40 years later, Lopez Island haunted by WA's first ‘no-body’ murder conviction

LOPEZ ISLAND, Wash. - This October marks 40 years since what is believed to be Washington State’s first murder conviction without a body. Decades later, the Neslund case remains a topic of conversation on the islands — a story of suspicion, rumor, and a historic conviction that left many questions unanswered.

Residents and historians alike still debate what really happened when Rolf Neslund disappeared and his wife, Ruth Neslund, was convicted in 1985 of premeditated murder despite the absence of physical remains.

What they're saying:

"I think a lot of it is just rumors that have gone around this island over and over again," said Ronnie Becker, a Lopez resident who worked for Ruth as a teenager.

For Amy Frost of the Lopez Island Historical Society, the case remains one of the most notable events in local history.

"This murder that became national news happened here," said Frost. "For people who knew the couple, it has a very different feel. Some still stand up for Ruth and say she didn’t do it."

Lopez Island: Pretty as a postcard

Today, Lopez Island remains a postcard of serenity — rolling fields, pebbled beaches and quiet bays.

"I mean you drive off the ferry there’s trees, there’s beautiful bays, there’s open fields with sheep," remarked Frost. "It really is a friendly place."

That peaceful setting, locals say, made the crime even harder to believe.

"The thing that I noticed the most is how amazed everyone felt that this could happen here," said Angie Clothier, a friend of Ruth Neslund’s who still calls the island home. "Just all so amazed that something like this could happen period."

Ruth and Rolf: A volatile pair

Those who knew the couple describe heavy drinking and frequent public fights.

"Well, we always knew that the Neslunds drank a whole lot, and they fought a lot," Angie recalled.

"They were heavy drinkers," said Amy. "They would drink and they would fight. And it would just go off the rails."

"There’s enough people that witnessed both she and Rolf having knock-down, blow-out, drunken brawls in public," added Ronnie.

Angie claims she witnessed the aftermath firsthand while working at the hardware store back in the late 1970s. She recalls Ruth came into the business with bruises and a fat bottom lip. Angie later heard from others that Rolf hit her with a 2x4.

Even so, the Neslunds remained well-known — and well-liked — on the island.

"Pretty much everybody knew them," Amy said. "Essentially, Rolf was a very well-respected sea captain. He would pilot these big ships into Elliott Bay."

Secrets of the seachest

By the early 1980s, Rolf had vanished — and Ruth’s stories about where he’d gone didn’t add up.

"Nobody really thought too much of it for a while," Amy said. "Rolf did travel for work. But at some point, family members hadn’t heard from him in quite some time, so they actually called the police."

Investigators later searched the couple’s home — and what they found became central to the case.

"They absolutely tore the house apart," Ronnie said.

Investigators seized items from the Alec Bay Inn — where Ruth later operated a bed-and-breakfast — including a trunk described as Rolf’s "seachest," which, museum staff say, contained what they believed were specks of blood and personal effects.

Today, much of what the investigators seized and deemed evidence from the Alec Bay Inn — where Ruth later operated a bed-and-breakfast now lies in the hands of the Lopez Island Historical Museum. An assortment of questionable curios is stored mainly within Rolf’s old seachest.

Visible on the exterior of the antique steamer trunk are white circles reportedly indicating specks of blood. Within it tissues, a piece of shag carpet and a ceiling tile all believed to be covered with blood.

"They couldn’t tell if it was her blood or his blood because they both had b positive," explained Ronnie. "They didn’t do DNA then."

Another item recovered was Rolf’s cufflinks decorated with a Viking ship.

"Supposedly he never left home without them and that was one piece of circumstantial evidence was that these were found in the house," shared Amy.

She believes the creepiest item in the entire collection is a voodoo doll made of horsehair that allegedly belonged to Ruth.

Two versions of the story

Ruth told neighbors that her husband was in Seattle "with his girlfriend," Angie said. "She said, ‘He doesn’t have any money because I’m putting it all in my account.’"

The Historical Museum holds in its archives cashier’s checks in Ruth’s name, valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

Records show, Ruth told others Rolf had returned to his home country of Norway, but even her own family members weren’t convinced. In one transcript, Ruth’s nephew told police she had once said during a drunken call that she would "waste Rolf."

What really happened remains a matter of speculation.

"One night she had a gun and she shot Rolf," Amy said. "Then she called her brother, who came over and helped her dispose of the body. Supposedly they cut him up in the bathtub and put him in the burn barrel. Burned the body and threw the bones out into the bay."

Another version — deemed by many as sensational — involved a meat grinder.

"Because Ruth borrowed a meat grinder from somebody shortly after," Amy said. "There were jokes about if you were eating sausage or whatever that you might be eating a little bit of Rolf."

In 1985, those rumors found their way into State v. Neslund — a trial that drew national attention.

"There was a surprise witness at the end who was Ruth’s friend," said Amy.

"Just as they were ready to close the case, she finally came forward and said, ‘Ruth told me that they killed him in the bathtub and cut him into little pieces and ground him up and stuck the pieces in the crab pots,’" Ronnie recalled.

Despite no confession from Ruth — and no body — the jury was convinced. Ruth Neslund was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison.

What became of Ruth

"They let her out on good behavior, and then she messed up again and got sent back to jail," said Ronnie.

"She hit a biker and almost killed them," said Angie. "Of course, the reason she hit those bikers is because she said she had some orange juice and it fermented — she didn’t mean to get drunk, it was just the orange juice that got her drunk."

"Apparently screwdrivers were her favorite drink," Amy said.

"She was a tortured woman," Ronnie added. "Alcohol makes you do stupid things. It is sad that she died in jail, but she had a second chance and she kind of blew it."

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