Death Threat in Slayings Case Labeled Rumor

Statements allegedly made by a key witness in last week’s triple murder in Clairemont, threatening the life of the prosecuting attorney in the case because his name was made public, were dismissed as rumors by the district attorney’s office Wednesday.

But Rodney Nicholson, 24, the man who Deputy Dist. Atty. Lorraine Rooney said survived an assault by accused killer Christopher Clark Box, was being sought by police Wednesday and was believed to be armed with an Uzi semiautomatic weapon, authorities said.

At the request of the county Probation Department, an arrest warrant has also been issued for Nicholson for a probation violation.

San Diego police said their knowledge of Nicholson’s threats came from information provided by probation officials, one of whom even asked for police protection, said homicide Sgt. Frank Martinez.

Last Seen Tuesday Morning

Nicholson was last seen at the Probation Department on Tuesday morning, where he supposedly told probation officials that he “was going to get” Rooney for making his name public during Box’s arraignment hearing, said police spokesman Bill Robinson.

“He was angry because his name had been released to the media,” Martinez said. “He had a right to be because it put him in jeopardy.”

Nicholson’s name was disclosed by Rooney at Monday’s arraignment of Box, 20, who was charged in the Aug. 9 murders of April Gilhausen, 20, her son Bryan, 3, and Kevin Morton Chandler, 29.

Rooney told the court that Nicholson knocked on Gilhausen’s door and was assaulted by Box. He did not witness the slayings, Rooney said. A 17-year-old youth, described as a football player from Clairemont High School, which Box also attended, has also been charged in the case.

Concerned About Threats

When Nicholson’s name appeared in news accounts of Box’s arraignment, a public hearing where charges are formally read, Nicholson apparently became angered, Martinez said. He was concerned about threats on his life. “There were rumors that there were a group of Hispanic males in a car looking for him,” Martinez said.

Rooney on Wednesday said the district attorney’s own investigators determined that Nicholson never made the statements against her life. “There was no threat of any kind,” Rooney said. “It was all based on rumors. There is no cause for concern at this end.”

Martinez said he doubts that the allegations were unsubstantiated but said they were possible. Attempts to reach probation officials for comment were unsuccessful.

Steven Casey, a spokesman with the district attorney’s office, said the department received its initial information from the probation department.

“The statements were certainly cause for further inquiry,” Casey said. “How explicit, coherent and contextual the statements were, we don’t know.”

Rooney, meanwhile, insisted that the information police had received was incorrect and blamed the media for blowing the controversy out of proportion.