Baxter Springs, Kansas: Killer of 1982 bride-of-nine-days has never been brought to justice
Back Road Mysteries Staff
Jun 12, 20202 min read
Updated: Aug 3, 2020
On May 11, 1992, the body of Jennifer D. Judd was found in her residence located at 219 North Park Avenue, in Baxter Springs, Kansas.
Jennifer's husband off nine days, Justin Judd, had left home in the early morning hours headed to work. He worked for a chemical plant in nearby Riverton, Kansas.
He called home between 9 and 930am because he had forgot his lunch and needed his new wife to bring it by. There was no answer. She had talked to a friend at 9:52 am that day, and apparently she left the house on her way to the tanning salon.
Law Enforcement believes she then remembered that she needed to return a rental video and headed back to the couples duplex to retrieve it. Justin's lunch was in the passenger side of Jennifer's car.
At some point during her quick return home she encountered someone. And was stabbed to death with a knife in her kitchen.
Law enforcement believes she was murdered around 10:30 am. Later that day Justin returned home along with a friend of his who happened to be the best man at the couple's wedding two weeks earlier.
They found Jennifer's lifeless body and it was later determined she died of multiple stab woulds.
Jennifer's keys were found on the living room floor. She was not bound and there was no evidence of sexual assault. She had been beaten by fist or with a heavy object about her body. The knife handle was broken off during the attack and was never located.
The knife blade was still embedded in Jennifer's lifeless body.
Justin Judd, who was cleared on any involvement in the homicide, later stated he believes someone was infatuated with his wife and that the wedding sent that person into a jealous and murderous rage.
The friend and best man at the wedding, Chuck Chance, was questioned for more than a dozen hours but evidence at the crime scene didn't positively link him to the murder, although authorities still list him as as "person of interest".
Jennifer worked at a convenience store in the now deserted town of Picher, Oklahoma, which is where Chuck Chase lived as well.
A Governor's Reward is being offered in the amount of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.
If you have information on this case call the Baxter Springs Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800 KS CRIME (1-800-572-7463).
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