Blog Tour – Cavalier (September 3, 2022)

Cavalier: The Story of An Unsolved Murder in a Small Town

The last time I saw my friend Jack we were in the hospital lobby. He was wearing faded green scrubs and a lab jacket. He went through the door to the second floor. I never saw him again.
My friend was murdered in his home later that night. This book explores my recollections, experiences, and memories while trying to make sense of this unsolved crime.I’ve conducted research based on three main source materials: (1) interpersonal communications; (2) the investigation notes provided by the current sheriff and his deputy; and (3) newspaper reports from 1986.
I kept these documents in an eleven- by thirteen-inch box, approximately four inches deep, which resurfaced when I retired in 2018 and was packing to move to New Mexico. I knew right away what the box contained, even though I hadn’t looked through its contents for many years. When I did go through the artifacts, it brought back a confusing combination of feelings and memories and a deep sadness.
So many things had changed in my life since 1986, with one constant: no one has been charged or convicted in my friends’ murder. Whether you live in a large city or a small community like Cavalier, the people who are left behind want to know what happened.
This book has been written for those of us who grapple with murder, victimization, loss, and the unanswered questions-the friends and family of a victim of homicide who have given up hope of any resolution. I also write for two additional audiences: the fans of true-crime stories and the law enforcement officials open to suggestions about how to deal more effectively and respectfully with the victim’s friends and families.
Sadly, Jack’s case is one of more than 250,000 unsolved homicides cases in the US today, so I am not alone. As time passes, the chances of finding the murderer are vastly reduced. But the idea that a case goes cold is hard to take when it’s your friend or family member who’s been murdered.

AUTHOR BIO: North Dakota was home to Connie Nelson for most of her career in marketing and communications, where she also researched and wrote several monographs to educate the public on topics of local historical interest as a community volunteer. After retiring in 2018 and moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, she became active in local writing and publishing circles, which led to writing her first book, Cavalier-The Story of an Unsolved Murder in a Small Town, a firsthand account of a traumatic 1986 incident. The COVID pandemic provided the time to research and participate in on-line workshops to hone her writing and publishing skills, so as the world stood still for a couple of years, Connie utilized her downtime to write this story.