John Bridges, Pastor Named Suspect As Police Revisit Two Wives’ Deaths

Cold case detectives in Oregon and Kentucky are investigating the homicides of two women who were once married to the same man, John Bridges, now 86 and living in Missouri

Suspected But Not Arrested

Bridges, who married four women and currently has a fifth wife was named as a suspect in the death of Astrid Bridges. NBC News reported that the other wife who died was Joyce “Mable” Bridges. Both cases are being investigated again.

Kentucky investigators examine Mable’s homicide but have not publicly named a suspect.

According to Oxygen, he hasn’t been arrested or formally charged, but “at this time,” Gresham Police Detective Adam Wright said, “we consider her husband at the time, John Bridges, to be a suspect in her murder.”

Cold Cases Take Time

For now, detectives have named him a suspect in one case, while Kentucky investigators continue examining the other homicide.

It takes time to build a strong case, and Gresham Police Detective Adam Wright explained that officials are proceeding cautiously to ensure every investigative step is completed before filing charges.

Initially, the deaths of the wives were attributed to other causes, but after Joyce Bridges’ body was exhumed in 2015, an autopsy determined her death was a homicide.

Per WLKY, Louisville police say “Bridges was taken to the hospital, where she died, then was transferred to a funeral home. Police and EMS were not involved in the case initially.”

Recent Developments

Joyce passed away in 1972, and Astrid died in 1993 after a fall that was deemed an accident.

The City of Gresham, Oregon’s website explains that “over the past several weeks, detectives from the Gresham Police Department travelled to John Bridges’ current residence in Missouri, where they conducted interviews and served a search warrant.”

The page also calls for anyone with additional information to contact authorities.

A Slow Investigation

Don’t expect the case to appear in court soon, though, because the police also pointed out that cold cases require a lot of care to meet the burden of proof needed to charge a suspect.

When the news about John Thomas Bridges arrived on WDRB on YouTube, the hosts clarified why the two deaths raised red flags. Joyce Bridges lived in Bent Oak Court in an East Louisville neighborhood. Her husband had found her unresponsive, but the details on what might have killed her are scarce.

86 Years Old Now

With Astrid, John Bridges was also the one who reported an unresponsive wife. The WDRB reporter said, “Neighbors believed she fell while cleaning the gutters,” citing one neighbor who said they had “always assumed it was an accident.'”

John Bridges now 86 years old, has not been arrested or charged. The idea of a pastor being named a suspect made one commenter dryly write, “Don’t think the lord will forgive him for that one.”

But it should be remembered that for now,he has not been charged, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.

Your thoughts? Join the discussion and come back for more true crime news and updates. You can also follow our crime channel on TikTok for updates.