Body found in woods now identified as woman who vanished in 1974, NH officials say

The body of a woman who vanished in 1973 has been identified with the help of her siblings’ DNA, New Hampshire officials said.

In April 1974, a woman’s body was discovered in a wooded area in Marlborough and forensic analysis revealed she had died in the fall of 1973, according to a July 9 news release by the New Hampshire Department of Justice.

Now, over 50 years later, the woman was identified as Nancy Gale Erickson, 21, of Tampa, Florida, and Brattleboro, Vermont, officials said.

In 1973, Erickson, who had her nursing degree, left her home in Florida that she shared with her mother, with a “duffel bag and no known destination,” officials said. Her family believed her nursing career took a toll on her, resulting in her leaving.

In October 1973, Erickson was arrested in Vermont after being accused of stealing a car to which she received probation and her family was notified of her arrest, officials said.

In the same month, Erickson left her job at a Brattleboro hospital and was “never heard from again,” officials said.

Erickson’s family had previously reported her missing in a different state, then in 2021 reported her missing to the Brattleboro Police Department, making her officially a missing person, officials said.

From 2022 to 2024, forensic analysis matched the DNA of Erickson’s siblings, identifying her as the remains found in 1974, officials said.

After identifying the remains as Erickson, detectives are investigating her cause of death and anyone who may have known her is asked to contact 800-525-5555, officials said.

Marlborough is about a 50-mile drive northeast from Concord.

This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Body found in woods now identified as woman who vanished in 1974, NH officials say."