By PAUL ANDERSON
SANTA ANA – A 34-year-old man was convicted Wednesday of bludgeoning and repeatedly stabbing his parents and a longtime housekeeper inside their home in a gated community of Newport Beach, killing all three.
Camden Burton Nicholson was convicted of three counts of special circumstances murder with a sentencing enhancement of multiple murders. Because he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, the trial will now enter a second phase with jurors determining whether he was legally insane at the time of the 2019 slayings. If deemed sane, he faces life in prison without parole; if found insane, he will be committed indefinitely to a state mental healthy facility.
Jurors concluded Nicholson killed his parents — 64-year-old Richard Nicholson and 61-year-old Kim Nicholson — on Feb. 11, 2019, then murdered 57-year-old housekeeper Maria Morse of Anaheim the following day.
Richard Nicholson was seen in security footage driving back to his home in the gated community at 36 Palazzo at about 12:45 p.m. the day of his death, Senior Deputy District Attorney Dave Porter said in his opening statement of the trial.
Nicholson, who was “completely dependent on his parents,” met his father in the garage of the home and “stabbed him over and over again,” Porter said.
Nicholson placed his father’s body in a small bathroom and used towels to block the bottom of the door to keep blood from seeping out, Porter said.
About 10 minutes later, his mother came home, and Nicholson struck her with a metal statue before repeatedly stabbing her, Porter said.
“There was so much blood, the defendant tried to soak it up” with a bag of flour, Porter said.
Investigators found clumps of his mother’s hair at the scene, showing she fought for her life, Porter said.
Nicholson later began using his parents’ cars to drive to various stores and businesses, he added.
The next day, Morse, who was a “longtime housekeeper” for the family, arrived for work at about 7:45 a.m. Nicholson repeatedly stabbed Morse and slit her throat before stuffing her into a large plastic bin with her arms and legs sticking out, Porter said.
Nicholson then went on a series of “shopping sprees,” spending $300 on marijuana at a dispensary and making stops at a drugstore and an adult novelty shop, Porter said.
Around 8:30 p.m., after returning home, Nicholson left again in his father’s car and drove to a Kaiser Permanente facility in Irvine, where he called 911 and said he had killed his parents in self-defense because they were trying to kill him, Porter said.
Nicholson’s attorney, Richard Cheung of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, said his client has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.
Nicholson was raised in Newport Beach and his mental health struggles began in 2012, when he suffered his first episode while on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Florida, Cheung said. He was prescribed medication and sent home early from the mission, according to Cheung.
Nicholson tried to complete his college degree at the University of Utah, but in September 2012 he suffered another mental health episode and was hospitalized on a psychiatric hold, his attorney said.
The defendant was prescribed antipsychotic medication and later tried to live independently again in 2017 after moving to Colorado, Cheung said. While there, he began hormone therapy that initially made him feel better, leading him to stop taking his prescribed medication, the defense attorney said.
Nicholson was hospitalized in Colorado on Sept. 11, 2018, Cheung said, after he started experiencing visions and voices in his head. At the time, Nicholson said he believed his landlord was trying to kill him by lining the floor with oyster shells that released sarin gas, the lawyer added.
Doctors were working up a diagnosis on Nicholson in December 2018 when he abruptly left home. When his parents tried to contact him by text, they were met by a “barrage” of “vulgar and bizarre” responses.
“This goes on for the next few days,” Cheung said.
When he refused to return home, his parents cut off his credit cards, Cheung added.
Nicholson was admitted to several emergency rooms during this time for “pseudo seizures” brought on by his anxiety.
He was admitted to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach on Dec. 28, 2018, for seizures, and when his family tried to visit, he told hospital staff to keep them away, accusing his father of being “insane,” Cheung said.
Nicholson also said he believed he had “poison” in his bloodstream, the defense attorney said.
As doctors were working to diagnose what was wrong, Nicholson left the hospital. He ended up back at Hoag on Feb. 5, 2019, where he said his “satanic” family was trying to track him and take control of him, Cheung said.
Nicholson was taken to College Hospital on a mental health hold that keeps patients in custody for a few days. The physicians at College Hospital diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder, Cheung said, adding that Nicholson demanded his release against the advice of doctors on Feb. 11, 2019.
Cheung played a tape of Nicholson ranting and raving at the Kaiser facility in Irvine.
“This is someone who was unfortunately unstable,” Cheung said.