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Nebraska mother-of-one Jessica Nelson was found strangled to death in the bathtub of her home in June 2015. Her mother found her when she stopped by the house to check on her after receiving a strange call from her place of work. Nelson was home alone the previous night, but there were no signs of a break-in which led her mother to believe that she may have "slipped in the shower."
Subsequently, authorities, using DNA and other evidence, discovered that a long-time family friend named Matthew Kidder was behind the murder. They alleged that he assaulted her and strangled her to death. He then placed her body in the bathtub under running water to remove any DNA evidence. Kidder was later convicted and given a lengthy sentence.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen chronicles the case in an episode titled Evil Intent, which is slated to re-air on the channel this Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 7.00 pm ET.
The synopsis states:
"Jessica Nelson is a hardworking single mom; one morning, she was found dead in her home; the discovery left her family shattered and their ordeal had just begun; turns out, the killer was someone they knew."
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of s*xual abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.
Jessica Nelson's official cause of death, DNA evidence, and more details about the tragic case
1) Jessica was found partially submerged in the bathtub
On June 25, 2015, Jessica Nelson's mother Missy got a distressing call from the former's workplace, notifying her that Jessica hadn't shown up for work. Missy then tried to contact her 28-year-old daughter, who didn't respond to her calls. Concerned, she went to her daughter's house, who had been home alone the night before, and saw her car in the driveway.
Missy used her keys to open the locked front door and immediately went to check the bathroom after hearing the sound of running water. She then discovered her daughter's naked body, partially submerged in the bathtub. Moreover, she was holding onto a cell phone charging cord. She then called the police, informing them that it seemed like Jessica had "slipped in the shower."
2) Authorities swabbed Jessica Nelson's house for evidence after considering the situation a homicide
Although there was no indication of a break-in, officials determined the crime to be a homicide and collected all the items discovered near the body for further investigation. DNA samples from the victim's fingernails and phone cord were among some of the things in the home that were swabbed for evidence. Blood was found outside the bathroom, the victim's room, and the living room.
3) Jessica Nelson's official cause of death was ruled as strangulation
Jessica Nelson had bruises, abrasions, and bleeding in her eyes, according to an autopsy that was later performed. The report confirmed that she was strangled to death after finding a ligature mark on her neck that was consistent with the cell phone cord. The fact that she had cuts, bruises, and contusions on her head, stomach, and colon proved that she had also been s*xually assaulted.
4) Her ex-partner John was initially suspected of the crime
Authorities initially believed that Jessica's killer was someone she knew, given the lack of signs of forced entry and the fact that the main door was locked. They suspected her former partner John and even interrogated him. He claimed that he last saw her on June 24, when she dropped their six-year-old son Dom off at his place.
John also denied having any conflicts with Jessica, but others in the victim's life claimed that they had several disagreements about custody and money. However, when authorities looked at his phone records, he was ruled out as a suspect because the data proved that he was far away from Jessica's home when the crime took place.
5) DNA evidence, cell phone data, and other evidence were used to implicate a close family friend
DNA collected from the scene and Jessica Nelson's phone records were sufficient to implicate a long-time family friend named Matthew Kidder from Omaha. He was later placed near the victim's house using cell tower records on the night of the murder. A jury eventually found him guilty after considering all the evidence, including disturbing material found on his computer.
One of Kidder's cellmates testified at his trial, alleging that Kidder confessed to him about the crime and shared precise details about the scene that weren't made public. In 2016, Kidder was given a life sentence with an additional 20 years.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen will shed light on the murder of Jessica Nelson on February 8, 2023, at 7.00 pm ET.
