Gresham, Oregon – A Missouri man, John Bridges, 86, has been named a suspect in the 1993 death of his wife, Astrid Bridges, 45. The investigation has expanded to include the 1972 death of his first wife, Joyce 'Mable' Bridges, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Astrid Bridges was found unresponsive outside the couple's Gresham, Oregon, home on July 2, 1993. Initially ruled a tragic accident by the medical examiner, her death was reclassified as a homicide last month following a review of her injuries and the surrounding evidence, according to KGW. Gresham police detectives recently traveled to Barton County, Missouri, to interview Bridges and serve a search warrant.

"The current evidence points pretty heavily to Bridges," Gresham Police detective Adam Wright told the outlet, while cautioning that authorities "were not going to rush to judgment" as the investigation concludes.

Authorities are also examining the circumstances of Joyce Bridges' death on July 5, 1972. She was found unresponsive inside her Louisville, Kentucky, home by her husband. The Louisville Police Department has appealed for public assistance in the case, seeking interviews with anyone familiar with the family.

Joyce Bridges' death was initially treated as accidental, with no immediate police or EMS involvement. However, in 2015, her body was exhumed, and a subsequent autopsy ruled her death a homicide. Police have not detailed the findings that led to the exhumation or indicated whether Bridges is considered a suspect in Joyce's death.

The manner in which Astrid Bridges was found unresponsive on Southwest Overlook Court in Gresham reportedly bears a similarity to how Joyce Bridges was discovered in her Louisville home approximately 21 years earlier.

Former neighbors of Astrid Bridges expressed that authorities did not investigate her death further at the time. "To lose two wives, both in a mysterious kind of way, is a bit peculiar," said Pam Prettyman, a former neighbor. Karla Barnhart, a Gresham resident who lived in the same neighborhood as the Bridgeses, stated that police need "every little tidbit of information they can get to get justice for these women who've been killed" and expressed happiness that the case would finally be investigated.

As of Sunday night, no charges had been announced in either case.