Wayne Nathan Nance

Serial Killer

Wayne Nathan Nance: The Missoula Mauler

Overview

Wayne Nathan Nance was a suspected American serial killer who operated primarily in and around Missoula and western Montana between 1974 and 1986. Often called the "Missoula Mauler," Nance was linked through physical evidence, stolen property, witness accounts and similarities in his methods to at least six killings. Investigators suspected that he may have committed additional murders that were never identified or conclusively connected to him. Nance was never arrested, tried or convicted for murder. His suspected crimes were uncovered only after he was fatally wounded during an attempted home invasion in September 1986. The surviving victims of that attack described a carefully planned assault involving restraints, sexual violence, stabbing and an attempt to eliminate witnesses. Those details caused investigators to reexamine several unsolved Montana homicides that had involved similar patterns.

Early Life and Disturbing Behavior

Wayne Nathan Nance was born on October 18, 1955, in Montana and grew up near Missoula. Former classmates later described him as intelligent but socially isolated and unsettling. Accounts of his adolescence included an interest in violent fantasies, weapons and satanic imagery. He reportedly told acquaintances that he wanted to kill someone before reaching the age of nineteen. Nance graduated from Sentinel High School in Missoula in 1974. During adulthood, he served briefly in the United States Navy and later worked in the furniture-moving business. His employment gave him opportunities to enter customers' homes, observe their possessions and learn about their routines. Several women reportedly complained of receiving disturbing telephone calls after furniture deliveries, and Nance was suspected of using information obtained through his work to select or monitor potential victims. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Donna Pounds Age: (39), Date of Death: 1974-04-11

Suspected Victims:

Devonna Nelson Age: (15), Date of Death: 1978-07

Janet Lucas Age: (23), Date of Death: 1985-09-09

Dexter Stefonek Age: (67), Date of Death: 1985-11

The gruesome world of Missoula Mauler Wayne Nance - KHQ