Justice for Nancy Williams
Nancy Williams
The Murder of Nancy Williams
January 30, 1981 was a lonely Friday night at the small-town Cumberland Farms—a popular combo gas and convenience store chain in the Northeast. Massachusetts boasts the highest number of them which locals simply call “Cumby’s.”
Nancy Williams was getting ready to attend a friend’s birthday party when she was called into work at the last minute. Nancy changed her plans and agreed to cover another clerk’s shift. Nancy and her fiancé, Scott, decided they could attend the party later, when she returned.
By 9:00PM, Nancy had two hours left and a party to go to. Her shift ended at 11:00PM.
Nancy brought out the mop to begin closing duties.
At some point between 9:00PM and 9:30PM, someone entered the store, but it was no ordinary customer.
The store was robbed that night. The culprit, brandishing a weapon, went behind the counter and cornered Nancy. But unlike the many other area robberies, this assailant attacked Nancy, stabbing her several times.
The attacker left, unnoticed.
Sometime around 9:40PM, a woman entered the store. Not seeing a clerk, she walked up to the counter to wait. Soon after, a man entered the store, and then, two other men. The woman tapped on the counter and looked around. Then she glanced down and saw something under the till, which was open. She leaned over and looked closer.
She said to the other customers, “There’s someone on the floor.”
It was the missing clerk. She was covered in blood, but still alive.
The woman and two of the three men ran to the police station 50 yards away. The sergeant ran back to the store with them. The town’s police force was 11 members strong. The sergeant was likely the only one available who could immediately leave the station. A patrolman stayed and, between 9:45PM and 9:50PM, made several phone calls. He called the rest of the local police who were off-duty, including the police chief, who was at home.
By the time the sergeant reached the store at 9:45PM, Nancy had died. One of the male customers said the woman stopped breathing as he tried to talk to her. We do not have a timestamp of the last known witness to see Nancy prior to the attack, but newspaper reports say she was alive at 9:00PM.
The perpetrator had taken just over $100. Police dusted the cash register for fingerprints. They recovered one partial print.
Meanwhile, her fiancé, Scott, waited at their apartment in Gardner for Nancy to return. The phone rang and Scott heard the unfamiliar voice of a police officer—Nancy would never be coming home.
Nancy’s friend, who was celebrating her birthday in Ashburnham, wondered why Nancy and Scott had not yet arrived, so she called their apartment. No answer. At some point late that night or early the next morning, she learned that her best friend had died.
Remembering Nancy Williams
Nancy Williams was born in 1961 and grew up in the 60s and 70s. She was the youngest of three children. Her brother Ken was 10 years her senior, and her sister Sandra was 12 years older.
Ken was delighted when Nancy came along. They were both born in July, and he thought of her as his 10th birthday present. Ken told us, “I was very shy and more of a homebody, so I had more time to play with Nancy.” Despite the age gap, Nancy and Ken were very close. They would build imaginary towns together with her toy building blocks and play with miniature cars.
Nancy saw the types of freedoms and privileges that her older siblings enjoyed and longed for them. Ken said that she had an independent streak which at times could be a source of friction with her parents. She couldn’t wait to grow up—to have her own job, her own place, her own money, and to make her own choices.
We also corresponded with Nancy’s childhood friend, Wendy, who recalled her “determined spirit,” — that she would persevere when she had set her mind to something. She also remembered her beagle, “Ripper,” and taking him for walks all over town. Wendy thought of their childhood as adventurous—camping with Nancy’s family, building forts with hay bales, or playing with a chemistry set.
Swimming was a big part of Nancy’s childhood. She even turned it into a job. Ken was involved in swimming as well and took her under his wing. After many years of instruction and practice, Nancy, at 16 years old, completed a course called “Advanced Lifesaving.” She was then hired the next summer as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at a day camp for the Cub Scouts called Camp Split Rock. She worked there in the summers for three years, eventually becoming the “assistant waterfront director,” and in 1980, she started working for the Ashburnham municipal swimming program. Ken said she had a real gift for teaching and was excellent with kids—patient but firm with a good understanding of the mechanics of the strokes. The director of Camp Split Rock said that “she took pride in the children’s accomplishments, and the kids responded beautifully. She was a rare kind of person. She had a very positive outlook and a unique way of dealing with people.”
Pretty and petite, Nancy flirted with doing some modeling, attending classes at the Barbizon School of Modeling, based out of Boston. Nancy also participated in the Scots Highland Bagpipe Band of Ashby, playing a simple drum part in their marching band while learning how to play bagpipes. Ken said he enjoyed having her perform with them.
According to everyone we’ve spoken to, Nancy was a devoted family girl. She went camping with them on the weekends even when she was 18 or 19 years old, staying in her dad’s camper. Her mom was often sick, and Nancy would help care for her.
At some point, her long-term boyfriend, Scott, popped the question, and they got engaged, getting a place together—a second-floor apartment on top of a pizza place in the downtown of Gardner that they shared with two other roommates—Scott’s brother and another guy.
Scott was driving a taxi. Nancy was working at Cumberland Farms. They had their whole lives ahead of them, or so they thought.
Reviving the investigation
Police followed up on leads throughout the 80s, but struggled to find enough clues to solve the case.
In 1986, on the eve of her retirement, Priscilla Winehill wrote a 5-year retrospective for the Worcester Evening Gazette and a year later, a 6-year retrospective for the Worcester Telegram. Winchendon’s Police Chief told Priscilla, “The case will never be closed until we solve it.”
Nancy’s mother passed away in 1988. Her family believed her poor health was affected by Nancy’s death.
When Nancy’s father was still alive, a reporter asked him about his daughter’s murder. He said, “I think a lot about it, it just disturbs me to no end.”
Police alluded to suspects in the case over the years. Police said there was “one suspect [they] traced all around the country.” Asked about a rumor this suspect fled to Canada, the police chief said, “I don’t know.” He did say, “One suspect left the state and went way down south, Louisiana or some such place.” It seemed that all the suspects lived far from Winchendon.
The partial fingerprint found on the cash register was never matched. It was cross-referenced to those that would’ve had access to the cash register, and it didn’t match any of them, which suggested that it could belong to the killer.
Nancy chose to prioritize her work, giving up a night of fun for a night of responsibility. It is a tribute to her character that she made such a choice, and a tragedy that it led to her death. What if Nancy had not gone to the store that night?
Nancy had a strong sense of justice. In a college paper, she wrote, “I think judges let people off or get away with things that they should be jailed for or at least punished for.”
To date, no one has even been brought before a judge to answer for Nancy’s murder.
Nancy would be 64 years old if she were alive today. January 30th, 2026, just a few days after the release of this episode, marks the 45th anniversary of her death.
Now, 45 years later, Nancy’s case is being revived in the hope that renewed attention, advances in forensic technology, and fresh tips can finally bring justice for Nancy.
Cumberland Farms is now offering a $25K reward for information that leads to the conviction in Nancy’s case. If you have info that can help, please contact the Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit at 1-855-MA-SOLVE (1-855-627-6583) or email mspunresolved@pol.state.ma.us.
Continue Nancy’s story: Listen to the podcast episode. This text has been adapted from the Murder, She Told podcast episode, Justice for Nancy Williams. To hear Nancy’s full story, find Murder, She Told on your favorite podcast platform or listen on the player at the top of the page.
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Nancy Williams, a precocious child! (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams’ childhood home, Ashburnham, MA (Harbinger Student Newspaper)
Nancy Williams, ~7 years old, 3rd from left, Girl Scouts (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (facebook.com)
Nancy Williams, Scots Highland Bagpipe Band of Ashby (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (facebook.com)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams (facebook.com)
Nancy Williams, modeling shot (Harbinger Student Newspaper)
Nancy Williams (Nicole Gray)
Nancy Williams, modeling shot, Barbizon School of Modeling (facebook.com)
Nancy Williams, top left, at brother Ken’s wedding (Nicole)
Nancy Williams (facebook.com)
Nancy Williams, ~18 years old (Worcester Telegram)
Crime scene, Cumberland Farms, Winchendon, MA (Worcester Sunday Telegram)
Crime scene, Cumberland Farms, Winchendon, MA (Harbinger Student Newspaper)
Cumberland Farms in 2016 (Google Maps)
Nancy Williams’ gravestone (findagrave.com)
Sources For This Episode
Newspaper articles
Various articles from Athol Daily News, Berkshire Eagle, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Harbinger Student Newspaper, Winchendon Courier, Worcester Evening Gazette, Worcester Sunday Telegram, and the Worcester Telegram, here.
Written by various authors including Kathleen Shaw, Kenneth Cooper, M Kressy, Mark E. Ellis, Matthew Bruun, Mike Berger, Priscilla Winehill, Robert Killam, and Timothy J. Connolly.
Online written sources
'Scott Carl Bisbee' (The Gardner News), 6/30/2004
'Hoping for break in case' (Telegram & Gazette), 3/25/2007, by Matthew Brunn
'Sandra Drouillard' (Legacy.com), 1/18/2013
'William P Williams' (Sentinel & Enterprise), 2/7/2013
'Nancy C Williams' (Find a Grave), 10/4/2022, by u/Emily
'Doris J Williams' (Find a Grave), 10/4/2022, by u/Emily
'William P Williams' (Find a Grave), 10/4/2022, by u/Emily
'Nancy Williams - Winchendon - 1/30/1981' (Worcester DA), 7/24/2023, by Joseph Early Jr.
'Information sought in cold case murder of 19-year-old Winchendon teen' (Boston 25 News), 1/30/2024, by Timothy Nazzaro
'Joseph D. Early Jr., Worcester County District Attorney's Office' (Facebook), 1/31/2024, by Joseph Early Jr.
'Joseph D. Early Jr., Worcester County District Attorney's Office' (Facebook), 1/30/2025, by Joseph Early Jr.
'In Memory of Nancy Williams' (Facebook), 5/4/2025
Photos
Photos as credited above.
Interviews
Thank you to Nancy’s niece, Nicole Gray, her brother, Ken, and her friends, Judy and Wendy for sharing their memories.
Credits
Research, vocal performance, and audio editing by Kristen Seavey
Research, photo editing, and writing by Byron Willis
Written by Anne Young
Additional research by Kimberly Thompson
Murder, She Told is created by Kristen Seavey.