Where is Matthew Kidder today? Whereabouts explored ahead of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

Matthew Kidder, a 28-year-old Omaha man, was found guilty of two charges in 2016 in connection with the murder of Jessica Nelson, a long-time family friend and single mother-of-one who was found strangled to death in the bathtub of her Debolt, Nebraska home the year before.

Messages exchanged between Kidder and Nelson led authorities to suspect him in the first place. A jury ultimately convicted him based on DNA evidence discovered at the crime scene, mobile phone records, and computer data.

According to reports, Matthew Kidder was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 20 years. Although his whereabouts remain uncertain, he is likely serving his lengthy sentence in prison.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen will further delve into Jessica Nelson's 2015 murder case. The episode titled Evil Intent will air on the channel at 7:00 pm ET.

The synopsis for the episode reads:

"Jessica Nelson is a hardworking single mom; one morning, she was found dead in her home; the discovery left her family shattered and their ordeal had just begun; turns out, the killer was someone they knew."

Read on to learn more.

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Matthew Kidder was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 20 years for Jessica Nelson's 2015 murder

Matthew Kidder was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 20 years for the murder of Jessica Nelson in June 2015. Nelson, a 28-year-old single mother, was found dead naked in her bathtub, strangled to death at her home near 83rd & Miami St. in Debolt, Nebraska.

Authorities alleged that Kidder s*xually assaulted her before strangling her to death. His DNA was also found under her fingernails.

In 2016, Kidder was convicted by a jury after only 41 minutes of deliberation, of first-degree murder and the use of a deadly weapon in Nelson's death. Although Kidder was first given a life sentence with an additional 50 years on the weapon charge, the court eventually reduced the sentence to 20 years after learning that the original punishment was outside the legal limit.

Prosecutors used DNA evidence found under her fingernails and on the phone cord that Nelson was strangled with to convince the jury along with the damning material recovered from his computer. Additionally, one of his former cellmates testified at his trial, claiming that Kidder confessed to murdering the 28-year-old and revealed details about the case that had not been made public at the time.

According to reports, Kidder will not be eligible for parole and will likely serve a lengthy sentence throughout his life. His current whereabouts are still unknown.

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Murder victim's family speaks out at killer and old family friend Matthew Kidder's sentencing

During Matthew Kidder's 2016 trial, Jessica Nelson's family members gathered outside the Douglas County District courtroom to watch an old family friend and killer of the hard-working single mother get sentenced to life and finally put the case behind them.

The victim's father Harry Nelson reportedly said:

"I’m satisfied if he never sees the outside of a prison, I’d be even more satisfied if he doesn’t live long enough to serve that sentence. I hope every day is a living hell for him."

He then added:

"She is our daughter no matter what, from now until we meet her again, so the only difference is she’s not here, and he’s the reason for that."

While talking about their daughter's killer Matthew Kidder, Harry Nelson further stated:

"We practically raised him as well as they did. Just betrayal. Felt nothing but betrayed throughout the whole thing."

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Tune in to Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on February 8, 2023, to learn more about the case.