Do you know who murdered Nicole?
Nicole Marie “Niki” Bourg-Duplechain was a fun-loving and devoted mother of four who was known for her strong faith and her desire to make everyone around her laugh and smile. A 40-year-old registered nurse from Lumberton, Texas, Niki filled her life with creative passions and joyful activities. She enjoyed arts and crafts, scrapbooking, exercising, and had completed marathons. Her friends and family knew her as a practical joker who loved to take selfies and drink Dr. Pepper. Music was another of her great loves; she enjoyed singing and dancing to her favorite band, Blue October.
Born in Houston on October 19, 1975, to Shaylene Marie Lowry and George A. Hunter, Niki grew up to be a woman whose faith was a visible part of her life. Above all her other interests, she cherished being a mother, and her children were the center of her world. She leaves behind her three children, Eric, Andrew, and Mattison Bourg, and a stepson, Trent Bourg. She was also survived by her father, George A. Hunter of Omaha, Nebraska; a brother, Neil Lowry of Port Acres; and a sister, Annette Hunter, along with numerous other relatives. She was preceded in death by her mother.
The joy that defined Niki’s life was tragically cut short in April 2016. She died on Monday, April 18, 2016. Eight days later, on April 26, her body was found in Houston, the city of her birth. Her death was not from natural causes, and the Houston Police Department opened a homicide investigation into the circumstances surrounding her passing. The case has been shrouded in mystery, with very few details ever being released to the public.
The investigation into Nicole Duplechain’s homicide has yielded no arrests and no publicly identified suspects or persons of interest. Authorities have not disclosed where in the sprawling city of Houston she was found, the cause of her death, or what evidence, if any, was recovered from the scene. The motive behind her killing remains unknown, leaving a painful void for her loved ones. The case quickly went cold, and years later, it remains one of Houston's many unsolved murders.
A gathering of Niki’s family and friends was held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at Broussard's Mortuary in Silsbee, Texas, followed by a funeral service to celebrate her life. Her committal was later held at Broussard's Crematorium in Beaumont. The services provided a space for those who knew and loved her to grieve the immense loss of a woman remembered for her vibrant spirit and deep love for her family.
As of May 2023, the homicide of Nicole Duplechain remains an active cold case with the Houston Police Department. Without new leads or information from the public, the path to justice for Niki and her family is unclear. Investigators continue to urge anyone with knowledge about what happened to her in April 2016 to come forward. Her children have grown up without their mother, and her family is still waiting for answers and closure in the tragic, unsolved killing that took her from them.
