Robert Ivan Nichols
This celebrity goo was created by player Erik Bates.
Scott Hardie replaced the difficulty provided by Erik.
publication date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020 (part of Fall 2020)
category: Mysteries
clue: After surviving 52 minutes of hell, this Purple Heart recipient started (and abandoned) a family, stole an identity of a young boy, and maybe became a serial killer, before committing suicide.
explanation: Robert Ivan Nichols was a World War II Navy veteran who was wounded in a bombing of his ship in an attack described in a newspaper article as "52 minutes of hell." Later in life, he stole the identity of Joseph Newton Chandler III, who was killed in a car accident at age 8. There are many theories about his motives, including being a fugitive Nazi, or the Zodiac Killer. more…
difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Denise Sawicki, and Scott Hardie
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