Nancy Ludwig & Margarette Eby Murder Case: How Did Jeffrey Wayne Gorton Kill Them?

Nancy Ludwig and Margarette Eby Murders Case

The investigators had many questions about two gruesome killings that occurred nearly five years apart before DNA evidence pointed to the killer.

The slayings of Nancy Ludwig and Margarette Eby in 1991 and 1986 are the subject of Investigation Discovery‘sThe Lake Erie Murders: Heartbreak Hotel.’

Despite the fact that the cases remained unsolved for many years, breakthroughs in forensic technology eventually led to the identification of a single person who was responsible for both killings.

So if you’re interested in learning more, we’ve got you covered.

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Nancy Ludwig and Margarette Eby Murders

Nancy Ludwig and Margarette Eby: How Did They Die?

Nancy Ludwig, 41, was a flight attendant who was married to Art Ludwig. She left her house in Minnesota on February 17, 1991, since she had a flight to Detroit, Michigan.

Nancy stayed at the hotel near the airport that night. Her body was discovered in the bed the next day by housekeeping.

Nancy Ludwig
Nancy Ludwig

Nancy had been blindfolded & tied, and she had a slit throat and many knife wounds, according to authorities. Not only that, but the assailant had raped and tormented Nancy, leaving defensive cuts on her hands, showing she had fought back.

Margarette Eby had been found dead in her Flint, Michigan home on November 9, 1986, just a few years before. Margarette was a 55-year-old University of Michigan-Flint music professor.

Margarette Eby
Margarette Eby

Her friends last saw her on November 7, when they sent her off at home after a party. Margarette was raped, stabbed, & apparently killed, just like Nancy. There were no traces of forced entry, though.

Who Was Responsible for the Deaths of Nancy Ludwig & Margarette Eby?

The authorities had no suspects in Margarette’s case, although they did recover certain evidence from crime scenes.

A fingerprint was found on a bathroom faucet, in addition to blood and sperm samples. The print, however, did not match anybody at the time, but without a federal database to consult, the case was closed.

Likewise, when Nancy was apprehended, investigators took blood and sperm samples, as well as fingerprints.

Nancy’s killer is believed to have used a vehicle described in the sketch by an eyewitness, but the investigation stalled and became cold.

The police then decided to send the evidence in Nancy’s case for assessment in 2001 due to a federal grant. Margarette’s case was found to be a match to the semen sample.

The similarities between the two killings also impressed the authorities: the perpetrator cleaned himself in the washroom after torturing and murdering Nancy and Margarette.

Jeffrey Wayne Gorton

After that, Margarette’s fingerprint was checked against a national database. The authorities quickly found a match: Jeffrey Wayne Gorton. His fingerprints may have been submitted into the system after he was convicted of burglary in 1984.

In addition, Jeffrey used to work for a sprinkler firm that had a contract with Margarette’s neighbourhood, Mott Estate.

The authorities required Jeffrey’s DNA to confirm he was the killer because numerous threads pointed to him.

He was tracked down to an ice skating rink, according to the show. Jeffrey was married and had children at the time. Authorities took a cup and a napkin that he had used and then sent them through it for verification.

His DNA matched the sperm swabs from Nancy and Margarette’s instances, which was not surprising. Police discovered around 800 pairs of women’s underwear with labels detailing dates and locations during a check of Jeffrey’s residence.

Furthermore, according to the episode, they discovered videotapes of Jeffrey recording himself wearing women’s underwear, as well as concealed cameras put up in the bathroom to record others.

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Jeffrey Wayne Gorton in Prison
Jeffrey Wayne Gorton at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan

What Happened to Jeffrey Wayne Gorton & Where Is He Now?

Jeffrey was found guilty of raping and killing Nancy in September 2002, and he was sentenced to three life sentences.

He allegedly waited for Nancy in an adjacent stairwell before forcing his way into her room when she opened the door, according to the authorities.

Then, in January 2003, a 40-year-old Jeffrey pled no contest to cold-blooded murder, felony murder, and first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with Margarette’s death.

He is still detained at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan, according to prison records.