Human Wreckage True Crime
Disturbing True Crime Stories, These include, murderers, kidnappings, serial killers. Solved and unsolved.
Human Wreckage True Crime
Who Killed Elaine Nix?
Can you imagine the agony of waiting eight long days, tirelessly searching for a loved one who vanished without a trace? Join us in this heart-wrenching episode as we unravel the tragic story of Elaine Nix, an 18-year-old from Gainesville, Georgia, who disappeared in 1999, leaving her family in a state of despair. Known for her love of frogs and her dreams of becoming a nurse and mother, Elaine's routine late-night call to her boyfriend turned into a mysterious and harrowing ordeal that ended in tragedy. We walk you through the chilling timeline, from her last phone call to the heartbreaking moment her body was discovered, and the frustrating lack of urgency from the authorities.
Through firsthand accounts and detailed investigation, we shine a light on the emotional rollercoaster her family endured, their relentless search efforts, and the systemic failures that hampered the investigation. Discover the poignant reminders of why swift action is crucial in missing person cases and the lasting impact on those left behind. This episode is a powerful testament to Elaine's life and a call to action to ensure no family has to go through such an ordeal again. Listen as we honor Elaine's memory and seek justice for a life cut tragically short.
Elaine Nix was abducted after using a payphone late at night in Gainesville, georgia. She was found murdered nine days later. Welcome to another episode of Human Wreckage. This episode is about the murder of Elaine Nix. Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:18-year-old Elaine Nix lived with her family in Gainesville, georgia. She loved frogs and aspired to be a mother and a nurse. One day. Standing at just five feet two inches tall, those who knew her said she was a spitfire. She had a very charismatic way about her. She could walk into a room and light it up without saying anything, recalled her friend Jennifer Boyd.
Speaker 1:At around 11 pm the 20th of September 1999, elaine pulled on a white t-shirt, khaki pants and blue and white gym shoes and left her suburban home to drive the short distance to Zach's Food Rack located at 2052 Candler Road in Gainesville. Elaine would frequently drive here so that she could use the pay phone to talk to her boyfriend, billy Millwood. Since Billy lived in Cleveland with his mother, elaine couldn't use her home phone to call him because long distance in the Nicks household was blocked. When one month's bill totaled $75, elaine's mother, becky, had the phone company to block all long distance calls. For 35 cents she could use that pay phone and talk to him for as long as she wanted. Becky said we have to live on a budget. So at around 11 pm on that fateful night, elaine drove to the payphone where she and Billy chatted about going camping. It was routine for her. After around an hour on the phone, elaine told Billy she loved him and hung up. This phone call was corroborated with phone records. What happened after she hung up that phone remains a grim mystery.
Speaker 1:A couple of hours later, at around 2 am, a deputy on patrol found Elaine's 1986 Toyota Celica parked next to the pay phone she had been using at Zach's Food Rack. The car window was rolled down and the key was still in the ignition, but there was nobody to be seen. The officer thought nothing of it and continued with his nighttime patrol. When Elaine didn't come home that night, her parents, becky and David, didn't initially panic. She was a teenage girl and it wasn't uncommon for her to stay overnight with a cousin or a friend. Sometimes she even drove to Cleveland to spend the night with Billy.
Speaker 1:The next day, however, elaine didn't show up for her shift at the restaurant where she worked. Her parents decided they would go out and search for their daughter. It wasn't like her just to not show up for work. As they drove past Zach's food rack, they too spotted Elaine's abandoned car. I got in it and the keys were in the ignition, becky recalled she thought maybe she had run out of gas, but when she turned the key she discovered this not to be true. Well, it cranks. It's got gas in it. Where is she? She noticed that Elaine's purse and cigarettes were still sitting on the passenger seat. If she had gone to a friend's house, she certainly wouldn't have just left her purse in plain view on the passenger seat and would have brought her cigarettes along with her. Surely Becky started up the car and drove it back home to report her daughter missing. Unfortunately, by doing so, becky potentially contaminated any evidence that could have been left behind in the car.
Speaker 1:After police told Becky and David that they had to wait a certain amount of time before reporting somebody missing, they created handwritten missing person flyers for Elaine and posted them to every stop sign and lamppost in Hall County. They assembled a search party of friends and family of Elaine and retraced her steps from that evening. After enough time had passed for Elaine to be reported missing, her family said that she was just treated like a runaway, and one officer even suggested that Elaine had run away to become a stripper Because she was a teenage girl that had run away beforehand to spend time with friends. There was just no sense of urgency. While they did conduct roadblocks where they questioned drivers, elaine's family contended that they just didn't do enough to search for Elaine. She was considered a runaway, and that was that.
Speaker 1:For eight long days, those closest to Elaine scouted the area in search of clues that could lead to the whereabouts of Elaine. They trudged through the nearby woods and walked up and down the highway. Investigators questioned Elaine's friends and family and checked surveillance footage from the store. Unfortunately, however, it showed nothing that could point investigators or Elaine's family in the right direction.
Speaker 1:On the 29th of September, somebody cutting grass behind a Beaufort Industrial Park had smelled something pungent wafting in the air. Following the scent, with his nose, he made a grisly discovery the body of Elaine. She had been dumped along the tree line in Beaufort, georgia, just six miles off the I-85 and seventeen miles from where she chatted with her boyfriend on the phone just the week beforehand. She was naked, other than a black beaded necklace and a promise ring from Billy. Due to the heat.
Speaker 1:Decomposition was extremely advanced and a cause of death could not be determined. However, dr Gerald Gowett, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, determined that she hadn't been shot, stabbed or beaten. It's generally believed that she was either strangled or smothered. The body was quickly identified as Elaine via dental records and what remained of her frog tattoo on her ankle and butterfly tattoo on her lower back. After Elaine was identified, gwinnett police set up a roadblock in the area where her body was discovered and stopped and questioned drivers, but it was unfruitful. Nobody knew or saw anything. Within months, a reward for information into the slaying reached $9,000, thanks to a $5,000 contribution from Frances Carrington. Carrington's wife and daughter were murdered the summer beforehand in Yosemite National Park by serial killer Carrie Stainer.
Speaker 1:The area where the payphone Elaine was using that night, as well as the area her body was later discovered, are both easy drives off Interstate 95. Moreover, the location of the payphone is a very popular spot for truckers to pull up and stop to get some shut-eye before continuing on their journey. This led many to theorize that Elaine could have been killed by a trucker. David, however, believes that Elaine could have witnessed a drug deal while on the payphone. He theorized that she could have been abducted and murdered to keep quiet. Without many leads to go on, the case went cold and Elaine's murder still remains unsolved today. Her family still holds out hope that Elaine's slaying will one day be solved. Thanks for joining me again. Till next time, please take care of yourselves. Thank you.