DNA Cracks 1990 Nursing Home Killings, Iowa Cold Cases Offer Hope
More than three decades after two elderly women were killed inside a Montana nursing home, authorities have finally charged a suspect. The breakthrough comes courtesy of advanced DNA technology, the same kind of forensic science giving Iowa's own cold case investigators new hope for solving long-dormant homicides.
Nickie Dean Gardiner, 69, was arrested this week and charged with two counts of deliberate homicide in the deaths of Bertha Scott, 86, and Nancy Lagerquist, 87. Both women were residents at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation in Missoula when they were killed in May and July of 1990.
Gardiner is being held at the Missoula County Detention Facility on a $5 million bond. Officials say improved forensic DNA methods finally allowed them to develop usable DNA profiles from evidence collected 36 years ago.
A Nurse's Keen Eye Connected Two Cases
Lagerquist was abducted from the facility in early July 1990. Staff discovered her missing during a bed check, her window screen cut from the inside. She died of blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen, most likely during a sexual assault, according to Pete Lawrenson, who was Missoula's police chief at the time.
Her body was found in the Clark Fork River downstream from the nursing home. Police believed the killer entered through a window, carried her out and murdered her near the water.
While investigating Lagerquist's death, detectives learned of a possible connection to Scott's case from two months earlier. Scott, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was found dead in her bed with her arms and legs restrained. Staff initially believed she died of natural causes.
What changed everything was a nurse who noticed slight bruising on Scott's neck. That observation led investigators to exhume Scott's body three months after her burial. A medical examiner found signs of soft strangulation underneath the bruising, and further testing confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.
How DNA Finally Caught Up With the Killer
Investigators collected semen from Scott's body and sent it to an FBI lab in Virginia, but early DNA testing couldn't separate the suspect's profile from the victim's. A North Carolina lab later confirmed the DNA belonged to Scott, not her killer.
The case went cold for decades. Authorities briefly investigated a Florida killer named Lloyd Wayne Allen in 1992, but jail records proved he was incarcerated when the women died.
Now, modern forensic science has changed the equation. Over the past year, the Montana State Crime Lab and Bode Technology conducted new DNA testing on biological evidence preserved from the original investigations. Scientists developed Y chromosome DNA profiles from one victim's fingernail clippings, and the results pointed straight to Gardiner.
Authorities say Gardiner has no known connection to either victim, and investigators found no explanation other than criminal activity for his DNA being present on both women.
Iowa Cold Case Unit Works to Deliver Similar Justice
The Montana case highlights the growing power of forensic technology to deliver justice, no matter how much time has passed. Here in Iowa, families of unsolved homicide victims are watching these developments closely.
Iowa's Cold Case Unit has been working to solve long-dormant homicides across the state, bringing hope to families who have waited years, sometimes decades, for answers. The unit, staffed by experienced investigators, applies modern investigative techniques and DNA analysis to cases that once seemed impossible to crack.
The Montana investigation was reopened three times since 1990, with help from the Missoula County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit. That unit is made up of retired federal law enforcement officers from the FBI and Homeland Security.
Their knowledge of advanced laboratory investigation is second to none. They are an invaluable resource to Missoula County. Our thoughts now turn to the family and those who were impacted by these crimes.
Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen praised the retired agents who worked the case, underscoring the value of experienced law enforcement personnel in solving complex cold cases.
Questions Remain About Facility Security
The families of both victims sued Riverside Health and Rehabilitation for negligence following the deaths, alleging the facility failed to provide a safe environment. In September 1990, the nursing home offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
When asked whether Gardiner was ever employed at the facility, a company representative said he was not. The outcome of the civil lawsuit remains unclear.
For Iowans caring for elderly loved ones in long-term care facilities, the case is a sobering reminder of the importance of rigorous security standards and accountability in nursing homes. Protecting vulnerable residents isn't just a policy priority. It's a moral obligation.
Justice Delayed, But Not Denied
The Gardiner arrest sends a clear message: advances in forensic science mean killers can no longer hide behind the passage of time. For the families of Bertha Scott and Nancy Lagerquist, and for cold case victims across Iowa and the nation, that progress offers something long overdue: hope.