Heather Gloria Nelson - August 24, 1982 - Age 19 - Murdered - Vancouver

[Desespere]

It's hard to believe there are still cases not posted on this site, particularly women whose life and death mirrors many unsolved cases in Edmonton. Sadly, there always seems to be more to post.

Heather Gloria Nelson
Age: 19
DOB:
COD:
Date last seen:
Location last seen: Vancouver, BC
Date found: August 24, 1982
Location found: Richmond, BC

Heather Gloria Nelson - August 24, 1982 - Age 19 - Murdered - Vancouver - Heather is listed on the Highway of Tears Missing BC site as an unsolved homicide. This site said she was a known STW and went by the street name Wanda and worked the corner of Bute and Davie. The date Heather was last seen is not identified on that site. Her decomposed remains were recovered August 24 in a bush near No. 5 Road in Richmond. There is no other information.

http://highwayoftears.ca/missingbclist.htm

[Desespere]

While my database is far from all-inclusive, I have an anomoly. I was alerted to Heather Nelson not being listed on this site when I was updating some information on US cases.

My database contains chronological listing of cases in US and Canada, mostly border states, such as Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota and the Eastern US border states. There are over 200,000 unsolved murders in the US according to statistics likely posted on www.unsolved.ws somewhere. So there is no way I'm ever going to have all those.

Conversely, having all Canadian cases is possible, since 1968 there is a reported 680 or so unsolved homicides on the books in Canada. A considerably smaller number.

But, in Idaho, which is the state I'm working on at this time, there are 17 unsolved murders of women, at least that's what they are saying on AMW site.

Richmond, BC is where Heather Nelson's remains were recovered on August 24, 1982.

The very next case in my database of approximately 1,600 cases described above occurs in September 1982 in Kendrick, Idaho. Kendrick is about 8 hours SW of Vancouver and 100 miles S Spokane, WA. Spokane is accessible from Richmond, BC via I-90.  Kendrick is S on Secondary HWY 195.

Two stepsisters, age 18 and 21 were abducted near the Lewiston Civic Centre in Sept 1982 and were recovered 22 miles away in Kendrick at the bottom of an embankment in May 1984.

Their names; Jacqueline Miller and Kristina Nelson.

Aug 1982 - Age 19 - Heather Nelson - Vancouver, BC - murdered
Sep 1982 - Age 18 - Kristina Nelson - Lewiston, ID - murdered
Sep 1982 - Age 21 - Jacqueline Miller - Lewiston, ID - murdered

There are four other girls murdered in Idaho that appear linked according to some investigators. Others don't believe there is a link. But the coincidences are they were all about the same height and weight, looked very similar and three of the four victim's names sound similar. Christina, Kristin and Kristina.

Apr 1979 - Age 12 - Christina White - Asotin County, ID - missing
Jun 1981 - Age 22 - Kristin David - Clarkston, ID - murdered

The order is then:

Apr 1979 - Age 12 - Christina White - Asotin County, ID - missing
Jun 1981 - Age 22 - Kristin David - Clarkston, ID - murdered
Aug 1982 - Age 19 - Heather Nelson - Vancouver, BC - murdered
Sep 1982 - Age 18 - Kristina Nelson - Lewiston, ID - murdered
Sep 1982 - Age 21 - Jacqueline Miller - Lewiston, ID - murdered

With the women name Nelson being absolute chronological. I've noted this here because two names appearing side-by-side is an anomoly for sure. The fact Idaho authorities find the four ID cases may be linked, in part because the names are similar, makes me think the similarity in last names might also link Heather's to someone who murdered in Idaho too. It's a stretch, but discussion, is always good.

[CrescentCrow]

Kristina Nelson was my cousin and Jacquelyn "Brandy" Miller was her stepsister. Kristina was 21 years old and Brandy was 18 years old. Steven Pearsall also disappeared the night they disappeared. The case is known as the Lewiston Civic Theater Murders. There is a prime suspect for this case and 2 other case in the Lewiston Valley area. This is a link to more information regarding these cases:

http://missing87975.yuku.com/forums/73/t/Lewis-Clark-Valley-Serial-Killer.html

[Chris]

Wow this is an incredible case. I never heard of it. I lived in Montana in 1982 and we had Spokane TV and do not recall hearing this.

I hope they have traced this suspects movement as best they could over the years. We have a huge mystery of a simular aged female in Alberta and I have suspected an american in that case.

[Desespere]

I have spent a bit of time this past couple of days reading about these crimes.

I agree with Chris, there is something similar to these murders and one in Alberta in 1981.

As well, the area Christina White was last seen in close to a place called Genesee

And the body of Kristin David was found near an area called Genesee and I think a Genesee man was questioned. I'm hoping our new member CresentCrow will help with the geography on these cases, particularly Genesee.

Kristin David's remains were, possibly thrown over a bridge, the Red Wolfe Crossing, I think is the name of a bridge. She was dismembered, and the FBI and other investigators are keeping her cause of death close to their chests. Her remains were recovered over a three mile area, most washed ashore. Kristin David was last seen June 26, 1981 and it is believed she was held for 8 days. Possibly this is true I read it somewhere on CrescentCrow's link. She was found July 4 and her murder is linked to Kristin David and the three missing from the theatre on Sept 12, 1982.

Of course Kelly Cook's murder is the one I think Chris is referring to, last seen in April 22, 1981 and recovered from Chin Lake Reservoir June 28, 1981. She was recovered just two days after Kristin David went missing.
Here's her link on Unsolved.
http://www.unsolvedcanada.ca/index.php/topic,53.0.html

The case of Melissa Letain from Edmonton is very curious too. Although this case is Valentines 1987, the eerie similarity to Kristin David and Christine White is this:
Melissa was abducted from across West Edmonton Mall, on her way home.
She was recovered the next day under the Genesee bridge outside of Edmonton, on top of the icy water. Blood was found on the bridge too, just like in Kristin's case. Many miles and a different country, but so similar due to the Genesee reference and how they were both recovered.

Melissa's case is also curious because she was murdered by strangulation and an odd noose made from a yellow rope. This kind of rope has appeared often in cases in Canada and I will post those as well. The noose used to kill Melissa was what's called "7 turns on the shank" noose and as far as I can tell is a mariner's type knot.
Here's Melissa's record on Unsolved.
http://www.unsolvedcanada.ca/index.php/topic,2554.0.html

There is also a case that I'm not sure is tied to these five US cases. A woman, whose age I don't have recorded was last seen the same exact date as Christina White. Mary Jo Templeton was last seen in Templeton, OR and recovered two days later. Her remains were found in Bend, OR in a power generation pond. Similar to Genesee stuff. She was also dismembered. FBI in 1988 said this case matches the MO of four other cases in Missouri and two in Tennessee as of 1988 all unsolved. This is seven cases. There is no mention of her murder being similar in any way to these five.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080913/NEWS0107/809130328/1002/NEWS01&nav_category=

In addition to Kelly Cook's murder, there is a case in ND where another 15 year-old girl went missing 11 days before Kelly Cook was abducted. Barbara Cotton was last seen April 11, 1981 in Williston, ND but she has never been recovered.

The day after Kelly was last seen a still unidentified young woman's remains were found in Miami County, OH on Greenlee Road near State Highway 55.

I want to delve into this more and I recognize these cases may have nothing to do with Heather Nelson but as there are some other similarities around BC and AB to some cases in border States, Heather might have more in common than a name.

[CrescentCrow]

Kristin David's dismembered body was found in The Snake River between Clarkston, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho. The following link has the information about her murder and has information about similar cases in the Lewiston, Idaho area, including that of my cousin Kristina Nelson. You can also look up cases state by state.

http://missing87975.yuku.com/forums/73/t/Lewis-Clark-Valley-Serial-Killer.html

This site is constantly being updated and we welcome new members.

Another public forum is Lewiston, Idaho Topix which has been on going and grown to 235 posts since February 2009.
http://www.topix.com/city/lewiston-id/2009/02/n-idaho-authorities-not-ready-to-drop-cold-case