Authorities say 1975 killing of 22-year-old N.H. woman has now been solved

The 1975 murder of Judith Lord in New Hampshire has now been solved through modern forensic science, the state Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.

On May 20, 1975, Judith “Judy” Lord, 22, was found strangled to death in her home at the Concord Garden Apartments. The buildings operations manager, who went to Lord’s apartment to collect overdue rent, entered after hearing a baby’s persistent cries and discovered Lord lying unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom with a blue plastic sauna suit covering her face, officials said.

Lord’s 20-month-old son was found safe in his crib in an adjacent room.

The crime scene showed evidence of a violent struggle and a sexual assault, according to authorities. Hairs and towels containing seminal fluid were found on and near Lord’s body.

Law enforcement initially identified Lord’s neighbor, 24-year-old Ernest Theodore Gable, as a suspect, but he was ruled out after a flawed forensic report issued by the FBI in 1975 incorrectly ruled that he could not have contributed the hairs found at the scene, authorities said.

That incorrect ruling contradicted other evidence, including Gable’s fingerprints being found on Lord’s window and witnesses saying Lord feared him and that Gable had a “predatory interest” in her, the AG’s office said.

“Decades later, with the benefit of modern forensic science, new DNA testing conducted on biological material collected from the scene correctly identified Ernest Theodore Gable as the source,” officials said.

The AG’s office said a “comprehensive re-examination” of the case file by the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit and the Concord Police Department confirmed Gable’s responsibility.

“It is my hope that this long-awaited conclusion will finally bring peace and closure to Judy Lord’s family and the entire Concord community after nearly five decades of delayed justice,” Attorney General John Formella said in a statement. “This resolution proves that no cold case is ever truly closed until the truth is found.”

Gable died from a stab wound on Feb. 1, 1987, in Los Angeles. The AG’s office said, if he were still alive, they would’ve pursued a charge of first-degree murder against him.

“The original Concord Police Department investigators showed extraordinary diligence, only to be thwarted by flawed forensic technology of the era,” Formella said. “We commend the Cold Case Unit, the Concord Police Department, and all of our partners for their commitment to resolving this case and correcting a historic injustice.”

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