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. If alive, she would be 54 years old. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated. Her ears are pierced. Change). Her husband reported her missing the next day, and she has never been seen since. Where are the hotspots for buyers and sellers? Are prices headed up or down? Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. It is not known if either area was ever searched. Sadly, due to his influence, Connie has not seen them since the early 1990s. Christi has been missing for 35 years today. She could not have gottenup tosneak out of the home in the middle of the night. Those who knew her well felt her life centered around her family. There is a strong sense of community among its 3,000 residents. Sometimes whendealing withdifferent agencies a search is not possible because of the pissing matches that tend to occur between the said agencies or government/military entities. He is presumed. What would have been of the most importance to him is that it would be unlikely that investigators would/could find her body. She was very proud of them and loved them. This is due to Marks behaviour in the days after her disappearance moving out of the family home, selling the familys vehicles as well as him being able to name everything shed supposedly taken with her. He said that they began seeing each other because "she was lonely and needed someone to talk to". At 1:37pm, Mark filed a missing persons report with the Gothenburg police department. In the early 2000s, DNA testing confirmed that it was hers. Please contact about missing person cases, press inquiries and speaking engagementsImages subject to fair use allowance. In 2013, Claude Berreckman passed away at the age of 80 years old. Authorities stated it looked as if whoever placed them there had wanted them to be found. 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. AGB Search will be paid an estimated $115,000, according to the contract. Such a sad and awful story. When they came home, their babysitter left. 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. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22-year-old mother of two and part-time bartender, vanished Dec. 11, 1987. They learned that Christi had been seeing another man. He would not allow for them to walk out the door with the children who are also his property. As a result, her family, which already included two siblings, grew to include three stepbrothers. Mark took a polygraph about her disappearance in 1987, but the results were inconclusive. Both cars were at the home at the timeof her disappearance. However, when investigators checked into his story of driving around town looking for her, they could find nobody in Gothenburg that had seen him doing so. They have all of the answers regardless of whether or not they have been asked the questions. 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? In March 1988, Christis suitcase and purse were located, with everything still with them, at a rest stop on I-80, near Maxwell, Nebraska. Mark believes that Christi ran away voluntarily, due to their marital difficulties and the "pressures of motherhood". He would not allow for them to walk out the door with the children who are also. A man who is controlling, abusive and who knows every move his wife makes is a whole different breed of killer. In 1990, Mark filed for divorce on the grounds that Christi had deserted him and the kids. (LogOut/ At the time of her disappearance, she stood at 59 and weighed approximately 120 pounds. Carol also felt that she was not telling her everything about the cause of the injury. He was convinced that the abuse did happen. Mark claimed that it was menstrual blood, but an analysis determined that this was not true. 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. Very few men could look into a womans closet no matter how many years theyve been together and be able to tell you what might be missing, even fewer men could tell you the exact contents of what a woman has in her purse. Christi wasnt there. Mark was able to tell investigators exactly what items Christi Jo supposedly packed and what contents she happened to have in her purse at the time of her disappearance. Mark says that he and Christi Jo left the bar around midnight and stopped at an all-night convenience store. Investigators interviewed the man and he has been ruled out as a suspect in Christi's case. The overall consensus from the town to the investigators who looked at this case is that Christi Jo is in fact dead. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the November 16, 1988 episode. Mark says that he and Christi Jo left the bar around midnight and stopped at an all-night convenience store. But until she returns to Gothenburg, he remains under a cloud of suspicion. 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. Tips can also be called into the Patrols general number at 402-479-4049 or the Nebraska Missing Persons Information Clearinghouse at 1-877-441-5678. Ken initially lived in Colorado after divorcing Connie, but later moved to Gothenburg after Christis disappearance, in order to be closer to the investigation. When interviewed about Christi's disappearance by reporters for the Unsolved Mysteries television show in 1989, Mark said the only time one of their arguments escalated into violence was when Christi had hit and kicked him and burned his neck with a cigarette after he asked her to stay home one night, and he tossed her on the waterbed in self-defense and accidentally injured her in the process. Trace amounts of Christi's blood were found on the floor of her bedroom, and in the trunk of Mark's 1977 Mercury Cougar. However, not enough blood was found to indicate that she was deceased. He is the type thatsleeps with one eye open if you catch my drift. Christi Nichols Real Name: Christi Jo Nichols Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Gothenburg, Nebraska Date: December 11, 1987 Bio Occupation: Bartender at Pete's Lounge Date Of Birth: September 6, 1965 Height: 5'9" Weight: 120 lbs Marital Status: Married Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and green eyes. Later that morning, he took his children to Christi's grandmother's home and asked her to babysit them while he searched for his wife. Maybe an area he spoke about with friends; land that he was able to get on that he shouldnt have been on etc. It appeared to investigators that the suitcase had been placed there instead of just thrown out. 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. 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. 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. Its important to know that quite a few individuals knew Christi Jo was being abused by Mark and that the relationship was in trouble. According to Diane Janssen the couples babysitter, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1:00 in the morning. 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. Extensive ground searches were conducted, but nothing was found. 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. He would have the known the area very well. He said they argued until 2:00 a.m., when he went to sleep. Listen now, on the Unsolved Mysteries podcast. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Her mom, Connie Stanley, continues to desperately seek for answers. 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. An investigation revealed traces of Christi's blood in the couple's house and in the husband's car. 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. His excuse for lying to Christi Jos mom was that he didnt want to worry her. 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. On December 11, 1987, twenty-two-year-old housewife Christi Nichols vanished. The disposal would have happened sometime after the sitter left or during that two hour window he supposedly drove around looking for her. 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.. Police shared that it looked like the items had been deliberately placed, as opposed to thrown from a vehicle. Mark is the only suspect in her case. Small amounts of blood were found in both the couples bedroom and the trunk of Marks car. The Disappearance and Death of Christi Jo Nichols December 11, 1987. The case may be cold, but the search for . Authorities stated there was not enough blood to indicate Christi was dead. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Mark Nichols told authorities that his wife was gone from their bed when he awoke after the night at the bar. They are property, they are to think as he does, meet his wants and needs, want the same wants and needs andthe victim must always live up to the abusers expectations. She was married and had two children. As far as the world knows, the last time anyone saw Christi Jo was either at the bar or the store Mark says they stopped at on the way home. There were a couple of rumors that said that he had chopped her up, put her in garbage bags, and buried her at the dump. Ten days before her disappearance, she had gone to a local hospital for treatment of an injury she received during a fight with Mark. She was also trapped in an abusive relationship at the hands of her husband Mark. He has denied any wrongdoing. He claimed that she was walking ahead of him and went right to the bathroom when they came inside. At first, police handled the disappearance as a missing persons case, but as time progressed it evolved into suspicion of murder. Christi was in an abusive relationship and had been treated in an emergency room for injuries weeks before she disappeared. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. Christi Jo Nichols Christi, date, approximate 1987 Date Missing 12/11/1987 Missing From Gothenburg, Nebraska Missing Classification Endangered Missing Sex Female Race . Interestingly, a letter was found in one of their cars, allegedly addressed to her boyfriend; according to one source, it stated that she had considered leaving her family. (LogOut/ Christi was described as very shy, quiet and smart when she was growing up. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. The last time he claimed to have seen her was at 2am, when he went to sleep beside her. Mark told investigators it was menstrual blood, but analysis proved this statement was untrue. According to Mark, the pair had a good time that night. Jo Nichols was a 22-year-old mother when she disappeared 20 years ago today. Police found it surprising that earlier, Mark had precisely detailed all of the suitcase's contents. Also, Mark's parents had a concrete pad poured on their property a few days after she vanished. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Christi Jo Nichols went missing from Gothenburg, Dawson County, Nebraska on December 11, 1987. Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. 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. However, she was worried about supporting herself, as she didnt have any money of her own. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. 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. Kniss has devoted her life to keeping the search for the killer alive. Investigators noted that, without locating her or her body, it would be difficult to file charges against anybody in this case. 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. Currently, the case is classified as a homicide and foul play is suspected. 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. 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