GOING WEST: TRUE CRIME
Episode 598 – Nancy Moyer: The House on the Highway
Release Date: April 10, 2026
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Daphne and Heath explore the bewildering disappearance of Nancy Moyer, a beloved mother and financial analyst from Tenino, Washington. The case, noted for its eerie details and complex web of suspects, remains unsolved nearly two decades later. The hosts examine Nancy's background, the timeline of her vanishing, potential suspects (including colleagues, a local butcher-turned-murderer, and a man who confessed), and the family's continued quest for answers. Through careful storytelling and insightful commentary, Daphne and Heath highlight the tragic uncertainty that haunts Nancy’s loved ones and the lasting mysteries surrounding her fate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Context

• Hosts received many listener requests to cover Nancy’s case due to its mention in a previous episode about another Tenino crime ([00:21–01:07]).
• Tenino, Washington, described as a small, rural, wooded town, has an unusual history of unsettling crimes ([00:47]).
• “They're all really bizarre as well. They're not like your run of the mill cut and dry true crime case. They're all really, really suspicious and spooky and eerie.” – Daphne ([00:47]).

2. Nancy Moyer: Background & Vanishing

Early Life & Family ([01:50–05:09])

• Nancy, born 1972 in Olympia, raised with her sister, described as bubbly and hardworking.
• Attended Central Washington University for accounting, met husband Bill during a college internship.
• Married in 1997 and had two daughters, Samantha and Alison.
• Worked for Washington State Department of Ecology for 12 years, but her primary devotion was to her girls.
• Family settled in Tenino for its beauty and tight-knit feel.

Marriage & Separation ([05:09–07:09])

• Nancy and Bill separated amicably in 2007 but co-parented harmoniously.
• Nancy cared for the girls Sunday night to Thursday; Bill had them on weekends.
• Nancy began enjoying social independence, dating, and nights out when daughters were with Bill.

The Night of Her Disappearance ([05:09–11:23])

• March 6, 2009 (Friday): Nancy, worn out from a hectic work week, planned a solo night in.
• Dropped a coworker (Matthew) home at 5:15pm who described Nancy as responsible and planning to “unplug the phone and chill out” ([05:53]).
• Purchased wine, cigarettes, and a microwave dinner at Dave’s Thriftway at 6:45pm.
• Last seen unloading groceries at her home on Route 507 by a police officer running radar outside ([07:44]).
• House described: small, right on a rural stretch of highway, very close to passing traffic and railroad tracks ([07:44–08:38]).

Discovery of Her Absence ([07:44–12:56])

• Neighbor reported hearing Nancy say, “hurry up, let's get going” at midnight, possibly to someone in her driveway ([08:08]).
• Sunday, March 8: Ex-husband Bill came to drop off the girls and found house empty, door ajar, car in driveway, all personal items (keys, phone, purse) left inside ([09:09–09:39]).
• Gas heat spike suggested front door was left open between 9pm and midnight Friday (matching timeline of potential event) ([11:23]).
• Only her coat was missing, adding ambiguity: left willingly or lured/forced outside? Both hosts lean toward her having stepped out for a cigarette ([11:41–12:56]).

3. Evidence & Initial Investigation

• Two wine glasses found out, but no foreign DNA detected ([14:05]).
• No activity on Nancy's bank cards after the grocery store purchase.
• “...she told her coworker Matthew that she was just going to have a night in, hence why she bought a microwave dinner and a bottle of wine. That sounds like a solo gals night to me.” – Daphne ([13:47]).
• Police dog traced scent from her home to Old Highway 99 before losing it ([17:12]).

Community Search & Emotional Toll ([15:14–20:53])

• Bill was quickly cleared as a suspect after passing a polygraph ([15:17]).
• Coworker Matthew and police officer staked outside also cleared.
• Large community efforts and reward fund ($105,000+), but no new tips surfaced.
• Volunteer searches led by Bev, a friend, for years on local trails to no avail.
• Family, especially daughters, devastated by prolonged uncertainty ([19:46]).

4. Suspects: A Tangle of Complicated Connections

Male Coworkers ([21:20–30:08])

• Aaron Huntley:

  • Coworker, casual romantic relationship with Nancy; had alibi ([21:20]).

• Jim Roth:

  • Another coworker, scheduled a date with Nancy for the Saturday after she vanished. Claimed he visited her home when she missed the date, found door ajar, entered but left when she wasn’t there.
  • Suspicious behavior: Let himself in, left the door open ([22:42–23:07]).
  • Soon quit job after her disappearance; alibi from ex-wife was not corroborated by direct police interview with his children.
  • Gave inconsistent stories during interviews about his sexual history with Nancy ([28:04–30:08]).
  • Polygraph inconclusive due to nervousness, passed away in 2017.

• Insightful Detail:

  • “The fact that on...the next night, after Nancy goes missing, the first person that’s there at her house is a person that’s, A, never been at her house before, ever, and B, he leaves the door open after he doesn’t find Nancy in the house. Like, I don’t know, I just feel very weird about him.” – Heath ([24:58]).

Exploring Nancy’s Private Life ([30:08–32:05])

• Police found evidence of Nancy’s interest in BDSM; theorized she may have been meeting someone new that night or was being watched/followed ([30:08]).

The Meat Salesman/Local Butcher: Bernard Howell ([32:05–41:58])

• Howell, a local meat salesman, sold goods to Nancy and lived close by.
• One year after Nancy’s disappearance, Howell was arrested for a gruesome, random murder of a woman (Vonda Boone) on a local trail, later convicted.
• Found with incriminating items: knives, plastic bags, zip ties, bungee cords.
• Admitted to sexually assaulting the corpse, originally lied about involvement ([34:39]).
• “I’m not really buying the whole ‘I was just really angry that day and I wanted to confront somebody’ ...it seemed like you really wanted to kill someone.” – Heath ([35:44]).
• Despite proximity and occupation, no ties established to Nancy’s case; refused polygraph on her case ([41:58]).

The Confessor: Eric Roberts ([46:31–54:33])

• In 2019, Eric Roberts – uncle to earlier suspect and coworker Aaron Huntley and himself a former colleague – called 911 and confessed to Nancy’s murder:
  • Claimed initially it was self-defense after Nancy attacked him; later changed story to “accidentally killed during rough sex.”
  • Said he panicked, burned her body in a pit on his property; recanted confession after consulting attorney, citing medications ([47:01–53:42]).
  • Police lacked evidence and could not search property; Eric was released.
  • Nancy’s ex-husband Bill and family believe the confession was credible:
    • “I really think this is the guy. I don’t see a reason anyone confesses something like that unless they did it.” – Bill ([52:35]).

5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• [00:47] “They're all really bizarre as well. They're not like your run of the mill cut and dry true crime case. They're all really, really suspicious and spooky and eerie.” – Daphne
• [14:27] “But it does not seem like somebody was hanging out with her, you know? But then also, it doesn't seem like she really was going out on the town with anybody, considering the fact that she left all of her stuff behind and there was no activity on her bank cards after the transaction that she made at the grocery store on Friday night.” – Daphne
• [19:46] “If something reminds them of her, they become a little more sad, a little more withdrawn. The day to day has become twice as hard as it ever was.” – Bill (about his daughters)
• [32:05] “There's something so disturbing about a butcher murderer.” – Daphne
• [35:44] “I’m not really buying the whole ‘I was just really angry that day and I wanted to confront somebody’ ...it seemed like you really wanted to kill someone.” – Heath
• [47:01] “...a man called 911 to report that he had been the one responsible for Nancy's murder. He claimed that he had been, quote, holding it inside for 10 years and that he was tired of doing so.” – Daphne
• [52:35] "I really think this is the guy. I don't see a reason anyone confesses something like that unless they did it." – Bill (Nancy's ex-husband)

6. Open Questions, Theories & Final Thoughts

• All suspects (coworkers, the butcher, the confessor) have credible—but unconfirmed—reasons for suspicion; no conclusive evidence links any directly.
• Lack of physical evidence, witness confusion (door left ajar, timeline), and recanted confession leave case unresolved and emotionally taxing for family and community.
• Hosts note the frequency with which perpetrators in other cases have joined search parties or inserted themselves into investigations ([52:06]).
• The family and hosts believe Nancy did not leave voluntarily, citing her love for her daughters and life in Tenino.
• “This is truly such a confusing case. Like I really don't know what to believe. I don't know who is behind it.” – Daphne ([58:05])

7. Timeline & Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:50] Nancy Moyer’s background, family, and career
• [05:09] Separation from husband Bill, custody, and Nancy’s social life
• [05:53] Last day at work, shopping, and return home
• [08:08] Neighbor’s account of midnight encounter
• [09:09] Bill discovers Nancy gone, house details
• [11:23] Timeline determined by heater usage
• [14:05] Wine glasses and lack of foreign DNA
• [17:12] Failed scent dog search, community hunt
• [21:20] Suspect list begins: coworkers, relationships
• [32:05] Introduction of the local butcher (Howell)
• [34:39] Howell’s crime description, linkage discussion
• [41:16] Analysis of Howell as a suspect and his degree of impulsiveness
• [46:31] New suspect Eric Roberts and his confession
• [52:35] Bill expresses belief in Eric’s guilt
• [56:46] Impact on Nancy’s daughters and community, physical description and contact info

8. Case Status & Call to Action

Nancy's disappearance remains an open, unsolved case. Her family continues to yearn for closure amid suspicions and heartbreak, as investigators wait for new leads.

If you have information about the disappearance of Nancy Moyer, please contact the Tenino Police Department at 360-264-2626.

9. Episode Tone

The hosts maintain an empathetic, inquisitive, and slightly conversational tone, alternating between serious consideration of facts and candid reactions to the twists in the case. They offer compassion for Nancy and her family while expressing exasperation at the ambiguities and missed investigative opportunities.

For more photos and updates on the case, follow Going West on Instagram @goingwestpodcast, TikTok, and Facebook.