Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - What happened to Jessica Nelson?

Jessica Nelson, a working, single mother-of-one, was found strangled to death in the bathtub of her Debolt, Nebraska home in June 2015. Jessica's mother Missy Nelson found her daughter completely naked in a fetal position, holding a cell phone charging cord, with ligature marks on her neck, indicating strangulation.

The DNA evidence collected from the crime scene and phone records led authorities to Matthew Kidder. Kidder was Jessica's long-time friend and a close friend of the Nelson family as well. He was convicted of first-degree murder and the use of a deadly weapon to commit felony in 2016.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of murder and s*xual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is slated to revisit the brutal murder of Jessica Nelson in an episode titled Evil Intent. The episode will re-air on Oxygen on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 7 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."

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Jessica Nelson's body was found partially submerged in the bathtub placed in a fetal position

Jessica Nelson's mother, Missy Nelson, received a concerning call on June 25, 2015, informing her that Jessica had failed to show up to work. That was when Missy called her 28-year-old daughter who didn't answer the calls.

Concerned, Missy went to her daughter's house and noticed her car in the driveway. Jessica lived with her six-year-old son Dom, who was visiting his father the previous night. This meant that Jessica was alone in her Debolt, Nebraska home.

As Missy entered her daughter's house, she found the front door locked and used her keys to unlock it. She heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom and went to check it, which is when she found her daughter dead and proceeded to call the police. During the call, she was heard saying that it seemed like Jessica had slipped in the shower but that Missy didn't know how it happened.

Jessica's naked body was partially submerged in the bathtub, placed in a fetal position with one hand clutching onto a cell phone charging cord. Her head was covered in blood and a ligature mark could be seen on her neck. Her clothes were located next to her feet.

Upon arrival, authorities assessed the crime scene as a homicide, even though there were no signs of a break-in. All items found near the body were taken for further examination. Other items throughout the house were swabbed for DNA evidence, including samples from underneath the victim's fingernails and also from the phone cable.

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Jessica Nelson was strangled to death and s*xually assaulted by a family friend, Matthew Kidder

Later, an autopsy revealed hemorrhaging in Jessica Nelson's eyes, bruising, and abrasions on her neck. They also found a ligature mark on her neck that was consistent with the cell phone cable and also confirmed that she was strangled to death. Additionally, bruises and a cut in her v*ginal area in addition to contusions to her head, stomach, and colon suggested that she was also s*xually assaulted.

Phone records and DNA evidence collected from the scene placed Matthew Kidder at the scene of the crime. Although he maintained his innocence, a jury found him guilty after considering material found on his computer and text messages he shared with the victim.

At his trial, one of his cellmates testified, claiming that Kidder confessed to him about the crime and revealing specific information from the scene that wasn't made public. Kidder was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 20 years in 2016.

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Learn more about the case on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Wednesday, February 8, 2023.