In 2009, Her Front Door Was Found Wide Open, Her Purse And Car Were Left Behind, But She Was Nowhere To Be Found: 3 Years Ago, Her Killer Confessed, But Recanted And Is Still Walking Free
When Nancy Moyer of Tenino, Washington, finished her shift as a financial analyst on March 6, 2009, she decided to hit a grocery store– known as Thriftway Market– before going home.
Afterward, the thirty-six-year-old mother of two made it back safely to her house that Friday afternoon and carried her groceries inside.
This was coincidentally witnessed by a Tenino police officer who had been stationed on her street corner while running radar.
But, on Sunday, March 8, Nancy’s husband Bill– whom she had been separated from– entered her Washington home to find a bewildering situation.
Bill would always spend weekends with their two daughters before dropping the kids back off at Nancy’s during the late afternoon and early evening hours on Sundays.
And despite being estranged for two years, the pair were never legally divorced and remained on good terms– successfully co-parenting their children.
Although, when he brought his two little girls back on March 8, he was shocked to find Nancy’s front door left wide open.
Her car was also still parked in the driveway– but Nancy was nowhere to be found.
Facebook; pictured above is Nancy
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Bill assumed that perhaps she had just run out. So, he took the kids back to his home and waited a few hours– hoping to return and find Nancy.
Later, when Bill returned, though, Nancy was still gone without a trace. And upon further inspection during his second time at the home that Sunday, he also discovered that Nancy’s purse and car keys had been left inside her house.
At that point, he contacted authorities to file a missing person report, and an investigation into her disappearance was launched.
Detectives found no signs of forced entry at Nancy’s home and actually found no evidence of another person even being inside. In turn, investigators pivoted to Bill early on in the investigation.
But, her husband underwent a polygraph test and was ruled out as a person of interest. So, investigators were left with little information to go on, and Nancy’s case had remained cold for just over ten years.
That was until July 9, 2019, when the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a suspect named Eric – who admitted to killing Nancy.
“I killed her,” Eric stated before describing how he strangled her using a scarf during an act of rough intimacy.
After receiving the call, officers did travel to Eric’s home, and they were directed toward a concrete fire pit on his property.
“I don’t really want to incriminate myself any further, but if I was going to get rid of a body on my property, it would be right there,” Eric reportedly said.
He was immediately arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree and brought in for further questioning with detectives.
During those follow-up inquiries, though, Eric recanted his confession and claimed to have no idea why he admitted to killing Nancy.
Later that month, a judge set Eric’s bail at $1.5 million, officers continued searching for links between him and Nancy, and both authorities and Nancy’s family alike held onto hope.
“When you have these cold cases that bring new information or possible leads to the solving of a crime, you’re always excited about the persistence we have in these cases,” said John Snaza, the Thurston County Sheriff, in an interview with King5.
“Many people tend to sort of forget these crimes, but law enforcement– we don’t ever forget.”
Bill also described his family’s anticipation and hope for closure– once and for all.
“The family is cautiously optimistic. We want to believe this is the end, but I think, much like the press, until there is a body, we are not there yet. We want to see this carried through to the extent,” Bill explained.
Unfortunately, though, on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, Eric was released from Snohomish County Jail.
The misdemeanor charge against him was dropped, and prosecutors planned to file a formal murder charge after they concluded their investigation.
Now, though, it has been just over three years since Eric was released and he has remained walking free.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has claimed to still be actively investigating Nancy’s case– but her family has still been left without answers.
The Moyers created a Facebook page entitled Where Is Nancy Moyer? to continue raising awareness about the cold case, and it is primarily run by Nancy’s daughter– Sam– who continues to post memories with and tributes to her mom.
“I don’t know what it is, but today I cannot stop thinking about my mom– like heavily. The thirteen-year anniversary of her being missing is coming up, and I am handling it very poorly. Crying at work, unfortunately, is a regular thing for me– so no one asks if I’m okay anymore. I’m not okay,” Sam wrote back in February.
Nancy was about five feet tall and had black hair and brown eyes. If you have any information that can help lead to the location of Nancy’s remains or the prosecution of her perpetrator, you are encouraged to contact the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office at (360) 786-5279.
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