Investigators Name Retired Pastor Suspect in Two Decades-Old Wives' Deaths

John Thomas Bridges, an 86‑year‑old retired Seventh‑day Adventist pastor living in Sheldon, Missouri, has been named a suspect by Gresham, Oregon police in the July 2, 1993 death of his second wife, Astrid Bridges. The case, originally ruled accidental, was reopened after a re‑examination of evidence enabled by additional detectives funded through a local police and fire levy. Detectives traveled to Bridges’ Missouri residence, conducted interviews and served a search warrant, according to a July 30 statement from the Gresham Police Department.

Simultaneously, the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Cold Case Unit announced an active investigation into the July 5, 1972 death of Bridges’ first wife, Joyce “Mable” Bridges. Her body was exhumed in 2015, and an autopsy determined the death was a homicide. Investigators from Gresham and Louisville are sharing information, though Bridges has not been arrested or charged in either case, as noted by both departments.