NV NV - Nan Dixon, 72, Lovelock, 21 Sept 1978

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The Doe Network:
Case File 2836DFNV

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2836dfnv.html

Nan Cecile Dixon
Missing since September 21, 1978 from Grass Valley, Nevada County, California
Classification: Endangered Missing



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Vital Statistics
•Age at Time of Disappearance: 72 years old
•Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'10"; 110 lbs.
•Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Reddish-grey hair.



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Circumstances of Disappearance
Dixon was last seen in Grass Valley, California on September 21, 1978. She was leaving for a nearly three-hour trip to visit her brother, Harry Leighton, and his family in Seven Troughs, Nevada, near Lovelock, in an unincorporated part of Pershing County, Nevada.

Dixon was last seen driving a 1976 Datsun B210 4-door, lime green - yellow in color. Dixon never arrived at her destination and her family reported her missing a short time later. The sheriff of Pershing County at the time, said that his office didn't have any evidence that Dixon had ever reached his county. Nearly three months later, Dixon's husband, received a charge card bill for $4.18 from a Texaco gas station in Lovelock. The new revelation prompted a subsequent round of searches, but there were no results

.
Dixon's family hired psychics and private investigators and sent them to Nevada. In November 1982, the car Dixon was driving was found by coyote hunters in a ravine below the main road of the Seven Troughs turnoff. It had been discovered in an area that had been previously searched from the air and by ground. The car appeared to have been deliberately driven over a rocky road and into the ravine. Tire tracks could be seen where it left the road and traversed down into the gulch. The tires were badly scuffed from having been driven over the rocky road, but otherwise held air and were considered to be in reasonably good condition. The car also contained a half tank of gasoline.

A possible suicide note had been planted inside the car. Family members do not believe that Dixon would kill herself because she was "strong and lively." Also, the note had not been signed.

Disturbing evidence found inside the car included four empty cigarette cartons. Although Dixon had been a light smoker who only took part in the habit occasionally, it seemed highly unlikely that she had consumed four cartons of cigarettes within the confines of her vehicle. Besides, the cartons were not of the same brand that Dixon had smoked. Portions of black electrical tape were found inside the car as well, and one roll that was intact contained a single hair and what appeared to be tissue attached to it. What appeared to be bloodstains were found on a mat inside the trunk, as well as on a tire and a rim, suggestive of the possibility that a body had been transported in the car's trunk. Nonetheless, the Pershing County Sheriff's Department closed the case as a "suicide," and in the years since Dixon's disappearance all of the evidence in the case has also disappeared.



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Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Ellen G. I. Clark, M.D
Washoe County Medical Examiner - Coroner's Office
775-785-6114
Email

Source Information:
Investigation Discovery

http://investigation.discovery.com/blogs/bizzare/missing-person/nan_cecile_dixon.html
snipped:
The e-mail was from Mona Mansfield-Erhardt, and her motivation for sending it to me was to solicit my help in renewing interest in finding the remains of her grandmother, Nan Cecile Dixon, 72 at the time she disappeared, who Mona and other family members believe was murdered at some point after setting out from her home in Grass Valley, California on September 21, 1978 for a nearly three-hour trip to visit her brother, Harry Leighton, his wife, Lulu, and their adult son, Arthur, also known as "Butch," at Seven Troughs, Nevada, near Lovelock in the northern part of the Silver State in an unincorporated part of Pershing County.

More details at link above.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dixon_nan.html

Nan is not listed in NamUs at this time.

No archived articles found.

Nan has been missing for almost 32 years. Her Family deserves answers. Come home soon.
 

Attachments

  • Nan Cecile Dixon.bmp
    42.2 KB · Views: 26
I have not given up the quest to find my grandmother's remains in that Nevada Desert. My hope is that the murderer's conscience will burn horrifically enough to assist with unearthing her bones. We know who did this, and he believes that proof will never come forth... he's dead wrong, as he forgot to factor in one young granddaughter, who, as an adult, is focused on Justice in this case.

When all the evidence has disappeared, the energies remain.

Mona Mansfield Erhardt
 
I have not given up the quest to find my grandmother's remains in that Nevada Desert. My hope is that the murderer's conscience will burn horrifically enough to assist with unearthing her bones. We know who did this, and he believes that proof will never come forth... he's dead wrong, as he forgot to factor in one young granddaughter, who, as an adult, is focused on Justice in this case.

When all the evidence has disappeared, the energies remain.

Mona Mansfield Erhardt
Mona, I can only imagine how horrible this is for you and your family.

A possible suicide note had been planted inside the car. Family members do not believe that Dixon would kill herself because she was "strong and lively." Also, the note had not been signed.

Disturbing evidence found inside the car included four empty cigarette cartons. Although Dixon had been a light smoker who only took part in the habit occasionally, it seemed highly unlikely that she had consumed four cartons of cigarettes within the confines of her vehicle. Besides, the cartons were not of the same brand that Dixon had smoked. Portions of black electrical tape were found inside the car as well, and one roll that was intact contained a single hair and what appeared to be tissue attached to it. What appeared to be bloodstains were found on a mat inside the trunk, as well as on a tire and a rim, suggestive of the possibility that a body had been transported in the car's trunk. Nonetheless, the Pershing County Sheriff's Department closed the case as a "suicide," and in the years since Dixon's disappearance all of the evidence in the case has also disappeared.
Wow...this is completely unacceptable.

Prayers that you will get answers and justice soon, and peace.
 
That is very mysterious, yet the LE's "suicide" theory at the time really doesn't wash. I think there is only one gas station in Lovelock. I would like to know if the gas was purchased by Mrs. Dixon or by someone else. From what I heard though, I really don't have much faith in the original investigation.
 
Nan Dixon has been missing for 37 years now. Her granddaughter continues searching; I'm hoping she can get answers.

I don't want to say that the investigation was a cover-up but there was certainly a lack of interest (to put it mildly) in finding Nan. They closed it as a suicide but there was no evidence of that besides for a "note". On the Charley Project, it says that the investigation was reopened in 2007 but it doesn't specify if it is now a homicide case.

NamUs

Find Nan Dixon - Facebook Page
 
I believe that Nan got lost trying to find Tunnel Camp. The "suicide" note really was just her saying that she was going to try to walk out of the desert, which was her worst nightmare...
 
Mona,

I don't know if you'll be notified of this but I have a couple of questions. The credit card charge that her husband saw. Was it dated around the time of her disappearance and he just saw it months later? Or was the card charged for gas months later? Like someone used it. And also, how closely did they look into the brother that owed her money?
 
One of the youtube websleuths that there are out there recently did a pretty lengthy video on this case. It's pretty much just like any other youtuber where they create their own theories over the matter. But they did drive out to the area and let us get a view of just what the area was like and how desolate it was.

Though they seem just like any other amateur sleuth I do kind of agree with the theory that they came up with that she got lost out their and probably died.

 
Bump
Any new info on this case? Can we see the “suicide” note? If the car found had recent tire tracks after a long time were there also footprints? Also if she started walking why was the car wrecked? What evidence was found in the car? Was the gas charge card in the car?
 
This unsolved case drew me in but not because of the theories and the families involved, but from simple facts. The history of the case includes possible reasons including family differences, suicide and murder. Now what I did as a survivalist, game tracker and hunter, I set that aside and put myself into her shoes. I'm a 72yr old woman with documented health problems. I'm on a trip to visit a family member with only a hand drawn map. My supplies include diet cola, ciggs which are not my brand but will smoke anyway. a pistol and purse, contents unknown. I've completed most of the journey despite my hand drawn map but here's where it all go's south. A wrong turn leads me to a nearby wash where semi solid ground turns to fine sand and the front tires sink. The ole method of rocking the automobile comes to mind so you do your best but it's no go and in the process of working the manual transmission from first to reverse cooks the clutch, stuck!. I get out and assess my situation and seek some shade from the heat so sit down behind the car and drink my colas to refresh not realizing that all the cola will do is dehydrate me more with the sugar content. Realizing my situation is dire I gather my thoughts knowing that this may actually be my final moments on this earthly plane, I pen down my final thoughts. I know am faced with my last choice other then taking my own life, get up girl and start walking with a hope for contact with another. Sadly from this step forward this wonderful soul vanishes into the blazing heat with poor health, no proper hydration and no idea of where her path will lead her. The land out there has no mercy for the unprepared or even the prepared at times and the animals don't as well. Once man, woman or beast passes away in lands such as this what remains sadly is found by scavengers and such and over time scattered to our Lord only knows. For those who love and miss them may they be always left with the loving memories and not the darkness that sometimes surround the missing. Occam's Razor hmmm.
 
Was searching for articles on Nan's disappearance and couldn't find any... But found this recipe that Nan sent to the food section and thought I would share it here: Nan Dixon- Grass Valley - Newspapers.com

"This is a pie I remember from childhood. My mother made it often for my dad who loved prunes any way they were served."


View attachment 396803
Thank you for posting this and it reminds us of the personal "human" side of those lost. It's so easy to get tunnel vision and focus on just the sleuth side of this but sometimes little things like an unrelated recipe can open a door and bring new light to some of the questions we seek.
 
Also took a crack at digging up anything about Nan's disappearance but could only find articles from when her car was found.

10 December 1982, The Press-Tribune, pg 7
1674580352319.png

10 December 1982, The Reno-Gazette, pg 38
1674580445445.png

"her car was found last weekend 27 miles north of Lovelock"

12 December 1982, The Auburn Journal, pg 3
1674580539921.png

Unfortunately it seems we know most of this info.

Found more of Nan's recipes though, she seemed like quite the cook.

1674580745458.png

20 May 1979, The Sacramento Bee, pg 54

1674580799725.png

20 May 1979, The Sacramento Bee, pg 137
1674580852554.png
 

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