Wayne Nance
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Wayne Nathan Nance (October 18, 1955September 4, 1986), known as The Missoula Mauler, was an American
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
in the state of Montana. Nance was shot and killed while committing a
home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching i ...
of a co-worker's residence; thus, Nance was never formally charged, tried, or convicted of any murder. Authorities reported that physical evidence linked Nance to several unsolved murders. Law enforcement believe Nance committed at least six
homicides Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent act ...
although it is strongly suspected that he may have had many more undiscovered victims. Before Nance's death and the discovery of his crimes, some of the murders were tentatively ascribed to David Meirhofer.Ron Franscell (2022). ShadowMan: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling. Berkely, ISBN 0593199278 A native Montanan and military veteran, Meirhofer confessed to four murders and then killed himself in custody in 1974.


Life and criminal history


Early life

Wayne Nance was born on October 18, 1955, in Clinton, Montana, to George Edwin Nance (August 20, 1928April 4, 2004), a long-haul truck driver, and Charlene Mae Mackie (February 2, 1936April 3, 1980), a waitress. Nance lived in a
motor home A motorhome (or coach) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels. Features Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed o ...
outside of Milltown, Montana, which is east of
Missoula Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River, Bitterroot and Blackfoot River (Montana), ...
and was described by teachers and classmates as an academically gifted yet eccentric individual who was also a
juvenile delinquent Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior younger than the statutory age of majority. These acts would be considered crimes if the individuals committing them were older. The term ...
. Friends claimed that during his adolescence, Nance frequently boasted of worshipping the devil, and had even used a hot coat hanger to brand himself with Satanic symbols. He also had bragged about wanting to commit a murder before he was 19-years-old. Nance graduated from
Sentinel High School Sentinel High School is a four-year public high school in the western United States, located in Missoula, Montana. In the Missoula County Public Schools District No. 1., Sentinel has approximately 1,300 students, and a faculty of approximate ...
in 1974.


1970s

Nance is believed to have raped and murdered a 39-year-old woman named Donna Lorraine Pounds on April 11, 1974, in West Riverside, Montana. Pounds, who worked part-time at a Christian bookstore, had arrived home at 3:30 p.m., and is believed to have encountered Nance in the master bedroom. He was armed with her husband's .22 caliber
Luger rifle Luger may refer to , or: * Luger pistol, a semi-automatic handgun * Luger (film), ''Luger'' (film), a 1982 Dutch film written and directed by Theo van Gogh * Operation Luger, a joint military operation between the Canadian Forces and Afghan Nat ...
, with which he fired a warning shot at the bedroom wall. Nance was wearing
latex gloves Medical gloves are disposable gloves used during medical examinations and procedures to help prevent cross-contamination between caregivers and patients. Medical gloves are made of different polymers including latex, nitrile rubber, polyvinyl ch ...
, one of which was found at the scene and carried with him a black gym bag, from which he produced a white clothesline, which was used to tie Pounds to her bed. Nance then raped her before forcing her downstairs into the basement, where, at point-blank range, he shot her five times in the back of her head. He then inserted the barrel of the gun into her vagina and left the property. Donna's husband, Harvey, arrived home at 6 p.m. and discovered that Pounds had been held captive in her basement, tied to a chair, and shot. Three eyewitnesses claimed they saw Nance, an acquaintance of the victim's teenage son, in the area about the time of Pounds' death that afternoon. One witness claimed they saw him in the garden of the Pounds residence and another said they saw him leaving the house with a black gym bag and heading in the direction of the Tamarack Trailer Park, where Nance lived with his parents. The Pounds' son had also shown Nance where his father had kept his gun and Nance was a regular at the house. When questioned by police, Nance admitted that he had not gone to school that day, but had stayed home, in order to work on a school project. He had been out in the area, he said, foraging for the materials that he needed. Insufficient evidence prevented Nance from being charged with her murder. Years later, police searched Nance's home and discovered evidence linking him to the Pounds murder. Nance served in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
from 1974 to 1977, and investigators later suspected he might have committed more crimes while traveling for his military service. On November 29, 1977, Nance received a general military discharge on the grounds of misconduct after he was found with stolen items,
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
,
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
and illegal butterfly knives.


1980s

After his discharge from military service, Nance visited
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
, in July 1978, where 15-year-old runaway Devonna Nelson went missing. On February 27, 1980, her badly decomposed body was discovered by the crew of a slow-moving freight train on a road bank close to the
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
in the city of
Missoula Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River, Bitterroot and Blackfoot River (Montana), ...
resting against a chain-link fence. Because of the condition of the body, her remains were not identified until February 16, 1985. She had no shoes or underwear, and her dress was hitched up around her neck. Nelson had been stabbed in the chest. Prior to her identity being confirmed, she was dubbed "Betty Beavertail" after the nearby Beavertail Hill State Park. Nance is suspected of killing Nelson, but has not been definitively linked to the crime. The body of Marcella Cheri "Marci" Bachmann, 16, was found in an advanced state of decomposition on December 24, 1984, by a wildlife photographer. The body had been buried in a shallow grave and her decomposed leg was protruding out of the frozen ground. Strong evidence indicates that Nance murdered Bachmann. Investigators found hair similar to Bachmann's in Nance's home. She had run away from
Vancouver, Washington Vancouver ( ) is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, located in Clark County, Washington, Clark County. Founded in 1825 and incorporated in 1857, Vancouver had a population of 190, ...
, due to conflict with her family members. She was killed by three gun shots to the head. Like Devonna Nelson, Bachmann was given a nickname before she was identified: "Debbie Deer Creek," after a nearby
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
. Bachmann was identified in 2006 through
DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is cal ...
. Her cremated remains were subsequently interred. Bachmann had been seen alive with Nance, who had "taken her in" after she was left by a trucker in the area. She used the alias name "Robin" and claimed to have been either native to Texas or had passed through the state. When asked by acquaintances about the whereabouts of "Robin", Nance would say "she's gone" and claimed that she had run off with a trucker or that he had put "her on a bus." Bachmann's grave was two miles from Nance's home. Nance claimed she had left the area on September 28, 1984, which was about the time she was killed. Her brother, Derek Bachmann, had been searching for Marcella since he was 21-years-old, along with a private investigator. He originally believed that she may have supported herself as a
prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...
while away from home and may have become a victim of
Gary Ridgway Gary Leon Ridgway (born February 18, 1949), known as the Green River Killer or the Green River Strangler, is an American serial killer who was convicted of murdering forty-nine women between 1982 and 1998 in the northwestern United States. At ...
. Ridgway murdered at least 49 runaway children and prostitutes during the 1980s and 1990s. However, Marcella was never identified as one of his victims. When police conducted a search of Nance's home after his death, they found a series of photo-booth pictures of him and Bachmann. A strand of her hair was also found in Nance's truck. On September 11, 1985, the skeleton of Janet Lee Lucas, 23, was found in
Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...
, with two .32 caliber bullets in her
skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
, three miles away from where Bachmann had been found. Investigators believe she died between 1983 and 1985. Lucas' remains went unidentified until May 2021, and she was initially believed to be of Asian descent. Like the other Jane Does found near East Missoula, Lucas was given a name before she was identified, "Christy Crystal Creek". Based on examination, her age range was between 18-and-35-years-old. She was between 4-feet-10 and 5-feet-2 inches tall and weighed between 90 and 110 pounds. Examination indicated that she most likely had a history of
smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
and had many fillings in her teeth, as well as two
root canal A root canal is the naturally occurring anatomic space within the root of a tooth. It consists of the pulp chamber (within the coronal part of the tooth), the main canal(s), and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root c ...
s. She also had had
oral surgery Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the mouth, head and neck, and jaws, as well as facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate ...
that used characteristically Asian dental techniques, involving the screwing of a dental post into the tooth. After genetic genealogy research was conducted after a successful DNA extraction, it was learned that Lucas originated from
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
, having disappeared from
Sandpoint, Idaho Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022 United States census, census. Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest pr ...
during the summer of 1983. It is unknown when or why she came to Montana. Nance has not been definitively linked to this murder, but he is the only suspect. Nance was also responsible for the December 12, 1985, murders of 34-year-old Michael Robert Shook and Teresa Lynn Shook, 32, in
Ravalli County, Montana Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. Its county seat is Hamilton. Ravalli County is part of a north–south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphi ...
, who were tied up inside their home and stabbed to death. Nance, armed with a gun, walked into the household at 9 p.m. and introduced himself as "
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
". He then demanded their money and fired off a shot, which hit Teresa in the leg. A
post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...
examination would reveal that Nance had tried to dig the bullet out of her leg. This led to the belief that Nance had not intended to hit Teresa and was aiming to instead fire a warning shot. After shooting Teresa, Nance ordered and locked Michael and Teresa's four children into their shared bedroom. A physical altercation ensued in which Michael suffered a blow to the head. He was then tied up and stabbed in the chest with a butcher knife. Teresa was forced upstairs and tied to the bed; she was raped before being stabbed to death herself. Her body would be found clothed, apart from her underwear, with a pillow over her face. A neighbour saw a pickup truck which matched the description of Nance's vehicle leaving the Shooks' property. Two hours later, Nance returned, robbing the family of an elk statue, a stag handled hunting knife and a silver dollar collection before attempting to set fire to the home. The fire smouldered but did not catch; however, the intended ignition material released
cyanide gas Hydrogen cyanide (formerly known as prussic acid) is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structural formula . It is a highly toxic and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an industrial s ...
into the airtight house. The couple's four children survived the crime after they were rescued by neighbours. Items stolen from the Shook residence were later found in Nance's home, and it was determined that Nance had delivered a new couch to Mike and Teresa Shook at their house only days before their murders.


Sexual harassment

During Nance's adulthood, he worked as a mover for the Conlin's Furniture department store, where he was described by his employers and co-workers as an "average guy." However, several female customers had complained about harassing phone calls they had begun to receive after getting a delivery from the store and had singled out Nance as being the caller. He had also begun taking photos of his female colleagues. Wayne was also reported for using a
peephole A peephole, peekhole, spyhole, doorhole, magic eye, magic mirror or door viewer is a small, round opening through a door from which a viewer on the inside of a dwelling may "peek" to see directly outside the door. The lenses are made and arr ...
which "he had found" and he blamed it on other members of staff. When questioned, these employees insisted it had been shown to them by Nance, not the other way around.


Final assault and death

On September 3, 1986, Nance attempted to murder husband and wife Douglas 'Doug' Wells and Kristen 'Kris' Wells. Nance worked at the Wells' furniture moving company. Doug discovered Nance lurking in the bushes outside of his property at
midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
and demanded to know what he was doing, upon which Nance told him that he was passing by and had spotted someone lurking outside of the house. Nance asked if he could borrow a flashlight, and after Doug went with him inside, Nance struck Doug in the head, before tying up both him and Kris. Nance then stabbed Doug in the chest and left him to die in the basement. Nance forced Kris into the bedroom on the second floor to rape her. Although badly wounded, Doug managed to free himself and load one bullet in a rifle he had been repairing. Doug caused a commotion to lure Nance away from Kris and to the top of the basement stairs. Nance and Doug engaged in an altercation, ending with Doug shooting and incapacitating Nance. Nance and the Wells were rushed to a hospital, where Doug and Kris made full recoveries. Nance's injuries proved fatal, and he died the following day. After the incident with the Wellses, authorities investigated Nance's background and other crimes, after initially noting similarities between the Wells incident and the murders of Michael and Teresa Shook. Nance was found to be in possession of a large collection of photographs of Kris in his
wallet A wallet is a flat case or pouch, often used to carry small personal items such as physical currency, debit cards, and credit cards; identification documents such as driving licence, identification card, club card; photographs, transit pass, b ...
. Some had been taken from the bushes along the route Kris would go for a jog. Others he had collated into a
photo album A photographic album or photo album, is a series of photographic prints collected by an individual person or family in the form of a book. Some book-form photo albums have compartments which the photos may be slipped into, usually made out of pl ...
, along with notes such as "I love you", "I am crazy about you" and "I want you to live with me."


See also

*
List of serial killers in the United States A serial killer is typically a person who kills three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial murder a ...


References


Cited works and further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nance, Wayne 1955 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American criminals American male criminals American murderers of children American rapists Crime in Montana Deaths by firearm in Montana People from Missoula, Montana Serial killers from Montana United States Navy sailors Violence against men in the United States Violence against women in the United States