On November 30, 1990, 47-year-old Donald 'Don' Nutley from Waco, Texas, met a tragic and mysterious end. The events leading to his death began when Nutley crossed paths with John Joseph Fautenberry, a long-haul trucker, at a truck stop in Troutdale, Oregon. Fautenberry, who would later be identified as a serial killer, befriended Nutley and learned that he was planning to go to the Mount Hood area for target practice.
Fautenberry offered to accompany Nutley on this trip, and Nutley agreed.
The two men traveled to the Mount Hood area, but Nutley's disappearance soon followed. His vanishing remained a mystery until April 21, 1991, when his remains were discovered in a wooded area northeast of rural Zigzag, Oregon. The gruesome discovery included Nutley's teeth and skull, which had a bullet hole, indicating that he had been shot.
The suspect in Nutley's murder was John Joseph Fautenberry. Fautenberry was a serial killer who had a history of befriending and then murdering his victims. He was described as a long-haul trucker who traveled extensively across the United States, using his profession to encounter potential victims at various truck stops and other locations.
Fautenberry's arrest came on March 17, 1991, three days after he killed another victim, Jefferson 'Jeff' Diffee, in Juneau, Alaska. At the time of his arrest, Fautenberry was under surveillance due to his linkage to a stolen car belonging to one of his earlier victims, Joseph Daron. During his interrogations, Fautenberry confessed to a total of six murders, including the death of Donald Nutley.
Fautenberry's confession and subsequent trials revealed a pattern of violence and deception. He was held at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Alaska on a $1 million bail, which was later increased to $3 million following additional charges. He was indicted for the murders of Diffee, Gary Farmer and Joseph Daron. Fautenberry pleaded guilty to killing Diffee and received a 99-year prison term in Alaska. He was later extradited to Ohio, where he was sentenced to death for the murder of Joseph Daron, and then to New Jersey, where he pleaded guilty to the murder of Gary Farmer and received a life sentence.
The detailed investigation and subsequent trials highlighted Fautenberry's calculating and predatory nature, as well as the extensive efforts of law enforcement to bring him to justice for his heinous crimes, including the murder of Donald 'Don' Nutley.
