MISSOULA - A 69-year-old man faces two counts of deliberate homicide in connection with the cold case murders at a Missoula nursing home more than three decades ago.
Nickie Dean Gardiner was charged in the 1990 deaths of two elderly patients at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation after DNA evidence linked him to the crimes, according to court documents.
The first victim, an 85-year-old patient, was found dead with faint bruising around her neck. At the time, the death wasn't considered suspicious, and no autopsy was performed.
Employees later discovered a cut screen in the facility's physical therapy room window.
Months later, staff found another patient's room barricaded from the inside during a wellness check.
The patient was missing and later found dead near the Clark Fork River. An autopsy revealed she died from a wooden object forcibly inserted into her body, and the death was ruled a homicide.
Following the second murder investigation, employees alerted police about the earlier death. The first victim was exhumed and autopsied, revealing she had been raped and strangled.
DNA samples collected from both victims yielded no immediate results. Multiple people were questioned over the years, but no charges were filed.
In April 2025, improved DNA technology allowed the Montana State Crime Lab to develop a partial profile from sperm cells collected from the first victim. The profile matched Gardiner's DNA reference standard.
Gardiner was about 34 years old at the time of the murders and lived east of Missoula. He has a criminal history including burglary, several DUI offenses, and a 2000 conviction for partner/family member assault that required him to provide a DNA sample.
Authorities say Gardiner had no known connection to either victim.
Missoula County District Court Judge Shane Vannatta set bond for Gardiner at $5 million. He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Thursday.
