A man in South Dakota, Craig Allen Nichols Jr., 32, has been charged with murder and manslaughter after police say he killed and decapitated a woman.
Police were called to an apartment in Yankton, South Dakota, on Thursday, January 2, after three women reported finding their friend, 41-year-old Heather Ann Bodden, dead and without her head... Continue reading here ▶
According to the women, they went to check on Bodden because they hadn’t heard from her in over 24 hours. One of them shared that Bodden had texted her on January 1, saying her boyfriend, Nichols, had been threatening her with a weapon.
When police arrived at the apartment around 3:30 p.m., they found a body without a head. Security footage from the apartment complex showed Nichols and two other men entering Bodden’s apartment late Wednesday night.
The other two men told police that the group had used drugs together and that Bodden was alive when they left around 11 p.m. However, Nichols was seen on camera returning to the apartment several times between 2:50 a.m. and 6:45 a.m., carrying trash bags out of the building.
Inside the apartment, police found a trash bag containing Bodden’s head, bloody clothing with Nichols’ name on it, and three weapons wrapped in a floor mat.
At Nichols’ apartment, investigators found shoes with what appeared to be blood on them. Nichols refused to give blood and urine samples when he was arrested.
Nichols now faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and contempt of court. His next court date is scheduled for January 8. The Yankton Police Department and the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office are still investigating the case.
Bodden’s family created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses and support her daughter, Lily. The page describes Heather as a bright and witty person who deeply loved her daughter and her family. As of January 5, over $5,000 of the $15,000 goal had been raised.
Heather Bodden is survived by her parents, her daughter Lily, seven siblings, and many other relatives and friends who loved her.
