Christi Jo Nichols was born on September 6, 1965 in Overton, Dawson County, Nebraska to Connie Stanley and Ken Williams. Listen now, on the Unsolved Mysteries podcast. However, she always had a negative self-image and never felt that she did anything well until she had her children. But until she returns to Gothenburg, he remains under a cloud of suspicion. Small amounts of blood were found in both the couples bedroom and the trunk of Marks car. 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. (LogOut/ . He claimed that she was walking ahead of him and went right to the bathroom when they came inside. 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. She has brown hair and green eyes, and has a scar above her left eye and on her abdomen. The number one thing with men like Mark is that they have to be in control of the situation. When they came home, their babysitter left. 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. They also hired a private detective named Dennis Whelan, who was given access to Christi and Marks home, where he uncovered blood under the laundry basket in the bedroom. This type of murderer is the deeply invested abuser/murderer. Foul play is suspected in Christi's disappearance and it is classified as a homicide. The case may be cold, but the search for . The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. During her late teens, Christi moved to Gothenburg, Nebraska to leave with her paternal grandmother, Violet Williams, as she no longer wanted to follow the rules set set in place by her mother and stepfather. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22-year-old mother of two and part-time bartender, vanished Dec. 11, 1987. She also thought it was strange that he never asked her if Christi was there or if she had seen her. Those with information regarding the case are asked to contact the North Platte Office of the Nebraska State Patrol at 308-535-8047. 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. Did This Husband Really Get Away Murder or Could This Case Still be Solved? Marks explanation as why Dianne didnt see Christi Joe, I was about 5 or 6 yards behind her when she went in the door and she walked by the living room where the babysitter was back towards the kids bedroom and into the main bedroom.. You do not go against the grain with people like Mark, you do not disagree with him, you do as you are told and you keep your mouth shut. Characteristics:Caucasian female with brown hair and green eyes. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. A man who is controlling, abusive and who knows every move his wife makes is a whole different breed of killer. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22-year-old mother of two and part-time bartender, vanished Dec. 11, 1987. Christi Jo Nichols Christi, date, approximate 1987 Date Missing 12/11/1987 Missing From Gothenburg, Nebraska Missing Classification Endangered Missing Sex Female Race . Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He would not allow for them to walk out the door with the children who are also. Christi wasnt there. He said she had left of her own accord, abandoning him and their son and daughter. Just after 12:00am on December 11, 1987, Mark and Christi left the bar and stopped at an all-night convenience store. That gave Mark ample time to plan the proper disposal of his wife. 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. Christi Jo Nichols is the queen of hearts. On the evening of December 10, 1987, Christi and her husband . He claimed that he tossed her onto the waterbed and she landed wrong, twisting her thumb underneath her. He later claimed that the rumors of him beating her up were not true. Bumping for Christi, today is her birthday. In 1990, Mark filed for divorce on the grounds that Christi had deserted him and the kids. He felt that she was having a good attitude about herself, and that there was a lot of laughing and carrying on between them. He went on to tell investigators that things at the bar seemed good. Our goal is to crowdsource the more than 200,000 unsolved cases of the murdered and missing. They learned that Christi had been seeing another man. Carol said that she was acting like a "scared rabbit", not maintaining eye contact and not being very verbal. A mother disappears during an evening out with her husband. They make excuses and not surprisingly the excuses are the exact same wording as the abusers would be if you had asked the abuser what happened. She was very proud of them and loved them. Townspeople speculated that her body was buried in the local railroad overpass or entombed in some other construction project or rural area. JavaScript is disabled. She would later become a private investigator herself in order to follow up on leads related to the case. Her mother, Connie, remembered that she was a good student and was well-liked. 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. She was frightened that Mark would find out; for this reason, she went to an out-of-town lawyer named Claude Berreckman. No, men like this, take time to actually plan this out despite the long held belief that abusive men dont always plan the murder. Men like Mark tend to feel above the law. SPRINGDALE (KFSM) - A body found that was found inside a car at Northwest Medical Center has been identified as missing woman Christy Nichols, according . He claimed that he said that because he did not know who was calling. Christi Joes cousin Debra stated that she personally saw bruises on Christi Jo and that Christi Jo acted like it was normal for Mark to abuse her and that it really wasnt that big of a deal. Due to the couples deteriorating marriage, she wanted to divorce Mark and gain full custody of the children. Those who knew her well felt her life centered around her family. He is the type thatsleeps with one eye open if you catch my drift. She was last seen at Catalyst Church in Bentonville. The hope was that it would help produce leads that could help resolve Christis disappearance. (LogOut/ It is uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. Later that day, Christi made another visit to the abuse counsellor. It is not known what Christi's state of mind was when she left Claude's office. Christi and Mark left the bar around midnight and drove to an all-night convenience store. It's been three months since local woman, Christy Nichols was reported missing. Weight: 120 lbs I know that for most of you guys reading this, it may difficult to imagine what those crimes could have been, for me its but a walk down memory lane, so it would not have been easy for Christi Jo to be forthcoming in telling too many people, if anyone the truth about the abuse. From what I understand quite an extensive search was conducted in Gothenburg and the surrounding area and turned up nothing. This case has since stalled. He also suggested Christi not return home and instead stay with her mother, but she refused. Mark took a polygraph about her disappearance in 1987, but the results were inconclusive. Authorities stated it looked as if whoever placed them there had wanted them to be found. Foul play is suspected in Christi's disappearance and it is classified as a homicide. Mark and Christi were having marital problems in 1987, and Mark was allegedly physically abusing her and monitoring her phone calls. Debbie asked how it had happened. You can cancel at any time. I was able to speak to townspeople as well as her family for more details. After midnight on December 11, Mark came home and paid the babysitter in cash. It reminds me of a case a few years back from Colorado. Christi Jos parents, who were divorced when she disappeared, live in Nebraska. That evening, Christi and Mark hired a babysitter, Diane Janssen, and went to the local bar where Christi worked. He searched the house and noticed that she had taken a suitcase of belongings with her. He went on to tell investigators that things at the bar seemed good. He said that they began seeing each other because "she was lonely and needed someone to talk to". 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. 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. They laughed and had an enjoyable time. It appeared to them that whoever had previously had the items had wanted them to be found. 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. Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Since Christi vanished, no one, relatives or friends, have had any contact with her. Often times the victim is not even allowed to shop without her abuser. :bump: for Christi Jo, now missing 26 years. All of the officers agreed on the fact that whoever left the belongings at the rest stop wanted them to be found. When a neighbor is in trouble, it becomes everybody's business. The Gothenburg Police Department initially handled the case, but were soon joined by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office. In 1983, she graduated from Overton High School. Christi once had to go to the hospital emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. 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. A few minutes later, she had a social worker call the house. Results: Unsolved. Usually, it was Christi who paid the sitter, and she did it with a check. In 1990, Mark filed for divorce from Christi on grounds of desertion. Its been extremely hard, Kniss said Monday. I wish they would push forward with this Mark Nichols needs to be put behind bars. Not for the same reason Christi Jos killer wanted her belongings found, the point is they were left in a specific area so as to ensure that they would be found. Carol also felt that she was not telling her everything about the cause of the injury. He hoped to spot her leaving a store or friend's house. According to Diane Janssen the couples babysitter, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1:00 in the morning. Scared. Christis disappearance received very little media attention, as police suspected she was a runaway wife, as opposed to a victim of foul play. 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. 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. He would not allow for them to walk out the door with the children who are also his property. More recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found in Marks car was indeed Christis. 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. And why, after 19 years, has no trace of the teen ever been found? House dirty, he got in trouble at work or someone is upset with him and its her fault. 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. That is why the suitcase and purse were left and why he wanted them to be found. At the time of Christis disappearance, Connie was living 100 miles away in Lodgepole, Nebraska. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22 year old mother of 2, disappeared on December 11, 1987 from the small town of Gothenberg, in Dawson County Nebraska. The list can be exhaustive, but you get the idea I hope. Make sure you understand that, he knew her every move prior. One rumor that I have not been able to confirm is that Christi Jo did report to the attorney certain aspects of the abuse that resulted in the attorney making a telephone call to authorities to report certain crimes that had been taken place. Christi wrote she would be leaving after Christmas, but promised to contact the man within a few months. Kniss said her nieces husband lives and works in Hastings. Brendan Gonzalez, a 4-year-old Plattsmouth boy, has been missing since Jan. 6. She married Mark Nichols when she was nineteen. 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 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. Nichols was first reported missing by her family on August 6. Even though he knew Christi was gone, he told Connie that she was still asleep. She was married and had two children. The pair spent between five and 10 minutes speaking, and Mark paid her in cash. After this, he tossed her onto their waterbed in self-defence and she landed on her hand, injuring her thumb. When the victim refuses to go back or stay is whenthings can go south. He could not imagine a motive she would have to conjure up a story about being abused by Mark if it did not actually happen. Dr. Carol Severeid Shackleton said that Christi had come to the emergency room, complaining of a sore thumb. Her husband reported her missing the next day, and she has never been seen since. He claimed to have felt uncomfortable that day because he "felt a lot of anger" coming from her. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated. Brown hair, green eyes. While he didnt directly tell her of the disappearance, he did appear shaken and had asked if Christis grandmother had seen her. She was planning to leave her husband at the time of her disappearance. The not knowing is very frustrating. Injured. Dale Nichols asked for prayers for the familyin a post a on Facebook: Example video title will go here for this video. When she was later spoken to by investigators, she would say she never saw, nor heard Christi enter the house. Mark claimed that it was menstrual blood, but an analysis determined that this was not true. Once they completed their shopping, he and Christi left the kids with babysitter Diane Janssen and went to Petes Place, the bar where Christi worked. Oddly, both family cars were in the driveway at the time Christi Jo. 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. There are multiple witnesses who confirmed that he was abusing her in the weeks prior to her disappearance. 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. 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. . 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. UPDATE: Christi Jo disappearance, 32 years later. He was convinced that the abuse did happen. On December 11, 1987, twenty-two-year-old housewife Christi Nichols vanished. Ken Williams, her father, has returned to Gothenburg from Colorado. After she went missing, a note from Christi, addressed to the other man, was found in the Nicholses' car. Mark was in the hallway nearby during her visit; Carol was not sure if him being there was reassuring for her or not. Reba Benschoter, an emeritus professor at UNMC who recently died, is recognized as a pioneer of today's telemedicine and distance learning. He would have the known the area very well. Updated: 8:46 PM CDT April 27, 2022 CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas A man's body was found in Flour Bluff on Monday, prompting an investigation by the Corpus Christi Police Department. 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. 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. Suspects: The police consider Mark the prime suspect in Christi's disappearance. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case and the family hired a private detective to no avail. These details suggest to them that foul play may be involved in this case. Nicknames: No known nicknames According to Connie, Mark forged Christis signature on the titles in order to sell them. Christi was very open with her family regarding Marks behaviour and had confided that she wanted to leave her husband, but wasnt sure how. Christi Jo Nichols was born on September 6th, 1965 in Overton, Nebraska. It is not known if either area was ever searched. It has also since been discovered that Christi met with a domestic violence counselor the day before she vanished. Find out with these charts and graphs, updated weekly. 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