SPRINGDALE, Ark. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Often times the victim is not even allowed to shop without her abuser. Mark told investigators it was her menstrual blood, but analysis proved this statement was untrue. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Debbie had visited her while she was working at a bar. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mom ended up remarrying. Mark is the only suspect in her case. He giggled as he stated something along the lines They actually went up and searched the area. *I personally never viewed the episode myself.*. Nichols was first reported missing by her family on August 6. What happened to her? However, he has never been charged. He felt that she was very sincere and honest about what she was telling him. On January 3, 2020, the case saw renewed interest after the Nebraska State Patrol released a press release. Police shared that it looked like the items had been deliberately placed, as opposed to thrown from a vehicle. . View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: Fan of the Site Added: 27 Aug 2003 The next morning, Mark woke up. All of the officers agreed on the fact that whoever left the belongings at the rest stop wanted them to be found. 10 days before her disappearance, Christi went to the emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. 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. 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. Quite often it boils down to being able to prove it or not, rest assured they plan the murder well in advance just in case. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. It reminds me of a case a few years back from Colorado. The family of Christi Jo Nichols is hoping that someone, somewhere knows the truth about her disappearance. She would later become a private investigator herself in order to follow up on leads related to the case. 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. Jessica Ridgeway. Decks were distributed to prisons and jails across the state and are posted on the patrols website in hopes of producing tips or leads that might be a missing link in solving a case. More often than not the words mentally-ill, bipolar or manipulate are tossed at a victims feet in an attempt to make the victim feel as if sheis the problem, that she hassome sort of mental disorder and isincapable of being alone, taking care herself or of the children, she cant be trusted etc. A major construction project of the state Department of Roads was underway at the time of Christi's disappearance. 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. Officers agreed they had been left at the reststop purposely. Find out with these charts and graphs, updated weekly. Christi has been missing for 34 years today. 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. They learned that Christi had been seeing another man. Christi already had two siblings and now she gained three stepbrothers. It was not for the purpose of giving the family false hope or anything. However, there are no witnesses to corroborate this. Her disappearance turned into a controversy that continues to this day. When Christi went to his parents house, as they were babysitting the children, they refused to hand them back to their mother. House dirty, he got in trouble at work or someone is upset with him and its her fault. She was very proud of them and loved them. Avoiding and outsmarting are two completely different things. A few minutes later, she had a social worker call the house. CA - Maya Millete, 39, missed daughter's birthday, Chula Vista, 7 Jan 2021 *husband arrested* #5, ID - 4 Univ of Idaho Students Murdered - Bryan Kohberger Arrested - Moscow # 67, IL - Paramedics Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 40 charged with murder for strapping 35-year old man to gurney face down - 1/11/23, http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10206471, http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2469dfne.html, http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/08/14/41198a15960f4, http://www.omaha.com/article/20121211/NEWS/712119919/1685, https://lostnfoundblogs.com/f/christi-nichols-marked-for-murder, UPDATE: Christi Jo disappearance, 32 years later, Getting away with murder: Nebraska cold cases. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. No one can prove ityet. During their investigation, the state patrol discovered that he moved out of their house the day after her disappearance. She made a follow-up appointment but never made it. Christis DNA is available for comparison, should a body be found, but her dentals and fingerprints are not on file. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. She is described as a quiet, very shy woman and a dedicated mother. In 2013, Claude Berreckman passed away at the age of 80 years old. She was married and had two children. According to Diane Janssen the couples babysitter, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1:00 in the morning. Its important to know that quite a few individuals knew Christi Jo was being abused by Mark and that the relationship was in trouble. She said that she was having problems with him and that he had beaten her. When I teach someone to cook something with perfection, for the first time, one of the first lessons they must learn is that patience and persistence are always the key and a lot of times with cases like this, the same holds true. In fact, she had planned on coming back; when she left, she made an appointment to come back to his office the following week. Kniss said her nieces husband lives and works in Hastings. She also thought it was strange that he never asked her if Christi was there or if she had seen her. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. At 9:30am, he received a phone call from Connie, who lived 100 miles away. Christi was seeing another man around the time of her disappearance. The move brought her to a town located within the heart of Nebraskas farm belt, which had within it a strong sense of community. (LogOut/ What was found in both the suitcase and purse were exactly as Mark initially told investigators she had packed and had in her purse at the time she vanished. However, she always had a negative self-image and never felt that she did anything well until she had her children. She and her husband, Mark Nichols, ate supper at Pizza Hut with their infant daughter and son, took them to see Santa and then home to a baby sitter while the couple played pool at the bar where Christi Jo worked. Soon after, their daughter, Lindsey, was born. Mark says that he and Christi Jo left the bar around midnight and stopped at an all-night convenience store. He said that they began seeing each other because "she was lonely and needed someone to talk to". Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionBlue jeans and hiking boots. The case may be cold, but the search for . (LogOut/ For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. A mother disappears during an evening out with her husband. A search of the house revealed that Christi had left behind the majority of her belongings, including diamond jewellery and her drivers license. Abusers like Mark simply will not stand for or allow for his property to walk out the door. He claimed that he was really upset because he felt that there was no indication that Christi would pack up a suitcase and leave. Even though he knew Christi was gone, he told Connie that she was still asleep. In 1990, Mark filed for divorce from Christi on grounds of desertion. This type of murderer is the deeply invested abuser/murderer. When he spoke with police, Mark told them that Christi had only taken a purse and suitcase with her. Men like Markare clever, manipulative, misleading and always seem to be able to have a reason and answer for why or how something happened. According to Mark, the suitcase contained a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, a bra and a jacket, while the purse held a hairbrush, a pen, a lighter and matchbook, lipstick, a tub of Neutrogena cream, a nail file, a mirror and one piece of gum. 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. Change). After midnight on December 11, Mark came home and paid the babysitter in cash. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. They were later returned to Mark, and Connie said she hardly got to see them, due to his influence. 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. Extensive ground searches were conducted, but nothing was found. As a result, her family, which already included two siblings, grew to include three stepbrothers. JavaScript is disabled. Despite being alarmed at his wifes sudden disappearance, Mark acted calm when her mother called around 9:30am that morning, saying Christi was still asleep in bed. He claimed that he tossed her onto the waterbed and she landed wrong, twisting her thumb underneath her. Its believed that the then-police chief, who was friends with Christis husband, had informed Mark of her visit to the divorce lawyer. UPDATE: Christi Jo disappearance, 32 years later. Currently, Mark is the only suspect in the case. 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. Those with information regarding the case are asked to contact the North Platte Office of the Nebraska State Patrol at 308-535-8047. On the evening of December 10, 1987, Christi and her husband . In fact Dianne stated that she is sure she would have seen or heard Christi Jo but never did. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. What would have been of the most importance to him is that it would be unlikely that investigators would/could find her body. When she was later spoken to by investigators, she would say she never saw, nor heard Christi enter the house. All of you can talk with me and I can answer your questions.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.You can also contribute at Paypal: [email protected] is also the email address.--the website: theunfoundpodcast.comUnfound supports accounts on Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, andFacebook.--Please join us on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET for the YouTube Live Show.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.And at Paypal: [email protected] is also the email address. According to Diane, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1am. After this, he tossed her onto their waterbed in self-defence and she landed on her hand, injuring her thumb. 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. She said that she and Mark had gotten into an argument and that he had thrown her around. Its contents were neatly laying around. He knew that the amount of blood found in the car and home were not enough to indicate someone had sustained a serious bodily injury, so the ability to hide her body so well that no one could find it is of high importance to him and killers like him. Austin Sigg who has since been convicted of murdering and dismembering her did the very same thing. Despite thorough searches of the area in and around Gothenburg, no trace of Christi was found. Mark believes that Christi ran away voluntarily, due to their marital difficulties and the "pressures of motherhood". Berreckman noted that she seemed stressed and appeared to have been recently beaten, so the pair planned to contact the authorities and press charges against Mark for abuse. Christi's case remains unsolved. He claims that he is innocent of all wrongdoing and wants her to come home. 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. He went on to tell investigators that things at the bar seemed good. Attempts over the years to get investigators to open a grand jury investigation have been turned down due to a lack of evidence in the case. She was doing her homework in front of the television and did not remember seeing Christi. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22-year-old mother of two and part-time bartender, vanished Dec. 11, 1987. Investigators interviewed the man and he has been ruled out as a suspect in Christi's case. Nichols, a mother of two small children, was last seen alive on December 10, 1987, at her home in Gothenburg. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husband's car. Not the co-dependent type, who ended up in an abusive relationship where they abuse each other. 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. However, she was worried about supporting herself, as she didnt have any money of her own. There are multiple witnesses who confirmed that he was abusing her in the weeks prior to her disappearance. Men like Mark tend to feel above the law. 22-year-old Christi Jo Nichols of Gothenburg, Nebraska left her 2 children with a babysitter and went out with her husband Mark to a bar on the evening of December 10th, 1987. 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. He currently lives in Arkansas with his third wife. She also said that she planned to leave him the day after she vanished; Connie believes that he killed her before she had the chance. Weight: 120 lbs He was the last person seen with her before she vanished. Just after 12:00am on December 11, 1987, Mark and Christi left the bar and stopped at an all-night convenience store. Christi Jos parents, who were divorced when she disappeared, live in Nebraska. Mark and Christi were having marital problems in 1987, and Mark was allegedly physically abusing her and monitoring her phone calls. On December 9, two days before Christi vanished, she went to an attorney to begin divorce proceedings. Small amounts of blood were found in both the couples bedroom and the trunk of Marks car. According to Mark, he did this, so as to not worry Connie. The case captured national attention and was featured on the Unsolved Mysteries TV program. All that is known is that she has vanished without a trace, and her family and friends would like to know why. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: Fan of the Site Added: 27 Aug 2003 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. 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. You can cancel at any time. He stated that the day before they went to the bar, things were uncomfortable because they had not been getting along very well. Her husband reported her missing the next day, and she has never been seen since. In Marks mind at the time the suitcase and purse were found they were left simply and only because at that particular point in time he had to leave them as a way to offer a new lead if you will. Sometimes just having a will doesnt always pave the way, time, effort and being relentless does however make all the difference. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the November 16, 1988 episode. Christi has been missing for 32 years today. 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. This was not the first time Christi had seen Dr. Shackleton. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. This is reportedly one of three times the chief had harassed Christi that day. On December 9, 1987, Christi visited divorce attorney Claude Berreckman at his office in Cozad, Nebraska, approximately 10 miles outside of Gothenburg. The attorney stated Christi was extremely stressed and appeared to have been beaten. He said they argued until 2:00 a.m., when he went to sleep. Dead. Suspects: The police consider Mark the prime suspect in Christi's disappearance. He said he spent two hours driving around in the area, looking for her, but never saw her. Did This Husband Really Get Away Murder or Could This Case Still be Solved? Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Connie Stanley, her mother, lives in western Nebraska. As the police investigated, they began to uncover evidence that the Nichols' marriage was in trouble. Christi Jo Nichols was a 22 year old from Gothenburg, NE. Change). He knew that she needed help. He felt that she ranked in the "top five" of being the most distressed, upset, and nervous of his clients. Curiously, he was able to tell them exactly what shed taken with her, which struck them as odd. Christi and Mark left the bar around midnight and drove to an all-night convenience store. Kniss has devoted her life to keeping the search for the killer alive. Last updated January 22, 2020; three pictures added. Bumping for Christi, today is her birthday. 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. | Arctic Arkansas, How bad will winter be this year? Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. At 7:00 a.m., the children woke up Mark and he realized Christi was missing. Violet died in 1999 at the age of seventy-eight and Claude died in 2013 at the age of eighty. According to Diane Janssen the couples babysitter, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1:00 in the morning. 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