A man accused of killing a woman more than 27 years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison, a judge ruled Friday.
Donald “Doc” Nash, 67, was convicted in October of killing his then girlfriend, Judy Spencer, 21, by strangling and shooting her. The Missouri attorney general’s office, which prosecuted the case, did not seek the death penalty. Retired Circuit Judge Douglas Long handed down the sentence.
Nash’s arrest came after improvements in DNA technology, which linked him to Spencer’s death. Spencer was a graduate of Houston High School and worked at a Salem hospital at the time of the crime.
An examination, according to court documents, found an unidentified male DNA profile discovered under fingernail clippings taken from Spencer’s left hand. It was determined that the nature of the clipping indicated a struggle occurred. The information matched Nash’s DNA, authorities said.