7 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Nebraska That Will Leave You Baffled

Nebraska is mostly peaceful and picturesque - there's a reason we love this place! Still, like all places, there is a dark side to Nebraska. There are some times that we, like every other place on Earth, experience tragedies. There are unsolved mysteries in Nebraska and, tragically, plenty of unsolved murders here. We've gathered up six sad stories and one incredibly happy one that all took place right here in the Cornhusker State. Check out these Nebraska cold cases:

The Disappearance of Christi Jo Nicols (1987)

Christi Jo Nichols was a 22-year-old mother of two who disappeared from her home in Gothenburg a few weeks before Christmas in 1987. She and her husband had not been getting along for some time, and there were signs that he had been physically abusive. Not long before her disappearance, Christi had been seen by a doctor for injuries that were likely caused by domestic violence.

Her husband moved out of the house the day after Christi disappeared. He claimed that the night she went missing, they both went to bed at 2:00 a.m. He said that he noticed she was gone when he woke up the next morning, but claimed to know nothing else of her location or condition. Just a few weeks after her disappearance, her husband packed up all of her clothes and sold both of their cars.

All that has ever been found of Christi is her suitcase. It was found approximately 30 miles outside of town about three months after her disappearance. No one has ever been charged with her murder, and her husband remains the primary suspect.

The Death of Julie Derrick (1995)

Julie Derrick was just 19 years old when she went missing. Her family thought that she had run away from her North Platte home when she disappeared on October 19. Tragically, her body was found on July 9, 1996. Police believed she had died not long after her disappearance, but they were unable to determine a cause of death due to the advanced decomposition of her body.

Cement blocks had weighed down her body in the sand pit where she was found, so it was certain that she had been killed in a homicide. After eight years with no solid leads, police questioned whether Julie had died of an overdose and her body was simply disposed of. A main suspect in the case had already died by that point. No new leads have been identified in the case.

The Death of Kelcey Fike (2008)

Fire and rescue crews in Kearney responded to reports of a fire in a trailer park on June 17, 2008. After they extinguished the fire, they found the body of 21-year-old Kelcey Fike in the hallway. Police determined that she had been murdered and then the fire was set to cover up evidence.

No murder weapon, fingerprints, or other pieces of evidence have been found to help police identify the killer. Although no leads have come up and there are no serious suspects, police are confident that Kelcey's murderer will eventually be brought to justice.

The Murder of Leah Rowlands (1997)

On March 10, 1997, Leah Rowlands was robbed and murdered at the Amoco gas station in Cozad where she worked. She had just been promoted to manager the day before. The man who killed her was clearly visible on the store's security cameras. He entered the store, grabbed a soda, and then waited for other customers to leave. He walked up to the register, demanded money, and then shot Leah Rowlands three times. Although his car was also caught on camera, there was no front license plate. The rear plate could not be read in the video footage. Despite the photos of the killer and his car being widely distributed, there are still no suspects in the case.

The Murder of Sarah Neal (2005)

Teenager Sarah Neal was found shot to death in her family's Omaha home on June 21, 2005. She was just 16 years old and an honors student who loved poetry. Sarah's mother said that the girl had been involved in trouble. Sadly, she had recently made poor choices that had gotten her involved with some unsavory people. Several names have come up as suspects in the case, but no arrests have been made.

The Mysterious Death of Steven Haataja (2006)

Steven Haataja was a math professor at Chadron State College. His colleagues say that he was a positive person who was cheerful and had plans for the future. When he disappeared on December 4, 2006, police did not immediately begin to search for him. The area was so vast that they didn't know where to start.

Haataja's body was found 95 days after he disappeared. His corpse was tied to a tree and almost entirely burned. Police at first speculated that the professor was gay and he had been murdered in a hate crime. That theory was later ruled out.

The case remains open, but many people still believe that Haataja had committed suicide, despite the position and condition in which the body was found. Needless to say, this is a highly-unusual cold case in Nebraska. The story was profiled in Chadron author Poe Ballantine's book "Love and Terror on the Howling Plain of Nowhere."

The Beatrice Baptist Church Explosion (1950)

In the midst of all the sad and tragic disappearances and unsolved murders in Nebraska, it's nice to know that there are also some good things that escape explanation. We'll finish up this list with a pleasant unsolved mystery in Nebraska. On March 1, 1950, 15 choir members were supposed to meet for practice at the West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice. The choir was always extremely prompt and arrived for practice by 7:25 p.m. On that night, however, every single one of the choir members ran late for various reasons. Some had car troubles or overslept, one was listening to a radio show, one just didn't want to go out in the extreme cold. The circumstances were wide and varied. Just one or two of these usually-timely choir members being late would be amazing, but all 15 missing practice was a miracle. Because they were all waylaid somehow, no one was at the church when a natural gas leak caused it to explode at 7:27 p.m. The image above is not of the West Side Baptist Church, as it was completely destroyed in the explosion.

These Nebraska cold cases and disappearances are difficult to read about, but someone out there knows something about these cases. If you have any information about these unsolved mysteries in Nebraska, please contact your local law enforcement authorities immediately.

What unsolved murders in Nebraska have left you wondering about what really happened?