The Murder of Shelia Ann Nichols

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It was a grisly discovery – skeletal remains located off U.S. 27 in the South Florida Everglades in September 1983. For decades the remains of the young woman were unidentified. Detectives knew the woman was murdered, but they did not know her name, where she was from or how she wound up in South Florida.

Now, thanks to dogged detective work by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Homicide Unit and BSO’s Crime Lab, the victim’s identity and hometown have been revealed. She is Shelia Ann Nichols, 16, from Decatur, Georgia.

While detectives are gratified that the victim finally has a name, the biggest questions remain unknown – how Shelia Ann was brutally murdered, callously discarded and who killed her. Detectives are now putting out a call for any information that might lead to long-sought justice or answers in this case. That quest is the focus of the latest episode of BSO’s “Open and Unsolved” cold case series.

In September 1983, when a truck driver happened upon the skeleton on the then two-lane roadway, it kicked off a nearly 43-year murder mystery. BSO’s detectives of that era followed leads and evidence as they investigated the case. In one effort, they had a model made of the woman’s face to display publicly seeking tips. However, lacking today’s modern technological advances, investigators came up empty, and the case went cold.

Yet, the passage of time not only reinforced the resolve to solve the case; it also brought the advent of new tools to give detectives a chance to identify Shelia Ann and bring answers to her family. Detectives continue to firmly believe there is still an opportunity to put handcuffs on Shelia Ann’s killer.

DNA testing done through a grant from the Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program administered through the U.S. Department of Justice enabled BSO’s genetic genealogists in its Crime Lab to sift through mountains of online and hard copy records. That work revealed that the remains were likely those of a young woman from Decatur who had vanished in May 1983. Following a DNA match to her father last year, detectives confirmed that the woman was Shelia Ann, the victim of a cold and calculated killing.

“It’s unspeakable how somebody could dispose of this young lady with such disregard,” BSO Cold Case Homicide Unit Detective Andrew Gianino said. “It’s just heart-wrenching.”

As Detective Gianino began to research this case a couple of years ago he was met with shocking twist after shocking twist. For instance, around the same time in 1983 that Shelia Ann disappeared, her sister, Virginia Gail, also disappeared from Decatur. Did they leave together? Was Detective Gianino investigating not one but two homicides?

“This has to be one of the most complex cases with various twists that I’ve ever worked,” Gianino said.

Ultimately, Detective Gianino’s investigation would lead to Virginia Gail, alive and well, and enable her to make a long-delayed reunification with family. But Shelia Ann’s case remains unsolved. Detective Gianino believes that the fresh publicizing of Shelia Ann’s name and image may spur someone with knowledge to come forward in South Florida or in Decatur, Georgia, ready to share secrets they long ago decided to keep private or some small detail long overlooked that might lead to an arrest.

“We need that one phone call,” Detective Gianino said. “It would make all the difference going forward.”

Anyone with information on Shelia Ann Nichols’ disappearance or homicide is asked to contact BSO Detective Gianino at 954-321-4376 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app. If you wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States. If your tip leads to an arrest in this case, you are eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.