MARLBOROUGH, N.H. — With the help of forensic testing, authorities have identified a young woman at the center of a mysterious cold case, more than 50 years after her body was found in the woods along a New Hampshire highway.
The woman, 21-year-old Nancy Gale Erickson of both Tampa, Florida, and Brattleboro, Vermont, was last seen leaving her job on October 30, 1973, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. Her remains were found in a wooded area off Route 124 in Marlborough on April 16, 1974.
“After years of work on this case, putting a name to Nancy Gale Erickson is incredibly meaningful. It’s more than solving a mystery — it’s restoring her identity and honoring the life she lived. She was never forgotten,” New Hampshire State Police Detective Sergeant Kelly LaPointe said in a statement.
Erickson’s family first reported her missing to the Brattleboro Police Department in 2021. Forensic testing in subsequent years revealed DNA matching Erickson’s siblings.
Erickson grew up in Elmira, New York, and later earned a nursing degree from Corning Community College. She moved to Florida in 1972 to join her mother and siblings and worked as a nurse at Tampa General Hospital.
In 1973, Erickson abruptly left Tampa with a duffel bag and no known destination. Her siblings believe the emotional toll of her nursing work may have contributed to her sudden departure.
On October 2, 1973, Erickson was arrested in Bellows Falls, Vermont, for stealing a car in the nearby town of Putney, according to police. She received probation and remained in Brattleboro, where she worked at a retreat.
Her family told investigators that they recalled receiving a call about her arrest, but were unaware of whom she may have known in Vermont.
Bode Technology and the University of North Texas Health Science Center helped authorities in Vermont and New Hampshire ultimately identify Erickson.
With this identification, investigators are now seeking the public’s help in uncovering the facts and circumstances surrounding Erickson’s death.
“We’re deeply grateful to everyone whose efforts made this possible. Now the focus turns to understanding how and why she died,” LaPointe said.
Investigators said they’re interested in hearing from anyone who knew Erickson or had contact with her, including former employees of the Brattleboro Retreat where she worked, residents of the Community House where she lived in 1973, students at Corning Community College from 1971-1972, and staff at Tampa General Hospital from 1972-1973.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit Tip Line at 800-525-5555.
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