Dark Downeast Podcast Episode Summary
Episode: The Murder of Judith Lord (New Hampshire)
Host: Kylie Low
Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heart-centered, investigative true crime episode, host Kylie Low examines the 1975 murder of Judith “Judy” Lord in Concord, New Hampshire—a crime frozen for nearly fifty years by flawed forensic science, missed opportunities, and a community haunted by uncertainty. The episode traces the collapse of the original investigation, the wrongful fog of suspicion cast on others, and the modern DNA evidence that finally confirms what many suspected all along: Ernest Theodore Gable was responsible for Judy’s murder. Through careful storytelling and deep interviews, Kylie centers Judy’s humanity and her family’s decades-long search for answers, ultimately highlighting the crucial impact of scientific progress on seeking justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime Scene

[05:24–10:25]

• On May 20, 1975, Judy’s apartment manager called police after hearing her baby crying alone inside for hours.
• Judy’s lifeless body was found in bed, face covered with a blue plastic sauna suit, signs of a violent struggle, and her one-year-old son safe in an adjacent room.
• Physical indicators: knocked-over furniture, bloodied lip, strangulation injuries, and semen evidence present.

Notable Quote

“What that resolution revealed was quietly devastating: the case could have been solved a lifetime ago.”
— Kylie Low (05:05)

2. Judy Lord’s Life and Circumstances

[11:00–16:45]

• Judy, 11th of 14 siblings, born in Maine, moved to New Hampshire, married Gregory Lord, moved with him to Germany, then returned with a young son.
• The marriage became abusive. In early May 1975, after a violent assault by Gregory, Judy physically separated from him, remaining alone with her son.

Memorable Detail

Judy often played guitar and sang on her apartment’s front steps, creating a sense of community and warmth (13:30).

3. Events Leading up to the Murder

[16:45–23:30]

• Judy was last seen May 19, playing volleyball with neighbors, later visiting her friend Linda’s apartment. She was nervous about her unlocked back door.
• After midnight, neighbors heard the shower running, then reported screams and “leave me alone” at around 1:30am—but no one called police, as late-night noise was common in the complex.

Notable Quote

“It wasn’t all that concerning or out of the ordinary to hear screaming around the Concord Gardens apartment community. That’s why no one called the police.”
— Kylie Low (22:10)

4. Early Investigation and Suspect Focus

[23:30–35:42]

• Gregory Lord, Estranged Husband: History of domestic violence, chilling comments in police interviews, apparent knowledge of details not shared with the public.
  • Damning statement:

    “What do you think I strangled her? And then f---ed her while she was getting stiff? Do you think I’m some sort of f---ing pervert?”
    — Gregory Lord, police interview (27:00)

  • Alibi: His grandmother confirmed Gregory was home; physical exam did not support his involvement. He passed a polygraph.
• Neighbor Larry: Rumored affair with Judy, initial claim that he heard Judy scream Gregory’s name—but later recanted.
• Ernest Theodore Gable (Neighbor): Known to make Judy uncomfortable; she expressed her fear of him to friends and family. Ernest had a violent, criminal history and a pattern of similar behaviors.

5. Crucial Forensic Misstep: The Hair Evidence

[36:47–41:15]

• Five hairs from the scene identified as belonging to an African American individual; latent fingerprints on Judy’s window matched Ernest Gable.
• Gable initially refused to provide biological samples, but after legal wrangling, was compelled.
• FBI’s microscopic hair comparison (the 1970s standard) excluded Ernest—a result that undermined the case.
  • Exclusion led to Gable being released and the case going cold.

Notable Quote

“What could have and should have closed the case right then and there ended up throwing the entire investigation off course for half a century.”
— Kylie Low (41:10)

6. Ernest Gable’s Life of Crime After the Murder

[41:15–46:10]

• Ernest adopted aliases, committed a string of crimes (robbery, kidnapping his children, violent assaults); even became a murder suspect in Illinois.
• He moved to Los Angeles and continued a pattern of arrests.

7. Advances in Science & The Cold Case Reopened

[46:10–54:20]

• In 2003, Detective Todd Flanagan reanalyzed the evidence using DNA profiling. Both semen-stained towels at the scene matched Ernest Gable’s DNA with odds of 1 in 6.5 million.
• Nonetheless, the old FBI exclusion remained a barrier to prosecution.
• In 2015, the FBI and DOJ publicly discredited microscopic hair comparison, opening the door to new resolution.

Notable Quote

“Microscopic hair analysis could not be trusted to exonerate him … it is simply too unreliable for that purpose.”
— Kylie Low (53:40)

8. Case Resolution and Press Conference

[54:20–57:40]

• In November 2025, the NH Attorney General’s office officially closed Judy’s case, naming Ernest Gable as her murderer.
• Ernest Gable had been murdered in Los Angeles in 1987, so no charges could be brought.
• Authorities acknowledged what investigators, family, and community members had suspected for decades.

Press Conference Quote

“After five decades, we are here to announce the resolution of a case that had haunted a family and unsettled a community.”
— Attorney General John Formella (03:30)

9. Clearing Gregory Lord & Final Loose Ends

[57:40–60:00]

• Modern investigation revealed Gregory’s knowledge after the murder was due to him entering the unguarded crime scene, not from involvement.
• All circumstantial evidence pointed away from Gregory once DNA and re-examined witness timelines were established.

10. Judy Lord’s Legacy and Family Reflection

[60:00–end]

• Judy remembered as musical, kind, deeply loving toward her son.
• Her sister Joanne and son Gregory Jr. share ongoing grief but also pride in her enduring legacy.
• For the family and community, closure is about truth and honoring Judy’s memory—not letting her story be erased.

Notable Quotes

“For him, closure isn’t about letting go. It’s an acknowledgment that the truth matters… remembering her is a way of giving her back a measure of the dignity she was denied.”
— Kylie Low, on Judy’s son Gregory Jr. (01:02:30)

“Judy was a daughter, a sister, a mother, a friend. She was not defined by the violence that ended her life, but by the love she created in it.”
— Kylie Low (01:03:30)

Important Timestamps

• Opening & Press Conference: 02:15–05:05
• Crime Scene Discovery: 05:24–10:25
• Judy’s Background: 11:00–16:45
• The Night of the Murder: 16:45–23:30
• Investigation Focus: Gregory Lord/Larry: 23:30–35:42
• Suspect Focus: Ernest Gable & Forensic Failures: 36:47–41:15
• Gable’s Life Post-Murder: 41:15–46:10
• Case Reopened, DNA Evidence: 46:10–54:20
• Science Admits Mistake: 53:40–54:20
• Closure & Press Conference: 54:20–57:40
• Clearing Gregory Lord: 57:40–60:00
• Family Reflections & Legacy: 60:00–end

Tone & Storytelling

Kylie Low balances factual, clear-eyed reporting with empathy and a heart-centered approach, always focusing on Judy Lord’s humanity and the emotional core of the story. The tone is respectful, occasionally sorrowful, with moments of righteous indignation—especially when discussing official failures and their impact on the victim’s family.

Conclusion

“Ensuring that Judy Lord will not be forgotten,” Kylie Low closes the episode with a call both to memory and justice. The decades-late resolution of this case, propelled by new science and the tenacity of investigators and loved ones, serves as a testament to why cold cases must never be left behind.

For more, visit darkdowneast.com. This show lifts up not just cases, but the names and stories of New England’s lost loved ones.