A woman who sent her friend a message saying she was being threatened with a weapon, has been found decapitated with her head stuffed inside a bin bag. Heather Ann Bodden’s headless body was discovered in her apartment last Thursday by three of her friends. Her Bodden’s boyfriend, Craig Allen Nichols Jr has been arrested in relation to the killing, police have confirmed.
Nichols, 32, is facing charges including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and two counts of contempt of court. One of the 41-year-old woman's friends told police that she had received a disturbing text message from the victim on New Year's Day, according to court documents. Bodden had allegedly said that Nichols had threatened her with a weapon that same afternoon.
After not hearing from the victim for over 24 hours, the concerned trio of friends decided to meet up at her apartment in Yankton, South Dakota, to check on her. Security camera footage shows three men – one of them identified as Nichols by police – arriving at Bodden’s property at around 10pm on New Year's Eve.
The two other men, who have only been referred to by their initials thus far – CE and CR – told police that the four of them had used drugs together. They stated that Ms Bodden was alive when they both left the home around 11pm that same day. Nichols, who is from South Dakota, was seen leaving and returning to Ms Bodden’s flat several times between the hours of 2.50am and 6.45am, and at one point was allegedly carrying two bin bags out of the building.
