A man who brutally murdered his parents and their housekeeper in their luxurious $6 million residence experienced a downward spiral after being prematurely dismissed from a mission trip with the Mormon Church.
Camden Burton Nicholson, aged 34, was found guilty on Wednesday for the horrific killings of his parents, Kim and Richard Nicholson, aged 61 and 64, respectively, along with their dedicated housekeeper, Maria Morse, who was 57. The tragic events unfolded in 2019.
During the trial, it was revealed that the disturbed son attacked his parents following a financial argument. Remarkably, after committing the heinous acts, he went out to purchase sex toys and ribs.
His return to Newport Beach from a missionary assignment in Jacksonville, Florida, marked a noticeable decline in his behavior, his parents observed. This shift occurred seven years before the murders.
Once a committed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nicholson was unexpectedly sent home early from this significant religious experience, though the reasons remain undisclosed.
“In that brief period, he transformed from a Boy Scout into someone using marijuana, steroids, and engaging with escorts—everything,” testified his brother, Cavin Nicholson, during the court proceedings, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The former varsity golfer’s degenerative habits and severe psychiatric issues resulted in him dropping out of the University of Utah.
His brother testified that Nicholson suffered from suicidal ideation following his return from Florida.
Camden Burton Nicholson was convicted of the three gruesome murders of his parents and their housekeeper on Wednesday
Kim and Richard Nicholson, pictured together, grew worried about their son as he started developing alarming habits
Nicholson killed his parents and their housekeeper in their $6 million Newport Beach mansion after he was released from a mental health hold
He has a history of psychosis, depression and paranoia and he had been hospitalized numerous times, his attorney, Richard Cheung, said during his trial.
After he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Nicholson moved back in with his parents but stopped taking his medication because he thought it was poisoning him, Cheung said.
In December 2018, three months before the killings, Nicholson disappeared from his parents’ home and sent people he knew a slew of vile messages, jurors were told.
His parents cut off his credit cards and ultimately sent him to the hospital on February 5, 2019, on a mental health hold.
He told the doctors his parents were ‘satanic’ and they would ‘try to find me and classify me as insane’. Prosecutors said doctors were concerned about discharging him.
But on February 11, 2019, Nicholson returned from the psychiatric institution and killed his parents.
He arrived at his family’s stunning $6 million home in a gated community in Bonita Canyon and patiently waited for the couple.
Nicholson’s father was the first to face his wrath and was stabbed repeatedly until he died.
Maria Morse, pictured with her husband, Wayne, was the last of the three victims to be killed
Nicholson’s father, Richard (pictured together) became wealthy through his blood-testing laboratory business
His mother entered the doomed mansion a few minutes later. Nicholson struck her over the head with a metal statue before viciously stabbing her as well.
Nicholson turned his knife on Morse the following morning when she arrived at the house, stabbing her multiple times before slitting her throat and stuffing her body in a plastic bin inside the kitchen pantry.
Prosecutors said that Nicholson bought marijuana from a dispensary, purchased sex toys and lube and bought ribs from a Gelson’s supermarket after killing Morse.
He drove his father’s car to a police station the next day to turn himself in. Investigators said he admitted to the murders but said he acted in self-defense.
‘He was obsessed with getting his money,’ Deputy District Attorney Dave Porter said of Nicholson during closing statements, the LA Times reported.
‘And he was upset that his parents were putting restrictions on how he lives his life and spends his money.’
Nicholson’s father, Richard, became wealthy through his blood-testing laboratory.
Richard’s business partner, Gary Brown, previously told the Daily Mail that he was ‘very community orientated’ and ‘very personable.’
His mother, Kim, owned a clothing company called Panache.
Nicholson left his Mormon mission in Jacksonville, Florida, early, although it is unclear why
Nicholson will reappear in court on Thursday to determine whether he was criminally insane at the time of the murders
The jury found Nicholson guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, along with the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.
Nicholson will appear in court again on Thursday to begin the sanity phase of his trial, during which it will be determined whether he was criminally insane at the time of the murders.
Thursday’s verdict will determine if Nicholson’s will spend the rest of his life behind bars without parole or if he will be sent to a mental health facility, the Orange County District Attorney’s office said.
