A shocking and tragic incident unfolded in Yankton, South Dakota, where a woman’s decapitated body was found inside her apartment, and her head was discovered in a trash bag the next day. The grim discovery came after she had sent a chilling message to a friend, saying her boyfriend had threatened her with a weapon.
Craig Allen Nichols Jr., 32, is now facing charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in the death of 41-year-old Heather Ann Bodden. The South Dakota Attorney General, Marty Jackley, shared the details in a press release.
The horror came to light last Thursday when Heather’s friends, concerned about her safety, decided to check on her at her apartment on Memory Lane, about 80 miles southwest of Sioux Falls. Inside, police found what they described as “a deceased headless person.”
One of Heather’s friends revealed that a day before her death, Heather had sent a text saying her boyfriend, Nichols, had threatened her. When she didn’t respond for over 24 hours, they feared the worst.
Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed two men arriving at Heather’s apartment around 9:59 p.m. the night before her body was found. They later told investigators they had been using drugs with Heather and Nichols but claimed she was alive when they left around 11:02 p.m. Wednesday.
The footage then showed Nichols returning to the apartment multiple times between 2:50 a.m. and 6:44 a.m. on Thursday. Later that morning, he was arrested at his own apartment after barricading himself inside.
During the search of Nichols’ apartment, police found wet shoes with what appeared to be blood on them. Back at Heather’s apartment, her head was discovered in a trash bag that matched one seen in the surveillance footage. Another bag contained bloody clothes, including underwear with a label reading “CRAIG N.” Nearby, investigators found three weapons wrapped in a floor mat inside another trash bag.
Nichols asked for a lawyer and refused to provide a urine sample, telling officers he wanted to sleep.
Heather leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter, Lily. A GoFundMe page set up by her family described her as a vibrant, witty person who loved her daughter deeply and was especially close to her mother, Pat. The page aims to raise funds for Heather’s funeral and to support Lily.
“Heather was taken from us in a brutal and tragic way by someone who claimed to care about her,” the GoFundMe statement reads. “Her friends and family are devastated and need help covering funeral expenses, as Heather didn’t have life insurance. Any leftover funds will go toward Lily’s care.”
Craig Nichols is currently being held in the Yankton County Jail, with bail set at $500,000. He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
