Warning: This article discusses sexual assault, which may be distressing for some readers.
A decades-old cold case in New Hampshire has been resolved, thanks to advancements in DNA testing technology.
On May 20, 1975, 20-year-old Judith Lord was discovered dead in her Concord apartment.
The discovery was made by the building’s manager, who had entered the apartment due to unpaid rent.
Lord’s 20-month-old son was found safe in a crib in another room.
An autopsy revealed that Lord’s death was caused by homicidal strangulation. Although investigations were conducted, the true perpetrator remained unidentified until now.
The New Hampshire Department of Justice issued a press release stating: “The crime scene showed evidence of a violent struggle and sexual assault. Investigators recovered key forensic evidence, including hairs found on and near her body and towels later determined to contain seminal fluid.”
“Although a suspect was identified early in the investigation, the case was severely hindered by a flawed forensic report issued by the FBI in 1975. At the time, microscopic hair analysis techniques led to an incorrect conclusion that the suspect could not have contributed the hairs found at the scene.”
“That error contradicted other significant evidence, including the suspect’s fingerprints on the exterior of Ms. Lord’s window and witness accounts indicating that she feared him. The erroneous exclusion caused the case to stall for decades.”
Ernest Theodore Gable, who lived near Lord, was initially suspected, as she reportedly feared him due to his ‘persistent and unwanted advances’.
Lord had been assaulted by her husband 16 days prior to her murder, and he was fined $100 after pleading guilty.
Physical evidence from the crime scene was sent to the FBI’s Forensic Laboratory, but the hair analysis led to an incorrect conclusion that excluded a key suspect.
This conflicting evidence caused the investigation to stagnate, as the attorney general’s report noted the FBI’s findings presented a major evidentiary challenge.
Later DNA analysis revealed that the seminal fluids matched Gable, and further forensic testing identified the hairs as belonging to him as well.
“It is my hope that this long-awaited conclusion will finally bring peace and closure to Judy Lord’s family and the entire Concord community after nearly five decades of delayed justice,” stated New Hampshire attorney general John Formella.
“This resolution proves that no cold case is ever truly closed until the truth is found.”
The press release notes that Gable was fatally stabbed in Los Angeles in February 1987, at the age of 36.