A Missouri man, now 86, has been named a suspect in the death of his ex-wife, Astrid Bridges, who died over 30 years ago in Oregon. Gresham police traveled to Barton County, Missouri, to interview John Bridges and serve a search warrant.
Astrid Bridges, 45, was found unresponsive outside their Gresham home on July 2, 1993. Her death was initially ruled a tragic accident by the medical examiner, but the medical examiner's office reclassified it as a homicide last month after reviewing the evidence and injuries.
Gresham Police Detective Adam Wright stated that current evidence "points pretty heavily" to John Bridges but cautioned that authorities are not rushing to judgment as the investigation concludes. No charges have been announced in either case as of Sunday night.
Authorities are also probing the July 5, 1972 death of Joyce "Mable" Bridges, John Bridges' first wife. She was found unresponsive by her husband inside their Louisville, Kentucky, home and her death was initially treated as an accident. In 2015, Louisville police exhumed Joyce's body, and a subsequent autopsy ruled her death a homicide.
The circumstances surrounding Astrid Bridges' death bear a striking resemblance to how Joyce Bridges was found, according to authorities. Gresham investigators have been in contact with Louisville detectives working on Joyce's case, though it has not been confirmed if John Bridges is considered a suspect in his first wife's homicide.
Former neighbors of Astrid Bridges recalled their suspicions at the time of her death. Pam Prettyman, a neighbor, told KOIN that authorities "authorities didn't investigate further" after Astrid's death. Karla Barnhart, another Gresham resident, expressed relief that the case was finally being investigated, telling KGW, "I'm so happy to hear someone's finally going to investigate this."