New Hampshire Judith Lord cold case solved half a century later, identifying Ernest Gable as killer

A long-standing cold case in New Hampshire has finally been solved, revealing the identity of the killer as the original suspect who was never arrested due to a flawed FBI report that hindered the investigation.

On May 20, 1975, 22-year-old Judith Lord was found dead inside her Concord apartment. Her body was discovered by a building manager who was looking for her unpaid rent. Lord’s 20-month-old son was found unharmed in a crib in an adjacent room. The autopsy determined that she died from homicidal strangulation.

Evidence at the scene indicated a violent struggle and sexual assault, with hairs and seminal fluid found on Lord’s body and bed. The primary suspect in the case was identified as Lord’s neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable, who was 24 at the time.

Despite suspicions surrounding Gable, the case hit a roadblock due to a flawed forensic report issued by the FBI in 1975. The report incorrectly concluded that the suspect could not have contributed the hairs found at the scene. However, other evidence, such as Gable’s fingerprints at the scene and witness statements indicating Lord’s fear of him, contradicted this analysis.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Lord had been afraid of both her husband and Gable. She had moved into the apartment complex with her husband and son three months prior, after returning from Germany. Her husband, Gregory Lord, had assaulted her just 16 days before her murder and was subsequently arrested.

Gregory Lord was initially the primary suspect but was cleared after his alibi was corroborated by family members. Judith Lord resigned from her job after the assault and was left with very little. She was last seen cashing her final paycheck before returning home on the night of her murder.

Witnesses reported hearing screams and moaning coming from Lord’s apartment shortly before her death. After her murder, several witnesses came forward with accounts of Lord’s interactions with Gable, describing his persistent and unwanted advances.

Ernest Gable was never charged with Lord’s murder. He was fatally stabbed in Los Angeles nearly 13 years later. If he were alive today, he would have been charged with first-degree murder for causing Lord’s death during the commission of aggravated felonious sexual assault and for purposely causing her death by strangulation.

Attorney General John M. Formella expressed hope that the resolution of this case would bring peace and closure to Judith Lord’s family and the Concord community after nearly five decades of delayed justice. He emphasized that no cold case is ever truly closed until the truth is uncovered.