A New Mother Murdered in Midway: Who Killed Nancy Probst?

On a chilling November night in Midwest City, Oklahoma, a devastating scene unfolded as Matthew Probst discovered his wife, Nancy Probst, lifeless in their home, marking the beginning of one of Oklahoma's most perplexing and unsettling unsolved homicides. Nancy, a 32-year-old mother, was found dead, leading to Matthew quickly becoming a person of interest. Despite his time behind bars, the case remains unsolved as of February 2020, leaving a haunting question mark over the tragic event.

In 2000, amid significant global and national events—from the US presidential election controversy to the opening of the International Space Station—the murder of Nancy Probst in the relatively peaceful community of Midwest City added a dark chapter to the year. Midwest City, known for its connection to Tinker Air Force Base and its role as a suburban sprawl exemplar, was rocked by the violent crime that seemed out of place in the otherwise safe area.

Nancy Probst's murder on November 16, 2000, unfolded in a scenario that seemed almost cinematic in its horror: her body was discovered across from her infant daughter, presenting a scene that no family should ever endure. Given the peculiar circumstances and his subsequent actions, Matthew Probst's account of the events leading to the discovery raised immediate suspicions among investigators. The crime scene, described as staged, and the absence of clear motives such as robbery or sexual assault, further complicated the investigation.

Matthew Probst, who had multiple affairs, emerged as the primary suspect, not just due to his immediate behavior but also because of his extramarital activities, and expressed dissatisfaction with his marriage. Despite these suspicions and his initial arrest, the charges against him were dismissed, leaving Nancy's murder an open wound for her family, the community, and all who seek justice in unsolved cases.

"Box in the Basement," a podcast dedicated to shedding light on unsolved murders and disappearances, takes on Nancy Probst's case, hoping to rekindle interest and perhaps lead to new information that could break the impasse in the investigation. The hosts, Arlene and Leah, driven by personal experiences of unresolved family tragedies, aim to provide a voice for the victims and their families, who continue to search for answers and closure.

We also answer the question: How many unsolved homicides have been in Oklahoma since 1976? 

The murder of Nancy Probst remains a poignant reminder of the mysteries that persist in our midst, challenging our sense of security and our faith in the justice system. As the podcast "Box in the Basement" underscores, the fight for answers in cold cases like Nancy's is not just about solving a crime but about restoring peace to families and communities haunted by uncertainty.

Support Box in the Basement Victims

• Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe
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• Jennifer Sue Delgado Memorial Foundation

Transcript

Bree: 0:00

This episode explores themes of abuse and domestic violence. Listener discretion is advised. It was a cold November night in Midwest city, Oklahoma. When Matthew probes walked up to his house and So a horror scene through the bedroom Window his wife, 32 year old Nancy probes laid dead on the floor. Matthew became a person of interest almost immediately. And spent time in jail but as of February, 2020 for the murder of Nancy probes remains one of Oklahoma's most notorious and disturbing unsolved homicides. Hello, and welcome to box in the basement podcast. I'm your host, Arlene. And I'm Leah. In 1996, my world was shattered when my uncle Leon Lorella is. Was shot execution style and a small town in Texas. To this day, his murder remains unsolved. And the pain of that injustice continues to haunt me, my family and Leon's friends and coworkers. Here at box in the basement. We want to shed light on the overwhelming number of unsolved murders and disappearances here in Texas and beyond. Ultimately, we want to get justice for Leon. And for all the victims whose cases are sitting, collecting dust in a box, in a basement................the year 2000 was most famous, perhaps for the numerous..Discussions about hanging CHADS as the us presidential election hung in the balance. The Supreme court would eventually give the win to George W. Bush. The international space station open for business. The USS Cole was attacked by suicide bombers off the coast of Yemen. And bill gates left his position as CEO at Microsoft. The summer Olympics were held in Sydney that year. With a 15 year old Michael Phelps making his first Olympic appearance. The Los Angeles Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in the Superbowl. And if you're wondering Christina Aguilera. Toni Braxton, Phil Collins and reggae Glacis and Edward James almost did the halftime show. The Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers for the NBA championship. The Yankees beat the Mets in the world series known as the subway series and the New Jersey devils beat the Dallas stars for the Stanley cup. The local college team and my Alma mater, the Oklahoma Sooners would finish the season 13 and oh, and when the orange bowl in early 2001 for the national championship. The week of November 16th, 2000 creeds with arms wide open. Was that the number one spot on the billboard? Hot 100. With Madonna three doors down, Christina Aguilera and Destiny's child right behind. We're still in country music territory here. John Michael Montgomery is the little girl was number one on the hot country chart. Charlie's angels was number one at the box office that week. But how the Grinch stole Christmas was the number one movie of the year. Patricia Cornwell's the last precinct was on top of the New York times bestseller list. One of mine and Arlene's all-time favorite fiction authors. Midwest city, Oklahoma is part of the Oklahoma city Metro area. Sitting just to the east of the city. The city was developed in the early 1940s in conjunction with the construction of the Midwest air Depot, which would later become tinker air force base. The city boomed after world war two, becoming somewhat of a model for suburban sprawl and modern commercial development. Tinker air force base is the largest single employer in the state of Oklahoma. And other related aerospace businesses in the area, keep the economy healthy. As of the 2020 census Midwest city has around 58,000 people. And in 2000, when this case takes place, that number was closer to 54,000. The Oklahoma city Metro area has just over a million residents currently, just to give you some context. Midwest city is a fairly safe community. Despite its proximity to a major metropolitan area. Property crimes at the big worry, but historically violent crime has almost always been lower than the national average. So the murder of a middle-class woman in a residential area stands out. Okay. Today's case, is that a 32 year old Nancy probes who was killed on November 16th, 2000 across the hall from her infant daughter and their home in Midwest city, Oklahoma. I remember this case, like it was yesterday. I was a junior at OU, so like 20 or 30 minutes away from where I was living. I honestly didn't realize this case was still unsolved. When I was doing research, the last I'd heard, the husband had been charged, but apparently that all fell apart. Nancy Henley was born in Kansas to Alberta and Carl Hamley. And eventually made her way to the Midwest city. She and Matthew had been married for about three years at the time of her murder. And had a nine month old daughter named Laila. Matthew props was the mechanic who worked at a local car dealership. And we'll start the story with his return home from work that day. Matthew walked up to his house and he didn't go inside. He claimed to have seen his wife laying on the floor. So he turned around, parked his car, several houses down and called 9 1 1. I already have a problem with this story. I have so many questions. The first detective on the scene said Porter was also skeptical from the start. But we'll get back to that. Please enter the probes home and found Nancy dead on the master bedroom floor. Clad only in a bra face down and beaten and shot once in the back of the head. With a 25 caliber weapon. Investigators felt like the scene was staged from day one. She was found with a TV cable draped across her body. Not wrapped around, like it was used, she was strained. Her butt just laid across her back. The TV wasn't busted or knocked over or anything. There was a VCR sitting on the floor, but it wasn't broken or anything either. It looked like it had been placed there deliberately. Well, I'm sure there could be a reasonable explanation for this is seems a little contrived, given the other weird things about the crime scene and Matthew Story. The lights were off inside the bedroom as well, which cast a doubt on Matthew's story and his ability to see clearly inside the house. Nancy was almost fully nude. But she hadn't been sexually assaulted, which eliminated that as a possible motive almost immediately. Nothing valuable. What's missing from the home. So robbery. Was also eliminated as a motive. The props infant daughter was mad as hell but had been unharmed, which further indicated that Nancy was the sole target. And the intent here was to kill. Nancy wasn't just shot. She was beaten before her death. She had a bruised left eye. A busted lip contusion on her abdomen. One of the bruises was consistent with the cologne bottle that was found near the open garage store of the house. No gun was found at the scene. And one has never been connected to the crime. To my knowledge. Let's talk about Nancy's husband, Matthew probes. We intimated earlier that cops didn't like him from jump. And there are lots of good reasons for that. Let's back up slightly to earlier on the day of the murder. A few claimed that he had tried to call his wife numerous times that day. I think some reports said he'd called 26 times during the course of the afternoon and she never picked up. Matthew had left for work around seven that morning and made his nine one one call just after 6:00 PM. The same evening. And I don't know what time he started trying to call Nancy during the day, but it really doesn't matter. If he called 26 times over the course of an hour, or if he called 26 times over the course of the 11 or so hours, he was away from the house. That rings, alarm bells, period. I believe he stated he started trying to call his wife around 3:00 PM. So around three hours before he called 9 1 1. And the last call was placed nine minutes before calling 9 1 1. Got it. Now Matthew claimed that he was worried that Nancy never picked up. And he told police from the beginning that he thought his wife was dead when she didn't answer. This is a huge red flag for me. The guy worked at a local car dealership. It's not like he was on a work trip to another state or anything. If you think your wife is in danger or has been harmed, you get your ass in the car and you go home. Or you have a neighbor go bang on the door. If you really can't leave at the very least. But there's no indication that Matthew called a neighbor or a family member or anyone else to go check on his wife. He's allegedly so worried about. I remember once you and I came home early from vacation. Really late in the evening. I took the next day off. You went to work and I turned my ringer off and fell asleep during the day. Which is not normal for me. The next thing I know you're busting in the bedroom door because you thought something had happened to me. I'd miss like a half a dozen calls over the course of a couple of hours and scared you have to death. You've given me a scare a couple of times too. Leah can't have her cell with her at work. So we communicate via messenger. She always lets me know she got to work and messages made throughout the day. But when I hadn't heard from her in the first two hours, I was scared. And it began calling different offices, looking for her because it was very unusual. I didn't think you were dead immediately, but I wondered if you had gotten into a car accident or something like that. But still, if I hadn't heard from you in three hours, you bet I would have driven all the way to your job, looking for you. And then I'd call the hospital. I'm not just going to ignore it and wait to find out after work. Nope. F that I'm leaving work to find you. Yeah. And before anyone thinks. I'm a controller weirdo or something. Let me explain you. And I touched base several times during the Workday. So when I couldn't get hold of you, I started to worry. Eventually I just left work. I told my boss I had an emergency and I walked out. I didn't give a damn if he fired me, to be honest, I was genuinely concerned. And a hundred scenarios were going through my head. Did you fall and knock yourself out in the bathroom? Did someone break in, did you drop your phone in the bath tub? Did you go out for groceries and forget your phone? A whole range of possibilities. And I didn't give a damn about contaminating a crime scene or startling in an intruder. I was so full of adrenaline. I'd have knocked a murderer, right? The hell out. If he came at me. Exactly. So, yes, I agree with you that this is a troubling sequence of events. My first thought would not be that you were dead or someone came into the house and harmed you. First he admits, he thinks His wife was harmed. Which immediately calls into question his actions or lack thereof. If he'd said I couldn't get ahold of my wife and assume she had fallen asleep or gone to visit her friends. Then we'd be having a different conversation. I think. And speaking of that, there's no indication again, that he did try to track her down at a family member's house friend's house or anything like that. At least not in any of the articles. And records that I have access to. Matthew claims that he didn't go inside the house when he returned from work, because he saw his wife laying on the floor of the master bedroom. The information I do have here says that the cologne bottle we mentioned earlier was found outside the open garage door. I've seen pictures of the probes house. Typical modest ranch style with the attached garage. If Matthew said he had tried to enter the house through the garage and saw his wife through the open door. Then I probably believe him. But he said he saw his wife through a window, which seems unlikely to say the least. And then we find out from a neighbor of the probes that the blinds at the probes house were closed all day, that day. And this was unusual. Nancy probes always had the blinds open because she preferred natural light in the house. So how the hell would Matthew have seen inside the house? If the blinds were closed? One article I read said the bedroom blinds were in disarray. That's a direct quote and they had a picture. The neighbor didn't report seeing any blinds and disarray. So I'm going to assume that the bedroom was not at the front of the house, where it could easily be seen by other people in the area. So that begs the question of why Matthew went looking in the windows at the back of the house or the side of the house. Maybe to shore up his story about his worry that something happened to his wife. But again, it all seems too convenient for me. He then left the scene and parked his truck. Several doors down and called 9 1 1. It's important to reiterate that he did not go inside the house after seeing his wife on the floor. Matthew's father was in law enforcement. State trooper, I believe. He claimed at the time that he left the scene and parked at the neighbor's house, because that's what a cop would do when responding to a scene like this. But Matthew is a mechanic, not a cop. And he had an infant daughter inside the house where his wife had just been killed. Even the detective we mentioned earlier, said, Porter. Said he toss protocol out the window and go in the house. If his child was inside. Porter said. 10 people couldn't have kept me from going inside there and seeing if my family was okay. And I agree. I'm a parent and a grandparent, and I wouldn't care who was in my way. I'm going to try and get in. When the cops confronted him on this point, Matthew said something to the effect of not wanting to go inside the house because there could be someone holding a gun to the back of her head. Wait. But he said he had seen her laying on the bedroom floor. So what. I already hate it. And his pants are on fire. Now, maybe that's just the turn of phrase. The whole gun to the back of the head thing, but that's literally how Nancy probes died. And shot to the back of the head. And at that point in the investigation, nobody had disclosed to Matthew how Nancy had died. Could be a coincidence. Sure. But I don't know that there are many coincidences in this case, given what we've talked about so far. What kind of a person doesn't ask what happened to their spouse? We're asked to see them. He's not acting like a person that loves his wife and is concerned. I should also point out at this point that Matthew probes is not a small man. He's six foot two, and weighed about 240 pounds at the time of the crime. That's my brother's size. You've met my brother, Arlene. He's a big squishy marshmallow, but I'm pretty sure most anybody would be intimidated by him. If he came busting into a room eyes, ablaze. And then there's the reaction to his daughter when police took her out of the house. She's just a baby at the time. And she was mad, fussy, and crying. Matthew's response was that she must be hungry because she hadn't eaten all day. At this point, it's about 12 hours after Matthew had left for work in the morning. How would he know the baby hadn't eaten all day? I assume as a parent, he'd have at least a vague idea of his own daughter's feeding schedule. And when she'd be fed throughout the day. It's just a strange thing to say. Strange. Now I'd say horrible parent for letting his baby go without eating all day. And didn't run to her immediately. I'd also call him a dumdum for bringing up the gun and baby not eating. He's just basically saying look at me. And detective Porter found this odd as well. Going so far as to say in his 32 years of experience, he'd never seen that kind of reaction by a victim spouse. Investigators also discovered early on that Matthew was not faithful to Nancy in their marriage. One woman told police that she'd had sex with Matthew probes. The very day his wife was murdered. No surprise about being unfaithful, but how disgusting and doing that while his baby's at home crying and hungry. I hate it. He had multiple mistresses and another of them disclose to investigators that Matthew was unhappy with his home life and plan to leave. Nancy. And right here, we are going to put out a disclaimer that just because Matthew was a cheater, doesn't make him a murderer. He's just an awful human being, but it certainly presents investigators with a motive or some context at the very least. I don't think Nancy props worked at least not at the time. So Matthew would have been on the hook for child support. Maybe deal with the custody fight. All the things that happen when you get divorced, we know that this is a thing. Husbands have been murdering wives instead of divorce in them for all of human history. Look at Scott Peterson, Chris Watts. Brian Walsh. We in the true crime community joke and say, it's always the husband. But there's a reason people say that it's often true. I will never understand how murdering his wife is better than having to pay child support for your child. Matthew was arrested for his wife's murder and charged. And I think this happened about four months after the murder happened. He spent about a year in jail while the da built a case, but it was dismissed in 2002 with prejudice pending further investigation. Which means the da can refile in the future. He's still considered the primary suspect in the case, and nobody else has ever been arrested as a February, 2024. The last I saw Matthew props lives in Texas and he surrendered his parental rights to his daughter. After this case was dropped. Nancy probes brother Byron adopted The girl. in 2003 and she is now 25 years old. Her father cut off all contact. With her when she was still a young child. That's just so sad to me. Poor baby. If you're innocent. Why cut off contact with your daughter? It seems to me, regardless of whether or not Matthew probes actually did commit this crime or not, he absolutely wanted out of his domestic situation, I suppose a more charitable interpretation is that he wanted to spare his child, the suffering and embarrassment of growing up with a parent. Who was the prime suspect in her mother's murder. But interviews with Nancy's family seemed to indicate otherwise. I don't have much faith and thinking he was just trying to spear his daughter, but that's just my opinion. And she wasn't Matthew probes only child. He had two other kids, though. I believe they were from a previous relationship. And as far as I know, he didn't have a hand in raising those children either. So, what do we think happened here? Investigators only really have one suspect in this case. Do we think that's a fair assessment. Are there other explanations that could work here? The husband definitely looks like the best candidate here, but we need to reiterate he still justice suspect and charges have not been refiled against him. I think his story doesn't add up. I also think there's a possibility. This was a murder for hire. If whoever wanted her dead, didn't want to get their hands dirty or they didn't want to leave a trail of evidence. They could have hired someone to pull the trigger. Hence the reason the blinds were pulled and nobody was seen leaving or entering the house all day after Matthew left for work. Then you have Matthew statement that he felt his daughter was crying because she hadn't eaten all day. I think whoever killed Nancy did so early in the day. Which is also supported by the witnesses statements about the blinds and the doors staying closed. Matthew Lawyer brought up the fact that his string of burglaries had happened in the neighborhood in the weeks prior to Nancy's death. And police even had a suspect in those burglaries. It is possible that this was a property crime gone wrong. But nothing was taken from the house. Maybe there was an intruder that panicked beat Nancy, and then shot her to keep her from identifying them. It's possible. It's happened before. But I just don't think that's what happened here. Given the witnesses, statements, and evidence available. Why didn't they take anything after going through all the trouble? Let me reiterate here. That Matthew prose though. He's a free man today. He has never been cleared as a suspect. Issue now is that since so much time has passed. And the original charges against Matthew probes were dismissed. The threshold for evidence is much higher now. Technology is better than it was in 2000, but it's going to be hard to bring charges or get a conviction unless someone comes forward. The gun is used in the crime appears, or unless forensics can come up with an N futile slam dunk. It's so frustrating. If you have any information related to the 2000 murder of Nancy probes in Midwest city, Oklahoma. Please call the Midwest city police department at 4 0 5. 7 3 9 1 3. Zero six. Hello, this is Bree, producer with Box in a Basement. How many boxes are sitting in Oklahoma basements? According to the FBI, Oklahoma law enforcement agencies have stored approximately 1, 800 boxes of unsolved cases in their basements since 1976. Of these boxes, about 1, 300 are male victims, while 511 are female victims. And About half of those fall into Nancy's category, which is 18 to 35. Nancy was the new mother archetype. A woman in the prime of her life, and at a stage marked by profound emotional and physical changes. New mothers like Nancy are navigating the joy and challenges of caring for a newborn, often experiencing significant relationship and social dynamic shifts. Now, let's focus on the circle of suspects. There are over 60, 000 solved homicides of Nancy's age category from the FBI data. What does this data tell us? Well, I dug through it. Here's what I found. Most of these crimes are committed by the intimate partner, 53%. And their choice of weapons, guns, followed by knives, followed by beatings. We know in the case of Nancy that there were Both a handgun used and a beating. So we know that this affected Nancy and that she falls into this category. The second most likely would be the acquaintance. At about 20%. And the final would be stranger at 10 percent of the circle of suspects. You usually want to start with the intimate partners and move your way outward. If you go to family, it's around 4 percent friends, 3 percent coworkers, 0. 09%. So as we look at the circle of suspects, the intimate partner is the most likely, and that is where law enforcement should keep looking. If you Or anyone, you know, are a victim of domestic violence. Please call 1 800 799 SAFE.

Arlene: 24:22

this podcast has a bigger purpose than Just providing information and the entertainment. The homicide victims, families rights act is a bipartisan bill that was signed into law by Congress in 2021. And we want to see it put into action. This law establishes a systematic process for reviewing case files. Related to cold case murders. The focus is on providing a mechanism for the families and friends of murder victims. To request a formal review of such cases. We need an attorney or teams of attorneys and legal professionals To take on the bold and brave fight against the system around the country. In our case, we need someone to fight for Leon to help not only put fresh eyes on the case. But to get his body zoomed, to search for evidence that was not collected the first time around. We and other families and friends need assistance with getting foyer requests. It blows our minds that so many murders occurred from 1976 to 1997. In Brownwood, Texas under the watch of the same investigators, responsible for handling Leon's case. We're going to look at all the unsolved murders in Brownwood. And maybe even if you solved ones, if it helps uncover what was happening in that era that left so many families devastated. And a community living in fear. If you want to hear more about victim focused. Unsolved cases. And get updates about what we know. Please subscribe, like and share our podcast. Also visit our website. Justice for leon.com to donate to our cause to hire an attorney. You can also join our email list to stay current on developments on Leon's case and other cases. We cover as they happen. pleaSe follow and lagger. Bigger Facebook pages for box in the basement. And justice for Leon Corellas and follow our Instagram pages I'd also like to ask that you signed my petition for my uncle. Leon Lorella says case to be reopened and reviewed with fresh eyes. And you can find our petition on change.org. I also have a GoFundMe page to hire an attorney to help me get a copy of his autopsy. That I had been denied for 27 years. You can find the GoFund me by searching for Leon Lorella that's L a U R E L E S. Thank you for joining us. Be kind later Gators.