The identity of a woman found dead in a wooded area in Marlborough more than 50 years ago has now been confirmed using modern forensic technology.
In 1974, a young woman with no identification was found deceased near Route 124. At the time, investigators believed she had likely died the previous fall, and was somewhere between 18 and 48 years of age.
There was no progress on the case until 2021, when the family of Nancy Gale Erickson reported her missing to the Brattleboro Police. (They had previously reported her missing in the 1970s, as well.) Erickson’s siblings provided DNA evidence, allowing investigators to confirm that Nancy was the previously unknown person. She was 21 years old at the time of her death.
“We’re deeply grateful to everyone whose efforts made this possible,” said New Hampshire State Police Detective Kelly LaPointe. “Now the focus turns to understanding how and why she died.”
According to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office, which announced the formal identification on Wednesday, Erickson grew up in upstate New York, and eventually worked as a nurse in Tampa, Florida.
The office said that “in 1973, she 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.”
In October of that year, Erickson was arrested in Bellows Falls after allegedly stealing a car in Putney. She would stay in Brattleboro, and eventually worked at the Brattleboro Retreat. Her final day there was Oct. 30, 1973.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have memories of Erickson from the retreat, or from her time as a nurse in Tampa, to contact them at coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov or by calling 800-525-5555.
