INTERVIEW: Detective looks into old case files of Lewis Clark Valley disappearances
Photo: Asotin County Detective Jackie Nichols is trying to find answers to a string of disappearances in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Photo courtesy of Investigation Discovery / Provided by PR website with permission.
In the new Investigation Discovery special, Cold Valley, two detectives hunt down a killer who left a trail of loss and sorrow in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Lewis Clark Valley between Idaho and Washington. They have some leads, but they need more evidence to bring a formal case.
Detective Jackie Nichols, of the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office, joins up with Gloria Bobertz, a cousin of one of the victims. They examine old case files and interview witnesses who remember the scenes of the crime. As they journey down this dark, dark path, many questions — both old and new — begin to emerge.
Between 1979 and 1982, according to an ID press release, five young people vanished in the valley. Three bodies were found, while the other two remain a mystery. What’s scary is that Nichols and Bobertz have a theory of what happened, but it will take some strenuous detective work to make any strides. It’s a tall order what Nichols and Bobertz are trying to do, but their goal is to provide some answers for families and communities still grieving 40 years after the case.
Recently, Nichols exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about Cold Valley, which airs Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What initially brought you to work on this case?
I first began working on the case when I became the detective for our agency in 2007. The first hurdle was finding the case file and organizing it in a way that made sense. I had heard about the case for several years prior to that, but this year was the first time it was under my jurisdiction and my job description to work on it.
For those who don’t know the lingo, can you describe the difference between a person of interest and suspect?
I don’t know if there’s a lot of distinction. A ‘person of interest’ is considered a lesser degree than a suspect. A ‘suspect’ is someone that you have some form of concrete information about, whereas a ‘person of interest’ is considered someone that should be looked at, as opposed to someone that has suspicion or probable cause.
Will viewers discover unreleased details about this case in the two-part TV special? Is there new information to be broadcast?
There are definitely going to be things that people find out about the cases that they probably have not heard before. I think because as the cases have been examined over the years, people have looked at them from different directions. Reporters have looked at them from different angles. Because this is such an in-depth documentary and because the production crew followed us around and discussed many things with us, I think there are definitely going to be some things that people will learn.
How do you deal with the emotional toll these violent cases bring up? It must be a difficult, draining job.
It is, and at times it can be overwhelming. It’s really important to have a strong peer group of people that you can talk to, people that you can trust and express how you’re feeling. For me personally I have other outside interests. I ride horses, I go to the movies, I am a person that uses humor to help get through things. Some people don’t, I do, and I try not to offend people with that. But those are the kind of things that help me out. And I think I am able to recognize when something is hard on me, and I am able to give myself some leeway for that. But in the end my job is to try to help the victims and to hold someone accountable.
Why do you think the public has become so interested in true crime stories?
I don’t really know why true crime is so fascinating on such a wide scale, but it’s probably for the same reasons that crimes are fascinating to me. They are unsolved mysteries, and people like to know the answers to questions. Crime is an area where we all wonder: ‘What makes people tick? Why would someone commit these crimes?’
Most of us go through our lives, and we get a speeding ticket or something like that. It’s frustrating, and we don’t like it. But we try to learn from that. And then there are people that go further than that. There’s a multitude of reasons that people commit crimes, some of them can be mental health related or substance abuse related, or a combination of both. But then there are the murderers, and that’s a whole other realm. What makes those people tick? It’s just so foreign to people. And we want to try to figure out why that happens. What drives someone to do that?
What inspired you to enter law enforcement?
A variety of things. I certainly had an interest in law and law enforcement. My husband is a lawyer, and we’ve talked about cases and the law. We had children when I was fairly young, so when my kids were young it didn’t seem like a feasible job for a young mother. But as my kids got older and were getting through school, that’s when I could start getting a part-time job and looking for things to do.
During that time there were openings at our local county jail. So I began working there, and that was a way of getting my feet wet in the world of law enforcement. I worked there for a while, and when there was an opening on the patrol side, I tested for it and got on with patrol. I wasn’t a person who grew up thinking ‘I’m going to be a cop!’ In fact, people that knew me probably are shocked that that’s how things turned out, but it’s worked into a really good career for me and a good fit.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Cold Valley premieres Thursday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery. Click here for more information.
