A former Mormon missionary accused of murdering his parents and their longtime housekeeper in their $6 million California mansion has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors say 34-year-old Camden Nicholson carried out the killings just hours after being released from a psychiatric hospital against medical advice.
Nicholson is charged with the murders of his parents, Kim and Richard Nicholson, and their housekeeper, Maria Morse, in February 2019. The crimes took place in the family’s gated Bonita Canyon community, a wealthy neighborhood in Newport Beach.
According to prosecutors, Nicholson ambushed his parents after being discharged from a mental health facility on Valentine’s Day. He allegedly attacked his father first, stabbing and bludgeoning him before moving the body to a small bathroom. He then waited several hours until his mother returned home and allegedly killed her in the garage.
The following day, prosecutors say Nicholson murdered Morse, who had worked for the family for years and was described as “a second mother” to him. Investigators claim he slit her throat in the kitchen before leaving the home, per Mercury News.
After the killings, Nicholson reportedly went on a spending spree using his parents’ credit cards. Authorities allege he bought marijuana, sex toys, lubricant, and ribs from a local supermarket before surrendering to police. During his arrest, prosecutors said Nicholson told officers, “There is a triple homicide there, motherf***er,” and when asked about his parents and Morse, he replied, “They are dead, man.”
Defense attorney Richard Cheung told jurors that Nicholson had long struggled with mental illness, including psychosis, depression, and paranoia. Cheung said his client’s mental health began deteriorating seven years before the murders while serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nicholson reportedly left his missionary service, dropped out of college, and stopped taking his medication, believing it was poisoning him.
Court records show Nicholson was hospitalized under a mental health hold on February 5, 2019, after his parents grew concerned about his erratic behavior. During his stay, he told doctors that his parents were “satanic” and planned to “classify me as insane.” Despite doctors’ reservations, he was released on February 11.
Three days later, the murders began. The trial will be conducted in two phases: one to determine Nicholson’s guilt and another to assess his mental state at the time of the killings. If found guilty, the court will decide whether his insanity plea should reduce or alter his sentence.