Account
May 16, 2023
Jun 13, 2023
Delores
Wilkerson-Nicely
79
40
62 inches
115 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the spring of 1985, a cloud of concern settled over Tuscarawas County, Ohio, with the sudden disappearance of 40-year-old Delores Jeane Wilkerson-Nicely, known to her loved ones as Jeannie. On April 23, she was last seen at her workplace, Don's Deli and Donuts in Newcomerstown. The following day, her husband, Donald Lee Nicely, informed others that his wife had quit her job and was feeling unwell. This explanation, however, would soon be overshadowed by unsettling discoveries that pointed to a more disturbing reason for her absence. The initial report of her being missing was filed with the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office on April 25, the same day a significant piece of evidence surfaced. The investigation into Delores's disappearance quickly gained momentum when her vehicle was found abandoned. The car was discovered along a rural road, Linton Township Rd. 144, and curiously, the license plates had been removed. Investigators determined the car had been driven up the road to an abandoned bridge before being backed into the position where it was found. Inside the vehicle, a grim scene began to unfold. A tire was located between the driver's seat and the back seat, and a bloodstain, later confirmed to be consistent with Delores's blood type, marked the back seat. Additional blood evidence was found on a side panel, the floor, and a blanket. This physical evidence, combined with her husband's increasingly suspicious behavior, shifted the focus of the investigation squarely onto him. Although Delores's body was never found, the circumstantial evidence against her husband was substantial. A spot of blood matching his wife's was found on his trousers. Further raising suspicion, after his arrest, Donald made a recorded phone call from jail in which he insisted his father change the tires on his truck and expressed worry about his sister turning his trousers over to the authorities. He also voiced concern about his wife's body being found. Despite extensive searches of the family home, the area where the car was found, a nearby river, and a family farm, her remains were never located. Ultimately, Donald Lee Nicely was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He later passed away while incarcerated. The case of Delores Wilkerson-Nicely is a somber one, where justice was served through a conviction, yet the full closure of finding her final resting place remains an unanswered question for her family.
Apr 23, 1985
Port Washington
Ohio
Tuscarawas County
No
125284
Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office
New Philadelphia
Ohio
Tuscarawas County
44663
2295 Reiser Avenue Southeast, Ohio
3303392000
County
Law Enforcement
85-04-249
1985-04-25
Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office
na
Blond/Strawberry
Unknown
Unknown
05/29/2026
