She Vanished On The Night She Planned To Tell Her Boyfriend She Was Pregnant

In 2006, Jessica O’Grady was a 19-year-old waitress and student at the University of Nebraska with dreams of becoming a teacher. Yet, she began dating her coworker, and the night she planned to tell him that she was pregnant, she vanished.
It has now been nearly two decades since Jessica was last seen. Even though her boyfriend was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 100 years behind bars, her remains have never been found.
Jessica Goes Missing
It was the evening of May 10, 2006, when Jessica left to see her boyfriend and coworker, Christopher Edwards. She was driving to his house and intended to tell him that she was pregnant with his child.
Shortly before she disappeared, Jessica texted her friend, Keri Peterson, saying, “No shenanigans for Jessica.” According to Keri, this was code and indicated Jessica didn’t plan to sleep with Christopher that night.
The following day, Jessica never showed up for work, and her loved ones were concerned. They reported her missing to the police, and Eric Nordby, an Omaha police detective, was assigned to the case.
“This case got my attention because I had a 19-year-old teenager that had multiple contacts with multiple people, and that all stopped abruptly the night of May 10,” Eric recalled.
“In this case, I worked 33 hours straight. Most people don’t have that drive, but military people understand it.”
All Eyes On Jessica’s Boyfriend

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Eric ultimately turned his focus to Jessica’s boyfriend and wanted to know what happened when she went to speak with him that evening. Eric was able to track down Christopher and interview him at police headquarters. At first, he appeared helpful, too.
Then, inconsistencies revealed themselves. Christopher stated that Jessica had decided not to meet up with him on May 10, claiming she never went over to his house. Additionally, he said that, on May 11, he texted her, asking why she didn’t show up.
However, Eric accessed Jessica’s phone records, which revealed her last outgoing phone call was to Christopher. It was late at night on May 10. The records also showed that Christopher did not text Jessica on May 11, as he’d told the police.
Furthermore, Christopher alleged that Jessica had gone to his home on May 9, which was refuted by her friends and family. All of these discrepancies raised red flags for Eric, and he led a search of Christopher’s home.
“Initially, I found specks of blood and then a large amount of blood, which led me to believe she did not survive the attack,” Eric remembered.
There were traces of blood in Christopher’s bedroom, as well as bloodstained towels in trash bags in his garage.
Authorities also found a store receipt from May 11, showing that Christopher had bought white shoe polish and white out from a drugstore.
“We secure footage from the drug store showing him making the purchases. He was trying to cover up blood spots with it,” Eric detailed.
The police kept a close eye on Jessica’s bank and telephone records, which proved she hadn’t touched her accounts or placed any calls.
The day after the search was executed, her family visited police headquarters and came to terms with the fact that Jessica was no longer alive.
“There was some relief. Her aunt was very realistic. She understood this was not a rescue mission. It was a recovery,” Eric said.
Jessica’s car was ultimately found on May 16, parked near her workplace. Later, investigators found out that Christopher had been involved in another serious relationship with a woman named Michelle Wilkin.
He’d first met Michelle in 2005, and in January 2006, he got her pregnant. Michelle eventually asked Christopher why he was under investigation for Jessica’s disappearance, too, and he confessed to sleeping with her.
“[Michelle] testified that [Christopher] had told her at some point that he had heard [Jessica] was pregnant,” reads Supreme Court records.
“But [Michelle] said [Christopher] told her that after [Michelle] and [Christopher] had discussed marriage, he had met with [Jessica] at his house to tell [Jessica] that he and [Jessica] would no longer be involved.”
In April 2007, Christopher was convicted of Jessica’s murder. He received a prison sentence of 100 years behind bars, which was monumental in the state of Nebraska.
“This is the only case in Nebraska where somebody has been prosecuted and convicted without a body or without a confession,” Eric explained.
“If we had found tissue, it would have been easier to prove death. In this case, we only had blood.”
The Search For Jessica’s Remains Continues
In spite of Christopher’s conviction, he’s been unwilling to cooperate with authorities. Rather, he has tried every avenue to appeal his prison sentence.
But in the 2009 State v. Edwards case, which focused on whether there was sufficient evidence to prove Jessica was murdered, the court’s judgment was affirmed.
“The evidence was sufficient to support the corpus delicti of homicide and Edward’s convictions. We find no error in the district court’s refusal of Edwards’ proposed jury instruction, denial of his motion for continuance, or rejection of his proffered evidence,” the case’s conclusion reads.
“To the extent that Edwards also suggests that the court committed a cumulative error, his argument is without merit. Therefore, the court’s judgment is affirmed.”
Nonetheless, the location of Jessica’s remains is still unknown over 18 years later. According to Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, the police have a “strong suspicion” regarding where her remains are. But, due to a “multitude of factors in the area,” Aaron said the remains would be “virtually inaccessible.”
As time continues to pass by, he hopes that technological advancements, namely the quality of ground and concrete penetrating radar, will improve. That way, investigators can get to the bottom of their suspicions.
“It would require some very specific and highly technological presence of ground and concrete penetrating radar. Now, we’re hopeful that technology will exist and if it does already exist, we’d love to have any private entities that would be willing to approach the sheriff’s office and offer their services,” Arron detailed.
Still, investigators believe that other people aside from Christopher know where Jessica’s remains are. The police have already received “anonymous or known tips” and urge anyone else with information to come forward.
“That would be most helpful. So, the public should know that they’re safe if they want to approach the sheriff’s office and help give the O’Grady family closure,” Aaron noted.
“They can call our tip line (402) 444-6000, and they could also contact Omaha Crime Stoppers as well.”
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