Christi Jo Nichols: Vanished December 10, 1987 - Unsolved Mysteries Case Still Haunts Nebraska

Missing Person: Christi Jo Nichols

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased):

Nichols, a mother of two small children, was last seen alive on December 10th, 1987, at her home in Gothenburg. Her husband reported her missing the next day, and she has never been seen since. 

The Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case and the family hired a private detective to no avail. 

Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed, it evolved into suspicion of murder. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husband's car. Recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found was indeed Christi's.

Her suitcase, along with her purse, was found at a rest stop near Maxwell in 1988. Christi was in an abusive relationship and had been treated in an emergency room for injuries weeks before she disappeared. She was planning to leave her husband at the time of her disappearance.

Last contact: December 10th, 1987

Last location: Gothenburg, Nebraska

Age when Christi Jo Nichols disappeared: 22

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 69

Weight in pounds (lbs): 120

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair color: Brown

Eye Color: Green

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Scar left eye; scar on abdomen; and pierced ears.

Link to Government Source: MP4677 (right-click to open)

Websleuths discussion page: Christi Jo Nichols (right-click to open)

BMI means body mass index. It is meant to describe someone's healthy body weight relative to the individual's height. It is only food for thought because it does not account for all body types. Christi Jo Nichols had a BMI of 17.72. She was underweight by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Original time of writing: March 10th, 2025

I covered this case some years ago in relation to an old episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Readers can find what I wrote at the following link: Christi Jo Nichols.

There was some news coverage with this case back in 2020. The Gothenburg Leader's Ellen Mortensen published an article on Christi's disappearance on January 16th, 2020 with updates the next month. The following bullet points summarize the news article.

• On December 10th, 1987, Christi Jo Nichols went out with her husband, Mark Nichols; she has not been seen since; the children were left with a babysitter, who did not see or hear Christi when Mark returned
• The next day, Mark gave conflicting stories about Christi’s whereabouts before filing a missing person report.
• Spousal Abuse Allegations: Reports surfaced that Christi was treated for injuries from a fight with Mark, 10 days before disappearing and had consulted a divorce attorney two days prior, suggesting domestic tension.
• Mark’s Claims: Mark insisted Christi left voluntarily, citing a missing suitcase (later found matching his exact description at a rest stop) and suggesting she ran off with another man, though evidence for this is thin.
• Family and Community Impact: Christi’s family—parents, siblings, and children Lindsey and Preston—have lived without closure, while her disappearance remains a haunting memory in Gothenburg, driving ongoing efforts for answers.
• Media and Public Role: The case gained attention through an Unsolved Mysteries episode, which I reviewed in another article.
• Status back in 2020: Despite extensive searches and occasional leads, the case remains open but unsolved.

Grok Reviews Missing Person Commentary: Shane Lambert’s True Crime Blog Analysis

By: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: March 4th, 2025

If you don’t know what Grok is, it’s X’s (formerly Twitter’s) artificial intelligence tool. It’s free to a certain extent; however, if you ask too many questions over a certain period, you’ll be prompted with a registration option at a cost. I’m a fan of the tool—in fact, I’m finding it more useful than Google for online research purposes.

I decided to ask Grok what it thought of my website, the one you’re reading right now. Here’s a breakdown of what was said, complete with a “yes” or “no” retort from me.

What Grok Said About What Missing Person Commentary (MPC) Is

Nature: A Blogspot site where Lambert posts about missing persons cases, often referencing sources like NamUs, newspapers, and Unsolved Mysteries episodes. Posts include case summaries, personal theories, and research notes.

• I’d say this is fair enough. But I’d add that I do dabble in anything related to crime writing or forensics. For example, I’ve looked at airplane crash documentaries on the website and other topics that aren’t closely related to missing person mysteries.

Author: Lambert describes himself as an enthusiast, not a professional investigator. He mentions taking a Private Investigator course and a Forensic Science course from Nanyang Technological University, but there’s no evidence he’s a licensed expert or affiliated with official organizations.

• I describe myself as a Freelance Writer. I’m not sure where they’re getting the “enthusiast” description from, but my headline for the website is “A freelance writer trying to help in missing-person investigations (no professional investigators are associated with the site).”
• I think the credentials I have make me a bit more polished than most other freelance writers. Furthermore, I think people who consult blogs don’t mind reading writing—or else what are they expecting?
• Lastly, I think Grok is overly impressed by “licensed” experts or “official organizations.” Anyone with a reasonable amount of life experience should have noticed that “licensed” experts with “official organizations” are a mixed bag themselves.

Content: Focuses on lesser-known cases, attempts to match missing persons with unidentified remains, and provides updates or reflections on cold cases. It’s a one-person operation with no apparent team or editorial oversight.

• I do NOT focus on lesser-known cases. They are included, but I wouldn’t say they’re the focus. Grok is wrong with the first sentence it wrote there. I consider the probability of traffic when I include a missing person case on my website, and that means selecting well-known cases. I don’t see much point in writing something if no one is going to read it.
• Grok is right when it says it’s a “one-person operation with no apparent team or editorial oversight.” I basically proofread my own writing.

Grok’s Evaluation of the Strengths of MPC

Detail-Oriented: Posts often cite specific sources (e.g., NamUs case numbers, newspaper archives), showing effort to ground commentary in verifiable data.

• Fair enough.

Niche Focus: Covers cases that might not get mainstream attention, appealing to true crime enthusiasts or those researching specific disappearances.

• I do cover cases that “might not get mainstream attention,” but it’s not really the focus.

Transparency: Lambert is upfront about his amateur status and hobbyist approach, which adds some credibility to his intent.

• “Amateur status” is a strange term. I have work experience as a writer going back to 2009, and I’ve been in magazines. But I’m not a police officer or a private investigator, so it depends on what they mean. I’d say my research skills are better than most writers. My blog posts do get cited a lot in other forums.

Grok’s Evaluation of the Weaknesses of MPC

Lack of Authority: As a personal blog, it lacks the backing of law enforcement, academic institutions, or established missing persons organizations (e.g., NamUs, NCMEC).

• What website does law enforcement back except their own? Academic institutions don’t really care about missing person cases. NamUs is so error-riddled that they require correction, something I do regularly.

Lambert’s conclusions are speculative and not professionally vetted.

• It’s kind of redundant. Calling the website “speculative” isn’t the best word. I’d say “conjecture” is better. This could point out that I’ve researched hundreds and hundreds of missing person cases.

Potential Bias: His opinions (e.g., “I think this person died in a fire” or “she disappeared voluntarily”) are presented without forensic or investigative evidence, which could mislead readers seeking facts over theories.

• I’d say this is false. The example of the person dying in the fire has to do with the Ricky Jean Bryant case. Actually, my opinion is presented with “investigative evidence.” I researched the original journalism from the days after she disappeared. Her house burned down, and the firefighters who put the blaze out said they heard a child screaming from inside the house as it burned down. I consider professionals like firefighters, professors, bylaw enforcement officers, teachers, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, and similar people to be very reliable eyewitnesses because they know better than to make frivolous statements. So I’d say Grok is just wrong about this.
• I don’t think there’s any misleading readers. When you use the phrase “I think” at the start of a sentence, it’s clear someone is offering an opinion—something people do all the time.
• Lastly, the notion of a “Potential Bias” in my writing isn’t worth pointing out. Everyone has biases, including Grok. It will contain the biases of the people who program it.

No Peer Review: Unlike official databases or journalistic outlets, there’s no mechanism to ensure accuracy or correct errors.

• I don’t see how this makes sense. Peer reviews would be done at other websites, not my own, so why would that be a criticism of MPC? Furthermore, if you look at mainstream media, it’s well-known that they deliberately report things falsely sometimes. I never do this at MPC.

Platform: Hosted on Blogspot, a free blogging platform, which doesn’t inherently signal professionalism or reliability compared to dedicated domains tied to organizations.

• This makes no sense, really. Everything, at bottom, is human-run. The articles speak for themselves, not the platform. Honestly, Grok is stupid here.

For Casual Interest: It’s a decent starting point if you enjoy true crime speculation or want a narrative take on obscure cases. Lambert’s enthusiasm and research effort might spark curiosity or highlight overlooked details.

For Reliable Information: It’s not reputable in the sense of being an authoritative or primary source. Without professional credentials, institutional backing, or rigorous fact-checking, it’s best treated as opinion rather than fact.

If you’re assessing it for a specific case or purpose (e.g., a missing person you’re researching), cross-check its claims against NamUs, official reports, or news archives. It’s a labor of love, not a cornerstone of credibility. What do you plan to use it for? That could shift the answer a bit!

• The so-called “better” sources are often riddled with errors, many of which I’ve corrected in my research.

Evaluation of Grok’s Evaluation

• It’s food for thought, but I think it makes statements that lack depth.
• I’d only give it a four out of ten.

Jian Fang (Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack) - Businessperson, Murder Victim....and Welcher?

By: Shane Lambert

Original time of writing: January 18th, 2025

Today, I partook in an old hobby of mine. I watched some old episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, the hit television show from the 1980s and 1990s starring Robert Stack as the host. The episode I watched, in part, was from Season 6, Episode 11 (aired March 3rd, 1995) and it was available on YouTube at the original time of writing. I focused on the first topic of the episode, the 1993 murder of a San Francisco businessman named Jian Fang.

Fang's Murder: As Presented on the Unsolved Mysteries episode

Fang was the owner of a prominent noodle factory. As presented in the episode of Unsolved Mysteries, on December 18th, 1993, Fang left work with a supervisor in his factory. This supervisor (called a foreman in the media) was a woman whom he was giving a ride home. Presumptively, she has nothing to do with the crime. As presented in the TV show, Fang offered her a ride. If true, that would mean she was not a willing participant in this sordid affair but was a "wrong place at the wrong time" kind of actor in this scene.

Unbeknownst to either him or the woman, two assailants had entered Fang's vehicle where they lay in waiting. Shortly after Fang drove away, these assailants emerged from the backseat to rob Mr. Fang.

One of the assailants fashioned a knife, which was described as little more than a cheap kitchen knife. After arguing with Mr. Fang for some time, a commotion ensued. As presented in the Unsolved Mysteries episode, the assailant who fashioned the knife stabbed Mr. Fang in this commotion. The blade pierced his heart, leading to Mr. Fang's death.

The woman in the vehicle was threatened but she was spared. After two hours, she contacted help.

Amateur Sleuths Offer Their Opinions

In the episode, a group of amateurs are asked their thoughts on the case. Let's call them Pre-Internet Websleuths. 

I did one like one of the theories that was presented in the episode. Mainly, one of the students suggested that Mr. Fang was murdered as a result of his affiliation with sports gambling circles. His affiliation with such activities was mentioned in the episode.

Back in 1993, sports gambling was not generally legal in the USA. It was only during Donald Trump's first tenure as president that sports gambling enjoyed broader legalization. Before Trump, it was Las Vegas and casinos on Indian reservations where gambling was allowed. I think you could also gamble at some weird locations, like on a riverboat situated on a river that acted as a border between two states. 

Regardless, you couldn't gamble on sports as much as you can today in the USA. The article below is from San Francisco in 1993.

The San Francisco Examiner
September 24th, 1993.

That gambling was more than just frowned upon in 1993 -- it was illegal in many American locations -- is important to note for a couple of reasons for this case. Firstly, we learn something about the murder victim. It's important not to put a murder victim on a pedestal, which I think some amateurs do.

If he was into sports gambling circles in 1993 in California, then Mr. Fang wasn't the type of citizen who followed the law religiously. I don't think sports gambling is that bad of a crime. I would say it was more like smoking marijuana and maybe not quite as bad as participating in prostitution. But Mr. Fang must have been a willing member of some clandestine circles and that's important because it can call his character into question a bit.

Secondly, when an industry is illegal, then there is no legal forum to enforce non-payment of debts. This happens in drug trafficking. When someone owes a debt over drugs, that person cannot just litigate against the other party because it would be incriminating. It makes the drug industry inherently violent. 

In the world of clandestine sports betting, there was no way to enforce winning bets. When you gamble on sports legally through a casino or sportsbook, there are legal parameters that must be adhered to. When you gamble illegally, bets can be welched on much easier. That can make illegal sports betting rife with intimidation and violence.

The theorist that I liked in the episode stated that Mr. Fang might have won a bet against the assailants. They then were poor sports and, after paying the bet, tried to rob Mr. Fang to recover their losses. I think there's a bit of a bias here to see the murder victim as a saint in life. In contrast, I would simply suggest that the robbers were trying to collect a bet that Mr. Fang might have welched on.

From this perspective, that Mr. Fang was not the perfect citizen is important. He participated in clandestine activities when he made illicit sports bets. His character wasn't perfect and, accordingly, perhaps he was a welcher in unregulated sports gambling.

My scenario for this murder (opinion)

The San Francisco Examiner
September 29th, 1994.

The assailants stalked Mr. Fang, I'm sure of this. They knew his vehicle, and where it would be parked, and they seemed to know the route he would take from his workplace to his vehicle. That's clear because they broke a window to get into his vehicle. They must have picked a window that Mr. Fang wouldn't see on his approach as that's the only way they would go undetected after breaking into the vehicle.

The assailants broke the back window of Mr. Fang's car. There must have been a degree of confidence in their belief that Mr. Fang wouldn't approach that way nor go to the back of the car to load it. I think that would have required some stalking and planning.

The assailant who stabbed Mr. Fang probably did so in panic or accidentally. I do not think that these were hardened criminals the day that they planned to collect on what I believe was a genuine gambling debt. The assailant left the basic kitchen knife at the murder scene. Any mafioso-type killer probably would not do that. I think leaving the actual murder weapon at the scene of the crime is the mistake of a novice criminal. This was a robbery that escalated into a murder, in my opinion. The detective in the Unsolved Mysteries episode seemed to think the same thing.

Who did it? I think this theory would point toward someone that Mr. Fang owed money to after losing a bet. While that doesn't name a name, I think it makes more sense than the other theories presented in the episode.

Newspaper Clipping Details

• The suspects were thought to be younger than 30.
• There was a BB gun near the crime scene.
• He was killed on a Saturday night during the NFL season, which plays on Sunday (it was suggested in an article that Mr. Fang might have had a lot of money on him at that time because football is heavily bet on).
• The detective in the case thought that there might have been a third assailant, a getaway driver.

One thing that didn't add up was the timing. One newspaper source so it was almost midnight on December 18th, 1993 when Mr. Fang walked out to his vehicle. In the Unsolved Mysteries episode, the drama in the vehicle is described as taking almost half of an hour to unfold. When I play that timeline out, I have Mr. Fang being murdered very early on December 19th, 1993 as opposed to very late on the 18th. However, the point may be moot.

Jian Fang: What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

• I did not find any newspaper articles or online media that stated that this murder had been solved since 1993.

Rogest Cain - Missing Since 1986 (was featured on Unsolved Mysteries)

Missing Person's Name: Rogest Cain

Last contact: February 18th, 1986, according to NamUs, Unsolved Mysteries episode says February 19th, 1986

Age when he disappeared: 61

Birthday: October 12th, 1924; Cenotaph says October 12th, 1923.

Sex: Male

Height in inches: 67

Weight in pounds (lbs): 165

Ethnicity: Black

Hair color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Scars on right forearm, left breast, right knee, left thigh, and his left shoulder (deltoid).

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Cain was last seen at his home in Los Angeles on February 18th, 1986. However, others have claimed to have seen this after this time. I recommend DoeNetwork's circumstances for reading on this missing person.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/51159/details?nav and also at https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/rogest-cain

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

The missing person case of Rogest Cain does not have a lot of information available at NamUs. However, his case did appear in an episode of Unsolved Mysteries in Season 1, Episode 13. As told from that source, Cain indicated that he was going to a local hardware store but has not necessarily been seen since. His vehicle was found with some "important papers," his glasses, and his false teeth about a month later.

In the episode, amnesia is suggested as the reason for his disappearance. After the episode, a tip came in from Topeka, Kansas. The called believed that Cain was using the name Elmer Jackson in that city.  

Has Rogest Cain been found?

Rogest Cain still has a missing person profile online at NamUs. The profile was created on July 14th, 2018. He also has a profile with the state of California.

Some sources say that he was declared legally dead in 1995. At the time of writing, he would be 100 years old which puts him in the "less than 1% chance of being alive" category even if he was in good health at the time of his 1986 disappearance.

His cenotaph, which is pictured online at findagrave, gives a date of death of February 19th, 1993. A cenotaph is used in a graveyard when the remains are not present so he has not yet been found. I agree with the statements at DoeNetwork that suggest that this individual may have been admitted into a hospital as a John Doe as there are stroke and/or mental health possibilities with this MP at about the time of his disappearance.

Lee Selwyn Murder - What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: July 15th, 2024

Episode 13 of Season 1 of the hit TV show Unsolved Mysteries from the 1980s and 1990s featured a lead story about the murder of Lee Selwyn, a man who was a disc jockey in the LA area. The show originally aired on January 15th, 1989 with Robert Stack as the host.

As depicted in the episode, Selwyn was out riding his motorcycle as part of a quartet of friends. One of the friends confronted a dangerous driver in a truck and an altercation ensued. When one of Selwyn's friends damaged the driver's truck, he, the driver, responded by attempting to run down the motorcyclists. The driver ran Selwyn off the road at high speed, leading to his loss of life when he hit a phone pole. If you are wondering what happened after the 1989 episode that featured this murder, then this article is for you.

Lee Selwyn's photo from his Findagrave memorial page.

Update in 1993: Prisoner Named as a Suspect

Selwyn was 26 years old when the murder took place on October 8th, 1988. There was an update in 1993. An inmate in the Georgia prison system was identified as a suspect in the murder. His name was Franklin Legrand (or LeGrand) Perkins, a man who was 36 years old in 1993. The clipped article below comes from the LA Times on July 30th, 1993.

This led to the conviction of Perkins according to a December 11th, 1994 article in the LA Times.

Selwyn's memorial page at Findagrave contains the following statements: "In March of 1993, Lee's case was re-aired; as a result, an anonymous tipster contacted the telecenter. She identified Lee's killer as Franklin Legrand Perkins. The tipster had remembered a story her ex-boyfriend had told her of Perkins boasting about how he killed a biker in Los Angeles. Lee's friends were shown a photo line-up and identified Perkins as the assailant. He was arrested in Moultrie, Georgia on July 30, just a few days before he was scheduled to be paroled from prison. At the time, he was serving a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon. He was returned to Los Angeles to face charges. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison."

The newspaper clipping says he was convicted of second-degree murder. Second-degree murder is the kind that comes without planning and would seem to fit the situation as depicted in the episode.

Colleen Wood's Disappearance - What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

By: Shane Lambert

If you watched an old episode of Unsolved Mysteries from Season 12 with Robert Stack and are now looking to see if the mysteries have been solved since the program's air date, then this article is for you. Firstly, Episode 12 of Season 12 originally aired on Wednesday, August 15th, 2001. The opening unsolved mystery has to do with Colleen Wood and her disappearance.

As regaled in the episode, Colleen met a man named John Paul and she quit her job as part of a plan to sail the world with him. However, Colleen was not heard from after December 2000. Furthermore, John Paul had a criminal record for attempted murder that Colleen likely did not know about. As of the end of the episode from 2001, Colleen's whereabouts were not known and John Paul was not named as a suspect in her disappearance. However, he too was missing with the episode suggesting that his disappearance was of a voluntary sort while Colleen's was not. Detectives had also ascertained that some $40,000 had been taken from Colleen's credit cards without her consent. Other sources place this amount at $38,000.

As of the publication date of this blog post (July 15th, 2024), Colleen Wood still has a missing person profile at NamUs, meaning she is still missing. Below are her details with more research afterward.

Missing Person's Name: Colleen Wood

Last contact: December 28th, 2000 (exact date not known according to one source)

Age when she disappeared: 53

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 62 which is 5'2"

Weight in pounds (lbs): 115

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian 

Hair color: Gray or partially gray 

Eye Color: Brown 

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Nothing

Birthdate: Not certain. But I think it is December 2nd or 7th, 1948. These different birthdates appear on her marriage licenses from two marriages.

Alias: Colleen Pascu (married and then divorced)

Family: Michael Tandarich (son), who seemed to be named after his father

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Wood was reported missing to Fort Lauderdale Police on April 16th, 2001. Her disappearance is considered to be extremely suspicious. 

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/23600?nav

Photos: Several available at NamUs

Commentary and Research

Colleen's disappearance date with NamUs has to be taken with a grain of salt. Her friend, Maureen Canada, said that they spoke on the phone on December 13th or 14th in 2000. That conversation puts her in a bar in Key West, Florida.

There wasn't any journalism after the air date of the Unsolved Mysteries episode to update this matter. I do not think that there is any significant update in this case since that time. But readers will likely want to know that John Paul does have a Wikipedia page. According to that source, the women who withdrew money from Colleen Wood's credit card identified John Paul as the man who accompanied them. According to his Wikipedia page, he is still missing and would be in his mid-80s if alive today.

There were classified ads that were placed in local newspapers using Colleen's credit card. One of them was from December 16th, 2000. That was two to three days after Maureen Canada spoke with Colleen. I would think that John Paul's claimed last sighting of Colleen cannot be trusted. My guess is that Colleen died somehow between December 13th and December 16th.

Has Colleen Wood Been Found?

One investigative angle amateurs can help with has to do with the classified ads. I tried pulling key phrases from the ads and searching for them in online newspaper databases to see if the same or very similar ads appeared anywhere else in the world. If John Paul placed the ads and used the same wording for other ads, then there might be a lead on his whereabouts. If you have a membership to online newspaper databases, then you can try this on your own in addition to my efforts. The ads appear in the embedded YouTube video below.

John Paul and Colleen Wood. 12 Jun 2001, Tue The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com

Joan Gay Croft Mystery - What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: July 27th, 2023

The mystery of Joan Gay Croft is an enduring mystery in missing persons cases. An episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Robert Stack hosting) covered the events surrounding her disappearance. The episode is in Season 6, Episode 1. The following is a summary of the events as told in the episode of Unsolved Mysteries.

Tornado damage.
By City of Woodward, Oklahoma - https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19470409 (Exact URL & Archived URL), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134069705

The Disappearance of Joan Gay Croft, According to Unsolved Mysteries

• A strong tornado struck the town of Woodard, Oklahoma in April 1947, killing scores of people in addition to widespread property damage (read about it at Wikipedia);
• One family, the Crofts, loses its mother, the father is badly injured, and the two daughters require hospitalization;
• Joan Gay Croft goes missing while in the hospital when two men in military khakis reportedly make off with her;
• She has not been seen since;
• The embedded video below should be started at the 31:30 mark.

What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

If you are reading this, then you are probably wondering what happened with this case after the Unsolved Mysteries episode? Well, as of July 27th, 2023, Joan Croft still has an active profile at NamUs, meaning she is still missing.

This is a case that I covered independently of the Unsolved Mysteries episode. I wrote about this case in 2020 and watched the television show more recently. I think the points I made in the 2020 article are still relevant for anyone interested in this case.

The Unsolved Mysteries episode does not depict Joan Gay Croft's injuries in the same light as the newspaper coverage from 1947 did. The episode says that Croft had a splinter that was finger-sized in her leg. The journalism at the time says the splinter was broom-handle-sized.

Furthermore, her injuries, according to her Namus profile, were not treated. At least, that's what I wrote in 2020 after reading her profile. As of July 27th, 2023, her profile states the following: "left calf - splinter wound from tornado (not removed prior to abduction)."

If the splinter was, in fact, broom-handle sized then who knows what kind of infection could result from having that untreated throughout a couple of days. Furthermore, there must have been significant blood loss.

April 20th, 1947. Blackwell-Journal Tribune.

Also, the Unsolved Mysteries episode presents her as a fairly well-groomed child huddled in the hospital basement with her sister. The journalism that covered her disappearance back in 1947 said that she had "severe facial abrasions and a possible head injury." She certainly was not in good shape.

FBI Not Interested in the Case So TV Show Likely Sensational

Another important point from the 1947 journalism, is that the FBI didn't investigate the case. They didn't have convincing enough proof that an abduction had taken place. Apparently, all the people who spoke in the Unsolved Mysteries episode were credible enough for the show but not for more serious matters.

The journalism at the time supports the notion that she died amidst the confusion and may have been buried under an incorrect name. I recommend that readers visit my article on this case but be sure to read the newspaper clippings that are embedded as well. This 'unsolved mystery' about two men in khakis will seem far less mysterious after that.

Unsolved Mysteries isn’t a great show when it comes to dealing with facts. In this case, I think that they were trying to captivate more than report.

Unsolved Mysteries Episode: Fake News From the 1980s

In fact, in the very same episode as the one that featured Joan Croft's case, they started with a tall tale of a man who had a fear of water. Turns out, as presented in the show, that it was because -- get this -- he was the reincarnation of a submarine sailor who drowned in WWII.

The television series dabbled in all kinds of nonsense. It's clear to anyone who is logical and reasonable that some people were willing to say whatever they needed to appear on the show. It's also clear that the show was willing to indulge such people and present them in a credible light to captivate the viewing audience.

I'm not saying that journalism can't behave similarly. Then, the question is why didn't they?

For those looking at this mystery, the journalism from 1947 is more reasonable than the fanciful Unsolved Mysteries episode.

Conclusion: In my opinion, Joan Gay Croft is probably in the local graveyard as supported by the 1947 journalism.

Tara Suzette Breckenridge -- Missing from Houston Since 1992

Paraphrased details from government source**: Tara was last seen leaving her place of employment at The Men's Club in the 3300 block of Sage in southwest Houston, TX, where she worked as a waitress. She was returning home at the time of her disappearance. Her vehicle, a red 1986 Pontiac Fiero was found abandoned and locked in the 1200 block of West Loop North near 12th street, on her route home. The car's alternator belt was missing, there was no sign of a struggle, but she has never been seen since. Foul play is suspected.

Missing Person: Tara Suzette Breckenridge
Last-contact date: August 4th, 1992 (Tuesday) at about 1am (this would have felt like the night of August 3rd)
The area where the MP was last seen: Houston, Texas
Link to government source: NamUs MP914

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 23 years old
Birthdate: September 30th, 1968 in Kern, California
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-10 and 110 to 125 pounds; journalism from August 1992 said 5'5" and 115 pounds
BMI*: Using the upper height and upper weight for the ranges above, in this case, the missing person was underweight by BMI at the time of the disappearance. However, she would have been in the normal range using lower values from the ranges. She looks thin in her pictures.
Tattoos: Tara Suzette Breckenridge did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Objects associated with the missing person: a light-colored shirt, blue shorts, sandals, contacts or glasses, Del Rio High School class ring from 1991 (I read she graduated in 1987, however), a red Pontiac Fiero.

Distinctive characteristics: a scar on the left side of the lower lip, long red-painted fingernails, a scar under her left arm, and a scar on the left side of the body

By: Shane Lambert

Tara Suzette Breckenridge has not been seen since August 4th, 1992 when she was 23 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 29 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

This is a case that I looked at previously in comparison to several other similar cases. After working on scores of cases, I've noticed that one pattern common to a lot of missing person cases is a found vehicle where the driver of the vehicle is the missing person.

In some of these cases, I think that the abandoned vehicle was sabotaged by the person that disappeared the missing person. I think Tara Breckenridge's case is one such case with other similar cases worth noting. I've written on such disappearances more broadly in another blog post called "Women With Car Troubles Go Missing."

My advice to any female motorist is to be skeptical of the help that arrives if your vehicle suddenly starts behaving oddly. It could be that the person that arrives to help had a hand in sabotaging your vehicle. Perhaps, the widespread use of mobile phones will have helped curb this kind of modus operandi since the time of Breckenridge's disappearance. However, I think the first person on the scene is a risky person to trust if your vehicle breaks down.

The earliest journalism I found on this case dated to August 15th, 1992. The meat of this early journalism is as follows.

15 Aug 1992, Sat Del Rio News Herald (Del Rio, Texas) Newspapers.com

One oddity in the disappearance of Tara Breckenridge is that an 18-year old man seemed to interject himself into the case, a man named Robert Beaty who was 18 years old as of April 1st, 1993. He would have been born in 1974 or 1975, however, I wasn't able to find him in Ancestry.

NamUs #MP914 01 Apr 1993, Thu Del Rio News Herald (Del Rio, Texas) Newspapers.com
Tara Breckenridge has at least one landing page within Ancestry's files. Within that site, her date of disappearance is considered to be her date of death. That can be true or false.

Tara's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance was considered a suspect in this case. In my opinion, I think the guilt is elsewhere (ie. men at the club she worked at, whether staff or patrons).

What stands out with this case is that Tara was lovely and she was working in a kind of place (a strip club) that would attract some questionable characters, I think. She had a boyfriend, Tara was religious and not likely to cheat, and so I think she was the gorgeous waitress that the amorous men at the club could not get. That would have made her frustrating to someone who was edgy.

Her alternator belt had been removed from her car, this is a known fact of the case. I am thinking that the belt was in the car when she drove to work, hence, the car didn't break down during that trip. But I think the belt may have been removed during her shift and then she may have been followed. That her car was able to travel to work is a big clue in this case: it says to me that her vehicle was sabotaged at work. Thus, I think those that think her boyfriend did this crime need to prove that he was at her place of employment that night.

The removal of the alternator belt, I read, would affect the car's electrical system:

"The serpentine belt is also known as an alternator belt, fan belt, or accessory drive belt.  It is powered by a car’s engine to spin or 'drive' several mechanical components in the engine, and is responsible for providing power to vital systems, such as the electrical system, the power steering system, the cooling system and the A/C system. Some vehicles’ water pumps, radiator fans, and power brakes are also dependent on the serpentine belt.

If your serpentine belt wears out, becomes damaged or contaminated, or breaks, engine accessories will not be able to spin at the proper speed, leading to decreased power to the electrical system. This can lead to a sudden lost of power assist for the steering system, leading to the steering wheel all-of-a-sudden becoming very hard to turn. A broken serpentine belt may stop the water pump from circulating coolant through the cooling system, causing the engine can overheat. And it may stop the alternator from generating power to operate the vehicle’s electric/electronic systems and recharge the battery - the headlights will dim, the radio will not work, and the battery will die." (Source: streetautorepair.com)

Tara may have had no choice but to accept the help of whoever arrived at the scene when her car broke down on her way home. This person who arrived to help her may have been the same person that caused the damage to the vehicle as part of a premeditated attack. Importantly, this kind of modus operandi is well known for the time period that we are looking at. When a woman's car is sabotaged and then the person that sabotaged the vehicle follows her in order to abduct her when she needs help has been called "The Good Samaritan's Ruse." Many women fell victim to it in the 1980s, 90s, and even beforehand.

I don't picture the boyfriend's timeline as fully supporting him being the one that sabotaged Tara's vehicle in the parking lot of her work. Also, it's hard to picture him happening on Tara as she drove. If the boyfriend planned to attack her after her shift, that would require some predictability out of Tara, I think. However, her shift ended earlier than expected the night she went missing and she was leaving her place of employment at a bit of a surprise time. I can't say that I don't 100% discount the boyfriend as a suspect but, in my opinion, I don't think he is guilty.

What I think makes the most sense is this:

1. Tara drove to work without problems because her vehicle was in good running order.
2. During Tara's shift, someone with access to her vehicle removed the alternator belt.
3. That person lay in waiting for Tara to leave work, whether in the parking lot or parked curbside.
4. Tara left work an hour early, something I don't think the boyfriend knew about.
5. Her car broke down because of the vehicle sabotage.
6. The man that arrived on the spot to help her had actually caused the damage.
7. Tara may have trusted him to an extent if she knew him from the club, which explains why there is no sign of a struggle at the found vehicle as she went with him voluntarily.
8. Tara locked her car doors, believing she would be back at a future time.
9. This mystery person disappeared Tara.

This mystery was covered in the February 10th, 1995 episode of Unsolved Mysteries, hosted by Robert Stack. I've embedded that episode below. The segment on Tara starts at 10:20. Please comment if the embedding no longer works as Youtube videos are often deleted. There are a lot of pictures of Tara in the video.

 

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

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*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: To determine whether a person is missing or not, this site relies heavily on government sources. If you are described as missing when you are not, I recommend simply having your missing person report updated or removed. When that happens, updates at this site can follow.

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Doreen Pickard's Murder, Susan Laferte's Assault - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

On May 18th, 1988, "Unsolved Mysteries" aired an original episode. One of the mysteries ("Rhode Island Amnesia") included the murder of Doreen Picard and the assault of Susan Laferte. Laferte, as a surviving witness to the murder, unfortunately, went into a coma from her injuries and could not remember the attack when she came out of it.

03 Apr 1998, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com

More modern versions of the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode indicate that one Raymond Tempest was convicted of the crimes, was sentenced to 85 years in prison, but has since been released. Naturally, that should raise some questions for fans of the television series: why was he convicted, and if his sentence was for so many decades, how is it that he could be released already?

The episode was the 7th "Special Edition" of "Unsolved Mysteries." This was a time period in the show's history when they appeared to be feeling out the ratings. The following preview of the show appeared in the News-Press out of Fort Myers, Florida on May 18th, 1988.

18 May 1988, Wed News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida) Newspapers.com
With the newspaper databases I used, Raymond Tempest's name starts to enter journalism related to the crime in June of 1991. The following article is the earliest journalism I found that associated Raymond Tempest with the case.

09 Jun 1991, Sun The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

Later journalism suggested that Raymond Tempest benefited from having family ties involved in law enforcement in the community that Picard was murdered in:

 

21 Apr 1992, Tue Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) Newspapers.com

The conviction came in what would have been late June of 1992.

05 Jul 1992, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

The conviction was vacated in July of 2015:

 

14 Jul 2015, Tue The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

After the vacation of the conviction in July 2015, I did not find any more newspaper coverage. However, there are online news articles as this saga appears to be ongoing even in very modern times.

Dottie Caylor's Disappearance - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

03 Apr 1998, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com

Dottie Caylor's disappearance was featured in one of the opening episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" television program. According to a Youtube video I watched, it was in the pilot episode. From Wikipedia, it was a special program that was aired before the series became the series that fans grew to love. According to a newspaper article I consulted (The Leaf-Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee), the show aired on November 29th, 1987. If you watched the "Unsolved Mysteries" program and wondered what happened with this case, then this article is for you.

29 Nov 1987, Sun The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com

Firstly, this individual, as of the time of writing (December 17th, 2021), still has an active missing person's profile with NamUs, America's national database of missing people. Dorothy May Caylor is case number #MP14589. Her profile says that her last date of contact was June 12th, 1985 in Concord, California, which is information that is available in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode.

I found an article in The Salt Lake Tribune from March 31st, 2004 that Kristen Stewart wrote. The article indicated that Jule Caylor, Dottie's husband, faced some problems when he attempted a career in politics. Ultimately, Jule Caylor withdrew his candidacy for the Utah Legislature (The Salt Lake Tribune/Page 24/April 18th, 2004).

One interesting piece of information in this article is that Jule had "an engagement to another woman six months before Dottie went missing." This wasn't covered in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode, perhaps because it wasn't known when they made the episode. Furthermore, the Stewart article in the Tribune mentioned an interest in a concrete slab, possibly as a place to look underneath for Caylor. I think the following article is good reading for anyone looking for follow-up information on this case after watching the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode. You can click the article to enlarge it.

31 Mar 2004, Wed The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) Newspapers.com

 I didn't find any journalism after 2004 with the sources I use. However, based on the fact that Dottie still has a missing person profile with NamUs, it's clear that she is yet to be found.

Christi Jo Nichols, Mark Nichols - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

The missing person case of Christi Jo Nichols was profiled in the hit television show "Unsolved Mysteries" back in 1988. Christi Jo Nichols, as presented in the show, was a mother who disappeared from Gothenburg, Nebraska while contemplating a divorce from her physically abusive husband.

If you watched the episode online and are wondering what happened with the case, then this article is for you. 

In the episode of "Unsolved Mysteries," the husband, Mark Nichols, claimed that he awoke one morning and saw that Christi wasn't beside him in bed. His side of the story is not presented as particularly credible in the episode.

This was Season 1 of the series and Episode 6 of that season, according to my research on the show. It originally aired on November 16th, 1988. The episode had the following synopsis in the November 16th, 1988 edition of The Evening Sun in Baltimore Maryland:

Unsolved Mysteries. Season 1. Episode 6. 16 Nov 1988, Wed The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) Newspapers.com

Christi Jo Nichols went missing on December 10th, 1987. She was 22 years old at the time. The first instance of journalism I found on the case was dated February 8th, 1988 in the Lincoln Star Journal (page 9). Much of this article is based on information from that newspaper source.

Mark Nichols is cited in the article.

08 Feb 1988, Mon Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

According to the journalism that I reviewed, this case was not solved as of October 29th, 2006. I found an article in the Lincoln Journal Star for that date where she was included among the cold cases for the state of Nebraska.

29 Oct 2006, Sun Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

Here are some interesting details that weren't covered in the Unsolved Mysteries episode, probably because they weren't known at the time. Firstly, Christi's "blood was found in the trunk of her husband's car and on the floor of their bedroom" (Lincoln Journal Star/Page 1/August 24th, 2003). However, there wasn't enough blood to build a murder case. Mark Nichols said that a drop of blood found in the bedroom was menstrual blood, however, "tests proved" that it was not.

There was also some lye stolen from a local farm at about the time of her disappearance. Lye is a substance that can be used to destroy human remains (Lincoln Journal Star/Page 1/August 24th, 2003). Whether this theft should be connected to the case is not clear. Also, Mark Nichols divorced Christi Jo Nichols in April 1990, claiming that he and the three children were abandoned.

24 Aug 2003, Sun Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

The "Unsolved Mysteries" episode covered the discovery of Christi's luggage. The luggage and other items were found "at a rest stop near Maxwell in March 1988." Furthermore, if Christi left on her own volition, then there is a question as to why she didn't take her paycheque, her tips from her job, or his driver's license.

There is journalism that suggests that there may have been another man in Christi's life. However, this man was ruled out as a suspect.

The babysitter that is in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode claimed in the 2003 Lincoln Star Journal article that she had not been questioned in the case since 1988.

At the time of writing (December 17th, 2021), this missing person case was still unsolved. Christi Jo Nichols has an active profile at NamUs, where she is #MP4677. You can click the link to exit to her NamUs profile if you want further updates. If the profile is still active, it would strongly suggest that the case has not been solved.

Jerry Strickland, Melissa (Missy) Munday -- What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode 2

The Unsolved Mysteries Case of Elmer DeBoer’s Murder: What Happened to Jerry Strickland?

By: Shane Lambert | Published: December 5th, 2020 | Updated: August 22, 2025

If you’re a fan of the classic Unsolved Mysteries series hosted by Robert Stack in the 1980s and 1990s, you may recall Episode 2 of Season 1. This episode opened with the brutal murder of Elmer DeBoer, allegedly committed by Jerry Strickland. Here’s a detailed look at this chilling true crime case and its resolution.

The Crime That Shocked a Community

In 1988, Elmer DeBoer was killed during a robbery, with Jerry Strickland named as the prime suspect. The case gained national attention through Unsolved Mysteries, which played a pivotal role in Strickland’s eventual arrest. For those curious about what happened next, here’s the full story.

Wed, Feb 19, 1992 – Page 22 · Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · Newspapers.com

Missy Munday’s Testimony and Case Details

According to a Detroit Free Press article from August 17, 1988, Missy Munday, Strickland’s girlfriend at the time, testified against him, identifying him as DeBoer’s killer. Munday claimed Strickland confessed to the murder, which led to charges against her being dropped.

Wed, Aug 17, 1988 – Page 4 · Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · Newspapers.com

Munday admitted to helping plan the robbery but insisted she was unaware of any intent to kill DeBoer. The plan targeted a Monday, when the safe would contain two days’ worth of revenue due to it not being emptied on Sunday.

Sentencing and Aftermath

A Detroit Free Press article from October 15, 1988, reported that Munday was sentenced to time at Oakland County Children’s Village for her role in the robbery. Meanwhile, Strickland received a life sentence for DeBoer’s murder and an additional life term for kidnapping. A February 19, 1992, Detroit Free Press article noted that Munday was released when she turned 19, while Strickland remained incarcerated.

As of 2025, Jerry Strickland is likely still in prison, serving his life sentence. A March 2020 article on Medium.com by Lisa Marie Fuqua included a recent photo of Strickland, credited to the Michigan Department of Corrections, depicting him as an older man.

Legacy of the Case

This case continues to captivate true crime enthusiasts and fans of Unsolved Mysteries. Other bloggers and writers, such as those at All That’s Interesting, have covered the case. The television show has earned praise for aiding authorities in solving this challenging case.

Keywords: Unsolved Mysteries, Elmer DeBoer, Jerry Strickland, Missy Munday, true crime, murder case, Detroit Free Press, Robert Stack