The Sinister Story Behind This Popular Nebraska Lake Will Give You Chills
Nebraska has seen its share of crimes and sinister characters over the years, and they have all left a mark on the state in some way. One horrific crime even involved a beloved recreation area that became an unfortunate character in a grisly tale.
The murders in question took place on September 23, 1973, though the story actually began quite a bit earlier.
It began in the late 1960s when Kay Hein and her husband met another couple, Harold and Ena Nokes. It began innocently enough, with the two couples becoming friends and enjoying social outings together. But a few years into the friendship, Kay and Harold began an affair that would eventually involve Ena as well.
It all went sour, as it was bound to do, and that's when Kay's parents, Edwin and Wilma Hoyt of Culbertson, got involved.
Google Maps
Nokes had allegedly been harassing and blackmailing their daughter following her attempt to break things off with him. Harold and Ena Nokes drove to the Hoyts' rural Culbertson home, picked up the couple, and took them back to their home with the stated intention of talking things through. The two couples engaged in a heated argument in the basement...an argument that ended in Harold Nokes shooting both Edwin and Wilma in the head twice.
It would have been a somewhat normal murder case - as "normal" as murder can ever be, anyway - if not for the horrific events that transpired next.
Nokes would later blame the following events on an injured shoulder. He didn't think that he would be physically able to drag the bodies upstairs to dispose of them, so he and his wife dismembered them right there in their basement.
They took the bodies to nearby Harry Strunk Lake in Medicine Creek State Recreation Area and dumped them into the cold water.
The dismembered body parts didn't stay submerged for long, however. They washed ashore, much to the horror of area residents. Although forensic science wasn't then quite what it is now, the murderers were caught through a combination of small slip-ups, police tips, and a 17-day audio surveillance of the Nokes home.
Harold and Ena Nokes were both convicted...but their punishments couldn't have been more different.
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
Harold received two consecutive life sentences for the grisly murders and subsequent dismemberment and disposal of the bodies. His wife Ena served only two years for her part in disposing of the bodies; she was released in 1976. Harold Nokes died in prison in February of 2017 of natural causes.
Although many believed that Kay Hein was a catalyst for the murders - and perhaps even a minor participant in some way - she was never charged with a crime.
The discovery of the body parts was only one small moment in the history of the absolutely beautiful Medicine Creek Recreation Area and shouldn’t dissuade visitors from going out to experience the lake and surrounding area. However, one can’t help but wonder if the souls of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt found peace after their bodies were unceremoniously dropped into the water here.
A book and screenplay have been written about the crime; read “In Cold Storage; Sex and Murder on the Plains” by James W. Hewitt for a fascinating, thorough account of the case. You may never look at this lake the same way again.
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As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
