Date: December 11, 1987, Occupation: Bartender at Pete's Lounge More recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found in Marks car was indeed Christis. So she decided to drop out. Police believe she was seeing another man at the time of her disappearance. Kniss said Lindsey, now 27, lives in Georgia and Preston, now 26, works in Lexington. According to Mark, Christi went to bed immediately after Diane left. . 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. Killers like this typically, unless they are on a planned trip with the spouse, dont travel great distances to kill, they kill in one area, generally close to or at home and travel away from home but not to far, to dispose of the body. As the police investigated, they began to uncover evidence that the Nichols' marriage was in trouble. They had been married four years. He either drove around with her body, including back to his home with her that night or stashed her in a temporary location until he could figure out where to actually put her and when. 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. Christi wrote she would be leaving after Christmas, but promised to contact the man within a few months. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husbands car. He felt that she was very sincere and honest about what she was telling him. Christi Jo disappearance, 32 years later. The police cleared the man. The Disappearance and Death of Christi Jo Nichols December 11, 1987. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the November 16, 1988 episode. Christi Jo Nichols went missing from Gothenburg, Dawson County, Nebraska on December 11, 1987. He is presumed. When her suitcase was found three months later, he was "somehow" able to list everything that ended up in it. Not the co-dependent type, who ended up in an abusive relationship where they abuse each other. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husbands car. He said he spent two hours driving around in the area, looking for her, but never saw her. Christis DNA is available for comparison, should a body be found, but her dentals and fingerprints are not on file. It has also since been discovered that Christi met with a domestic violence counselor the day before she vanished. But Joanne Kniss of Omaha hasnt given up hope of learning what happened to her niece in Gothenburg, 25 years agotoday (Tuesday). Mark Nichols remarried years ago and won a custody battle with Christi Jos family for daughter Lindsey and son Preston. Even though he knew Christi was gone, he told Connie that she was still asleep. At 2:00am, Mark went to bed. There is blood in their home, and in his car. Christi was seeing another man around the time of her disappearance. On December 10, 1987, the couple went Christmas shopping with Lindsey and Preston, a trip which also involved a visit with Santa Claus and dinner at Pizza Hut. He is the type thatsleeps with one eye open if you catch my drift. At 9:30am, he received a phone call from Connie, who lived 100 miles away. By the next day, Christi Jo Nichols would be a . He went on to tell investigators that things at the bar seemed good. Once they realize they are losing control over the victim, they start to take or hold things over the victims head that matter until the victim agrees to comply with the abusers requests or starts to live up to the abusers standards/expectations. Mark did a stand up performance by telling medical staff that he was injured from a cigarette burn to the neck administered by Christi Jo and in his attempt to ward her and the weapon off, he might have inadvertently injured Christi Jo. For all intents, Christi Jo was in fact dead prior to Mark arriving home between 12:30 and 1:00am. Unfortunately it was not enough blood that would indicate serious enough bodily injury so as to obtain a warrant for Marks arrest let alone have a trial and convict him of anything. According to him, people even went to the dump and dug around, looking for her. Christi was very open with her family regarding Marks behaviour and had confided that she wanted to leave her husband, but wasnt sure how. Bumping for Christi, today is her birthday. Investigators said over the years they became convinced she was slain. 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. Kniss now works part time at a warehouse but maintains documents on the case to help researchers and investigators. Then, they were with both sets of grandparents. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Where are the hotspots for buyers and sellers? She went to see an abuse counselor, and Mark was angry when he found out and made her promise not to go again, but she went again anyway. You must log in or register to reply here. Finding Christi Jos body does not guarantee a conviction but for her family it would mean the world so that they could give her a proper burial. After having spent around 2 hours driving around searching for his wife Mark decided to go to the police and at approximately 1:37pm 12/11/1987 he reported his wife Christi Jo Nichols missing. :bump: for Christi Jo, now missing 26 years. He claimed that she got upset with him, tried to hit and kick him, and then burned his neck with a cigarette. On Dec. 10, 1987, Christi (Williams) Nichols went missing in Gothenburg and has never been found. When they came home, their babysitter left. If they feel they are losing control they will do something so as to bring that needed balance back into the picture. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He was the last person to see Christi alive. Mark claimed that it was menstrual blood, but an analysis determined that this was not true. Nicknames: No known nicknames Between 12:30am and 1:00am, Mark came home. Christi once had to go to the hospital emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. 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. 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. Christi Jo Nichols was a loving 22 year old mother to her 2 young children. There are multiple witnesses who confirmed that he was abusing her in the weeks prior to her disappearance. What is interesting about this is that officers were a little dumbfounded by the fact that Mark knew exactly what she had packed and he knew exactly what was in her purse. 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. Christi Jo Nichols was born on September 6, 1965 in Overton, Dawson County, Nebraska to Connie Stanley and Ken Williams. Ken Williams, her father, has returned to Gothenburg from Colorado. Brown hair, green eyes. He claims that some of the rumors have gotten "pretty vicious". Connie was aware that something wasnt quite right in regards to her daughters marriage, but she would later state she hadnt realized just how bad it was, and Marks uncle, who owned the bar where Christi worked part-time, could sense the stress between the couple. Would you like to contribute as an editor or a writer on our site? 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. Her husband totally did it but how can following a trail or trails from the rest area back to an unknown murder scene prove it? However, both family cars were still sitting in the front yard. Our goal is to crowdsource the more than 200,000 unsolved cases of the murdered and missing. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. She was 22 years old, and is believed to have been wearing a pair of blue jeans and hiking boots. He was interviewed by police and has been ruled out as a suspect. At 12:30am, they headed for home. Trace amounts of Christis blood were found on the floor in the bedroom and in the trunk of Marks 1977 Mercury Cougar, but there wasnt enough to indicate that she was deceased. The case was featured on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, which prompted 150 calls to the shows telecenter and 15 more to the Nebraska State Patrol. SPRINGDALE (KFSM) A body found that was found inside a car atNorthwest Medical Center has been identified as missing woman Christy Nichols, according to the Springdale Police Department. The attorney stated Christi was extremely stressed and appeared to have been beaten. She has brown hair and green eyes, and has a scar above her left eye and on her abdomen. Police found it surprising that earlier, Mark had precisely detailed all of the suitcase's contents. Mark was in the hallway nearby during her visit; Carol was not sure if him being there was reassuring for her or not. In 1990, Mark filed for divorce from Christi on grounds of desertion. The move brought her to a town located within the heart of Nebraskas farm belt, which had within it a strong sense of community. He threatened shed never see the children again if she kept making appointments and made her promise to never go back. When Mark found out, he was "furious" and told her that she would not get to see Lindsey and Preston again unless she stopped visiting the counselor and stopped talking about the abuse. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Christi Jos suitcase was discovered along Interstate 80 near Maxwell three months after her disappearance. Her ears are pierced. A few days earlier, he took them to his parents' house and would not bring them back unless she agreed to follow a specific set of rules. She placed a great importance on the concept of family and dreamed of one day becoming a mother. (LogOut/ 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. Christi Jo Nichols was a 22 year old from Gothenburg, NE. Her disappearance turned into a controversy that continues to this day. Avoiding and outsmarting are two completely different things. Men like Mark do not view a significant other as a person or human being. Characteristics:Caucasian female with brown hair and green eyes. Afterward, McGinn was connected to the 1992 rape-murder of 19-year-old Christi Jo Eggers. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. This would be the last time he claims he saw Christi. He had done a great amount of divorce work, handling hundreds of divorces. He noted that as the investigation proceeded, it started to look more and more like a foul play situation. Click here to join us. Diane did not remember seeing it in there before Christi went missing. When the victim refuses to go back or stay is whenthings can go south. He claimed that she was walking ahead of him and went right to the bathroom when they came inside. Mark is the only suspect in her case. Job description and qualifications are posted for Nebraska education commissioner applicants. (it was never confirmed as to which he did), Rumors are that Mark had an abusive past prior to marrying Christi Jo. Mark reported Christi missing later that day. In the early 2000s, DNA testing confirmed that it was hers. 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. These details suggest to them that foul play may be involved in this case. Usually, it was Christi who paid the sitter, and she did it with a check. Her family has shared their criticism over the way the investigation has been handled, saying they feel it could have been solved if police had taken it more seriously from the beginning. Carol said that she was acting like a "scared rabbit", not maintaining eye contact and not being very verbal. Recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found was indeed Christi's. They were later returned to Mark, and Connie said she hardly got to see them, due to his influence. Learn how your comment data is processed. I think it was because my friend knows that I am always in pursuit of the truth when it comes to unsolved murders and my friend also knows when inspired I find an assignment and I stay out of trouble. 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. She was last seen at Catalyst Church in Bentonville. Its important to know that quite a few individuals knew Christi Jo was being abused by Mark and that the relationship was in trouble. Within days of her disappearance, he had moved out of their house, sold both their cars, and boxed up her clothes. When a neighbor is in trouble, it becomes everybody's business. Christi and her husband of three years, Mark Nichols, left their two children with a babysitter and went to a bar in Gothenburg, Nebraska on the evening of December 10, 1987. He now lives in Arkansas and is married for the third time. He claimed that he tossed her onto the waterbed and she landed wrong, twisting her thumb underneath her. Some people close to the case, including her father, Kenneth, have speculated that she may have been dumped in the gravel fill, as it was uncovered at the time. Diane had babysat for the couple numerous times and was surprised to see them going out, given she knew they werent getting along. According to Connie, Mark forged Christis signature on the titles in order to sell them. At this point, Berreckman contacted the Gothenburg Police Department to report Marks abuse. On the evening of December 10, 1987, Christi and her husband Mark went out for a night on the town. She married Mark Nichols when she was nineteen. The list can be exhaustive, but you get the idea I hope. She found it odd, as Christi was the one who usually payed her and . This was the last afternoon she would spend with her family. Its been said that during one point while Mark interviewed with Unsolved Mysteries, he actually giggled while discussing that he heard people suspected he chopped Christi Jo up and put her into garbage bags, then dumped at the local dump. Location: Gothenburg, Nebraska And 32 years later, they are still looking for answers. When he spoke with police, Mark told them that Christi had only taken a purse and suitcase with her. However, she refused to listen and continued to see the counsellor. This was not the first time Christi had seen Dr. Shackleton. Which is actually pretty dead on. Claude felt that when she was in his office, she was not panic stricken to the point that she would run or leave. Oddly, both family cars were in the driveway at the time Christi Jo packed a bag and vanished into the night, into the winter night. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. He searched the house and noticed that she had taken a suitcase of belongings with her. If it were me, Id search from the rest-stop Christi Jos belongings were discovered at and work it from that point outwards and back towards Gothenburg. Date Of Birth: September 6, 1965 Please contact about missing person cases, press inquiries and speaking engagementsImages subject to fair use allowance. The pair spent between five and 10 minutes speaking, and Mark paid her in cash. | Arctic Arkansas. Jessica Ridgeway. I wish they would push forward with this Mark Nichols needs to be put behind bars. Kniss said the family would like answers. While Mark tried to tell them it was menstrual blood, later DNA analysis would prove this statement to be false. This is a difficult case at best, however a very good friend of mine reminded me this past weekend of Judge Pirros work and her relentless pursuit of the truth in the Robert Durst Murder case. It was also discovered that his family was close to the Gothenburg police chief, Bob Shackleton. He later claimed that the rumors of him beating her up were not true. Video of Christi Jo Nichols for fans of Unsolved Mysteries. She went out of her way to find an attorney in a completely different town to keep her husband from knowing about her wanting a divorce. Officers seemed to feel they were left on purpose, that whoever left them wanted them found. Townspeople speculated that her body was buried in the local railroad overpass or entombed in some other construction project or rural area. Reba Benschoter, an emeritus professor at UNMC who recently died, is recognized as a pioneer of today's telemedicine and distance learning. Due to the couples deteriorating marriage, she wanted to divorce Mark and gain full custody of the children. No one can prove ityet. Sadly, due to his influence, Connie has not seen them since the early 1990s. The location of the suitcase and purse are important in that while they are not exactly where the body would actually be, yet they might in fact, have been placed in asubconsciousway, more proportional tosomewhere in between where Christi Jo was murdered and the location of where Christi Jos body is. Marital Status: Married According to. Abusers like Mark simply will not stand for or allow for his property to walk out the door. Toward the end of 1987, Mark took a polygraph test, but the results are said to have been inconclusive. The patrols cold case unit includes her in a deck of playing cards featuring photographs of homicide victims. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. It may not display this or other websites correctly. However, he is not considered a suspect. There is a strong sense of community among its 3,000 residents. Some of these items can be and are in no way limited to: Personal property, kicking the victim out of the shared home, the shutting down of the shared bank account or draining it of funds, taking theshared children, jewelry, clothing, car keys, ect. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. Lindsey now lives in Georgia, while Preston works in Lexington. (LogOut/ In 1990, Mark filed for divorce on the grounds that Christi had deserted him and the kids. I would love to get more attention for her case. On December 9, 1987, Christi visited divorce attorney Claude Berreckman at his office in Cozad, Nebraska, approximately 10 miles outside of Gothenburg. However, she always had a negative self-image and never felt that she did anything well until she had her children. After that, they were sent to live with him. The babysitter later stated she did not believe Christi came home with her husband, but Mark said Christi was there and the babysitter simply never saw her. The State Patrol lists Nichols case as one of about 250 unsolved homicides. Nobody in town reported having seen him do this, however. Gothenburg womans disappearance a mystery. She also never picked up her last paycheque from the bar. She was surprised that she did not notice Christi because she was there for several minutes after they arrived; she believes that she would have heard Christi's footsteps on the tile floor when she came in or heard her in the bathroom. Two days prior to Christi Jos disappearance she consulted with an attorney in a different town, inquiring about a divorce and stated she wanted full custody of her children. She said that she was having problems with him and that he had beaten her. See more. Alone. Christis family does not believe she would voluntarily leave on her own, given how much she loved her children, and Connie believes Mark beat her daughter to death before disposing of her body. Christis disappearance received very little media attention, as police suspected she was a runaway wife, as opposed to a victim of foul play. When he went to turn to Christi, he noticed she wasnt in bed, and a subsequent search of the house revealed she was gone and that a suitcase was missing. Authorities stated there was not enough blood to indicate Christi was dead. Home between 12:30 and 1:00am, Mark told them that Christi met with a cigarette these to! Wrote she would run or leave when the victim refuses to go back Connie has not seen since... The point that she had her children hundreds of divorces ended up in an abusive relationship where they each! Quite a few months Twitter account 26, works in Lexington purpose, that whoever left wanted... 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