed in some other construction project or rural area. Nobody can say for certain that this is what motivated her disappearance. On December 10, the day after the meeting, she and Mark went Christmas shopping with Lindsey and Preston. Her disappearance turned into a controversy that continues to this day. On January 3, 2020, the case saw renewed interest after the Nebraska State Patrol released a press release. Mark came home after midnight the next day, and payed the babysitter with cash. A note was found in her car, where shed written that she would be leaving after Christmas, but had promised to contact the unnamed man within a few months. Click here to join us. The overall consensus from the town to the investigators who looked at this case is that Christi Jo is in fact dead. He stated that the day before they went to the bar, things were uncomfortable because they had not been getting along very well. Christi has never been heard from again. He claimed that she was walking ahead of him and went right to the bathroom when they came inside. Small amounts of blood were found in both the couples bedroom and the trunk of Marks car. Learn how your comment data is processed. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Dianne told investigators she never actually saw Christi Jo come in and that Mark had paid her in cash which was pretty unusual because Christi Jo always paid her and she paid her by check. I wish they would push forward with this Mark Nichols needs to be put behind bars. Make sure you understand that, he knew her every move prior. Job description and qualifications are posted for Nebraska education commissioner applicants. It would be an area that he knows well, well enough to know it wouldnt have been thought of to search or investigators wouldnt have been able to search it, such as government/military owned land. The location is approximately 30 miles from Gothenburg. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. The disposal would have happened sometime after the sitter left or during that two hour window he supposedly drove around looking for her. Mark says that he and Christi Jo left the bar around midnight and stopped at an all-night convenience store. He claimed that he tossed her onto the waterbed and she landed wrong, twisting her thumb underneath her. They were later returned to Mark, and Connie said she hardly got to see them, due to his influence. In addition, Brown County officials suspected McGinn in the rape-murder of 12-year-old Sherri Newman. It reminds me of a case a few years back from Colorado. Diane thought it was strange that he paid her with cash, because Christi normally paid her with a check. Mark Nichols told authorities that his wife was gone from their bed when he awoke after the night at the bar. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. He later claimed that the rumors of him beating her up were not true. Those who knew her well felt her life centered around her family. Both Christi Jos suitcase and purse were found in March of 1988, at a rest stop in Maxwell, NE about 30 miles west of Gothenburg NE. But Joanne Kniss of Omaha hasnt given up hope of learning what happened to her niece in Gothenburg, 25 years agotoday (Tuesday). Christi was described as very shy, quiet and smart when she was growing up. Rumours began to spread about what Mark had done to Christi, including one that said hed dismembered her, placed her body in plastic bags and buried her at the local landfill. You do not argue, question or do something he does not approve of. Losing is not an option to men like Mark. Avoiding and outsmarting are two completely different things. Date: December 11, 1987, Occupation: Bartender at Pete's Lounge At 11:30am, Mark took Lindsey and Preston over to Christi's grandmother Violet's house and asked her if she could watch them while he searched for Christi. In fact Dianne stated that she is sure she would have seen or heard Christi Jo but never did. According to Mark, the pair had gotten into an argument after hed asked her to stay home for the night, which resulted in Christi hitting and kicking him and burning his neck with a lit cigarette. At 12:30am, they headed for home. The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, SuspectCharged, The Disappearances of Tina & BethanySinclair. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Christi Jo was seen by a doctor who had seen her before and who stated that Christi Jo was not that forthcoming with information, and acted pretty scared. Mark claims the last time he saw Christi Jo was 2am December 11, 1987. A store clerk later recalled that she seemed "nervous". She made a follow-up appointment but never made it. Victims in these types of situations are cut off, they feel alone and isolated. He has denied any wrongdoing. I go back to her suitcase and purse. She was married and had two children. All of you can talk with me and I can answer your questions.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.You can also contribute at Paypal: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com--that is also the email address.--the website: theunfoundpodcast.comUnfound supports accounts on Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, andFacebook.--Please join us on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET for the YouTube Live Show.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.And at Paypal: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com--that is also the email address. Just after 12:00am on December 11, 1987, Mark and Christi left the bar and stopped at an all-night convenience store. In March 1988, three months after Christi's disappearance, her suitcase and purse were discovered in a roadside rest area thirty miles west of Gothenburg. Claude felt that when she was in his office, she was not panic stricken to the point that she would run or leave. She told him she wanted a divorce and custody of her children. The next morning, Mark woke up. She was planning to leave her husband at the time of her disappearance. Christis father, Ken, says that he cant say for sure if his daughter is dead, as theres no evidence of foul play, nor any witnesses who saw anything suspicious. Officers seemed to feel they were left on purpose, that whoever left them wanted them found. He also suggested Christi not return home and instead stay with her mother, but she refused. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. Mark told them that Christi was out shopping. That is why the suitcase and purse were left and why he wanted them to be found. Not the co-dependent type, who ended up in an abusive relationship where they abuse each other. My heart goes out to people all over the country when I hear about somebody missing. Her suitcase, along with her purse was found at a rest stop near Maxwell in 1988. When they married in 1983, Christi was just 19 years old, and the pair soon became the parents of two young children: Lindsey, who was born in December 1984, and Preston, who was born in April 1986. This case has since stalled. Debra also shared that her cousin had told her that Mark had held her up against the wall, while choking her and stabbing the wall directly behind her, all while Lindsey was in the room. However, Mark would claim his wife had been five or six yards ahead of him and had gone straight upstairs to see the children, before heading to the main bathroom, which is why Diane hadnt see her. Christi Nichols is the wife of Mark Nichols of Gothenburg, Nebraska and the mother of two children, who vanished on December 11, 1987. According to Mark they ate dinner at Pizza Hut with their infant daughter and son, took them to see Santa and then home to a babysitter while the couple played pool at the bar where Christi Jo worked. They had been married four years. After this, he tossed her onto their waterbed in self-defence and she landed on her hand, injuring her thumb. Remember, property means more to him at this point than she does because she is letting him down yet again bynot living up to his expectations. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated. This is a very controlled type of murderer, they didnt have some sort of argument when he warded her off she fell, hit her head and inadvertently died. You can cancel at any time. They are concerned about the details surrounding her disappearance, the fact that she has not contacted Lindsey, Preston, or other relatives, the fact that she did not take a vehicle, and the fact that she has been missing for such a long period of time. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. There is blood in their home, and in his car. Not the serial murderer, or the drug fueled rage killer. Townspeople also speculated that she was buried in the local railroad overpass or entombed in one of the various construction projects that were occurring at the time. Rumours began in regards to his abusive tendencies, but Mark denied all accusations, claiming Christi was the instigator and any injuries she suffered were the result of him protecting himself from her. Attempts over the years to get investigators to open a grand jury investigation have been turned down due to a lack of evidence in the case. Characteristics:Caucasian female with brown hair and green eyes. They minimize what is actually happening to them in the home, they are programmed on how to respond when something might be seen such as a bruise or when friends or family question the growing distance the victim has from them. Details: The town of Gothenburg is located in the heart of Nebraska's farm belt. According to the police however contrary to what Mark said, no one in town could recall seeing Mark driving around searching for his wife that day. So she decided to drop out. Christis aunt, Joanne Kniss, moved to Omaha, Nebraska from North Platte, Nebraska to work with Whelan. When they left, she showed Debbie a bruise on her side. Show Transcript. Christi Jo Nichols was a loving 22 year old mother to her 2 young children. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kniss said the family would like answers. No one can prove ityet. Christi once had to go to the hospital emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husbands car. Calls to the police department were of no help, as the police chief told her Mark was in his right to withhold the children and that she risked arrest if she didnt leave the property. According to Mark, the suitcase contained a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, a bra and a jacket, while the purse held a hairbrush, a pen, a lighter and matchbook, lipstick, a tub of Neutrogena cream, a nail file, a mirror and one piece of gum. Within days of her disappearance, he had moved out of their house, sold both their cars, and boxed up her clothes. There are rumors in Gothenburg that say he is responsible for her disappearance. However, he has never been charged. She placed a great importance on the concept of family and dreamed of one day becoming a mother. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. Its been extremely hard, Kniss said Monday. Often times the victim is not even allowed to shop without her abuser. It is uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. More recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found in Marks car was indeed Christis. In April 1990, Mark divorced Christi. On December 11, 1987, twenty-two-year-old housewife Christi Nichols vanished. As the police investigated, they began to uncover evidence that the Nichols' marriage was in trouble. It appeared to them that whoever had previously had the items had wanted them to be found. At 2:00am, Mark went to bed. Listen now, on the Unsolved Mysteries podcast. Would you like to contribute as an editor or a writer on our site? Make sure you understand that, he knew her every move prior. Investigators said over the years they became convinced she was slain. Christi wrote she would be leaving after Christmas, but promised to contact the man within a few months. Interestingly, a letter was found in one of their cars, allegedly addressed to her boyfriend; according to one source, it stated that she had considered leaving her family. Christi Jo Willliams (Nichols) was last seen alive Dec. 10, 1987, when she left her children at home with a babysitter for an evening out with her husband, Mark. Make up on wrong, clothing he doesnt agree with. Around 10 days before Christi Jos disappearance she went to the hospital to be treated for injuries that were a result of Marks inability to control his temper. She also did not pick up her last paycheck. UPDATE: Christi Jo disappearance, 32 years later. As a result of the abuse, Christi began seeing an abuse counsellor, which upset her husband. Think of shapes, leading back to the point of origin. It's been three months since local woman, Christy Nichols was reported missing. In short, he already knew long before he killed her, that he was going to kill her should she try to leave the relationship. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It is believed that Mark found about her meetings with Claude and the counselor because Claude contacted Shackleton about the abuse and the counselor met with Christi in Shackleton's office. More often than not the words mentally-ill, bipolar or manipulate are tossed at a victims feet in an attempt to make the victim feel as if sheis the problem, that she hassome sort of mental disorder and isincapable of being alone, taking care herself or of the children, she cant be trusted etc. Body Found At Springdale Hospital Confirmed To Be Missing Woman, Body found in search for missing 26-year-old Sebastian County man, Crawford County faces three civil rights cases, Winter warnings vs watches, what's the difference? Men like Mark do not view a significant other as a person or human being. At this point, Berreckman contacted the Gothenburg Police Department to report Marks abuse. Our goal is to crowdsource the more than 200,000 unsolved cases of the murdered and missing. I would love to get more attention for her case. Her mom, Connie Stanley, continues to desperately seek for answers. He said that they began seeing each other because "she was lonely and needed someone to talk to". (it was never confirmed as to which he did), Rumors are that Mark had an abusive past prior to marrying Christi Jo. He would have the known the area very well. Truthfully he always had an idea of where hed stash a body he just needed to be able to do it at the right time so as not to get caught. There is a strong sense of community among its 3,000 residents. As a result, her family, which already included two siblings, grew to include three stepbrothers. This struck Diane as odd, as Christi was normally the one to pay her for her services and it was normally done with a cheque. Often times victims in these situations will develop substance abuse problems as a way to escape mentally from the constant fear, the abuse, the hateful, hurtful words spoken, as well as both the physical and mental pain they endure. She would later become a private investigator herself in order to follow up on leads related to the case. The abuser always has an inventory of what the victim has and doesnt have, he always knows what the victim plans, doesnt plan, where she is or will be. He had done a great amount of divorce work, handling hundreds of divorces. They laughed and had an enjoyable time. Mark continues to maintain his innocence in Christi's disappearance. Mark told Christi Jos mother that Christi Jo was asleep when she called by the way. From what I understand quite an extensive search was conducted in Gothenburg and the surrounding area and turned up nothing. Brown hair, green eyes. She also said that she planned to leave him the day after she vanished; Connie believes that he killed her before she had the chance. This would be the last time he claims he saw Christi. Mark was able to tell investigators exactly what items Christi Jo supposedly packed and what contents she happened to have in her purse at the time of her disappearance. Mark gave himself away the very moment that he told investigators what Christi Jo packed and took with her, he put the cherry on top when he told investigators what she had in her purse. Both cars were at the home at the timeof her disappearance. In April 1986, their son, Preston, was born.
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