Richard Lackey was the brother of Arthur Lackey, Nancy's biological father.  Richard Lackey was the husband of Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey, Nancy's biological mother.  Hence, Richard Lackey was Nancy's uncle, as well as her stepfather.

I knew nothing of Richard Lackey other than he was Nancy's biological uncle and was living with her biological mother.  The following I have learned by reading newspaper articles after the identification of Nancy's bones was announced.

In June, 1968, Richard Lackey and his 7 month pregnant girl friend, Janeal Bason, were on their way to Arthur Lackey's and Marie Leona (Lee) Baranowski's wedding.  Both Richard and Janeal were 21 years old.  They stopped at a wooded area in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.  Richard and Janeal argued about whether and when they were going to get married.  During the heat of the argument, Richard Lackey strangled Janeal Bason.  He grabbed her around the neck.  He threw her to the ground.  As a result of the fall, Janeal broke and dislocated her neck on concrete blocks in the area of a once illegal still. According to the archives of The Lowell Sun, the bones in Jeneal's hands and arms were broken, and her lower body was mutilated.  Richard Lackey was caught because he actually took several of his friend's out to the site of the old still to view Janeal's body.  One of these friends notified the police.  Richard Lackey was found in Alabama, having fled the Massachusetts area.  He confessed to the crime.  The judge felt the death of Janeal Bason was a crime of passion.  Furthermore, the judge took into consideration Richard Lackey's lack of a previous criminal record.  Richard Lackey was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in state prison for second degree manslaughter.    I learned all this from an article on March 2, 1999 by Chris Iven of The Lowell Sun.  From a March 23, 1999 article in The Lowell Sun by John Wolfson and Chris Iven, I  learned, according to the autopsy report, Janeal Bason had multiple soft tissue injuries.

On March 22, 1999, Richard Lackey took his own life by hanging himself from his bathroom door with his bathrobe tie.  He left a note addressed to Sgt. Timothy O'Connor of the Chelmsford, Massachusetts police, stating "You were right - I did it."  He also stated "the drinking may have been a part of the cause."   However, Richard Lackey did not actually say why he killed Nancy, nor did he say how he killed Nancy.

I know a "death bed" confession is supposed to be taken at face value.  However, I have many questions about this confession.  Richard Lackey did not tell why or how he killed Nancy.  Yes, he killed before.  In my own mind, I have to compare the 2 killings.  Richard Lackey was much younger and stronger when he killed Janeal Bason than when he killed Nancy.  However, he was not successful in strangling Janeal, although he used both his hands and a kerchief.  It took throwing her down and having her head hit a cement block for Janeal to be killed.  Only the resultant, massive trauma to her neck and skull caused her death. How much of a fight could a 7 month pregnant girl put up?  Nancy was a very strong girl, was taller than Richard Lackey, and was not 7 months pregnant.   She would have fought with all her might for her life.  There was no trauma to Nancy's neck or skull.  There was massive soft tissue injury to Janeal Bason.  Of course, we do not know if there was any soft tissue injury to Nancy, since no soft tissue was left by the time her body was accidentally discovered, 9 years after she was buried.  There was, also, a great many broken bones in Janeal Bason's hands, arms, and lower body.  There were no broken bones in Nancy's body.  To my way of thinking, there are not necessarily a lot of similarities between the way the 2 girls died.  As a result, I have questions as to whether Richard Lackey actually killed Nancy.  To believe his suicide note, I would have to believe Richard Lackey was very remorseful over killing his niece.  However, he was not so very remorseful for the last 9 years.  He had just gone on living his normal life, as though nothing had ever happened to Nancy.  Richard Lackey only seemed to develop guilt feelings after the police started investigating Nancy's death.  Or, is it possible, someone was pressuring him to accept the blame for a crime he did not commit, or did not commit alone?  Maybe he could not deal with the pressure anymore, wrote what was expected of him, and stopped the pressure by ending his life.  On the other hand,  maybe Richard Lackey was just afraid of being sent back to jail?  There are lots of questions which need to be answered.

I have no question Richard Lackey buried Nancy.  The similarity between Janeal Bason's burial and Nancy's burial are just too similar to question.  However, Janeal was buried where she was killed.  Nancy was not buried where she was killed.  How did Richard Lackey get Nancy from her death site to her burial site?  Did he move her by himself or did he have help?  Nancy was very slim looking, but she was a lot heavier than she looked.  I know, myself, a dead weight is even heavier to carry than a live weight.

No matter how Nancy died, there must have been a struggle.  As a result, there must have been a mess created in the room where she died.  Did Richard Lackey thoroughly clean up the death site all by himself?  Most men are not very good at putting a room back the way it originally was, after it has been thoroughly disarranged.  Or did Richard Lackey have help?

Only if Richard Lackey was the last one to see Nancy alive, could he have definitely killed her by himself and with no help.  I have to wonder, what did he tell his then girlfriend, later wife, Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey, when she got up in the morning and discovered Nancy was nowhere to be found.  She already knew he had killed before in a fit of anger.  What did he tell her?  Did Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey tell everyone Nancy had gone back to Maryland to prevent people looking for her?  Did Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey know Nancy was dead?

During the time Nancy lived with Richard Lackey and Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey, they were not married.  They had lived together for many years.  During that time, they had not felt the need to be married.  I have to ask, why did Richard Lackey, very shortly after Nancy disappeared from their home, suddenly decide to ask Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey to marry him?  Could he have asked her to marry him, so they could not testify against one another?  Why did he stay with Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey for so many years, even though she abused him?  Why did the police feel Richard Lackey was afraid to go home with her after they had been questioned about Nancy's death?  The police did not feel Marie Leona (Lee) Lackey was afraid to go home with him.  Richard Lackey was caught for killing Janeal Bason because he took his friends to see her body.  I have trouble believing such a person would be able, of his own volition, to keep his mouth totally shut about another killing he committed, for 9 full years.  I could only believe this total silence, if someone else was constantly reminding him to be silent.

I feel Richard Lackey's death has brought closure to Janeal Bason's family.  I do not feel his death has brought any closure to Nancy's family.  I feel Richard Lackey's death has just brought forward many questions, which will never be answered, unless someone, who has not so far come forward, contacts the police with new information.