Oxnard White Supremacist Pleads Not Guilty in Girl’s Killing

A 27-year-old white supremacist accused of fatally stabbing a teenage girl because he feared she would “rat” on him pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and related charges.

The plea, entered in Ventura County Superior Court, comes two months after Oxnard resident David Ziesmer allegedly admitted to investigators that he killed 17-year-old Nichole Hendrix.

Prosecutors said in a motion that Ziesmer, a leader of a Ventura skinhead gang, clearly stated in interviews on Aug. 9 and 10 that he decided to kill Hendrix because he thought she was going to report crimes to police.

The alleged confession, which Ziesmer’s attorney declined to comment on Monday, came as prosecutors were investigating reports that Ziesmer has been trying from his jail cell to solicit the murder of witnesses in his case.

Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Bamieh is seeking a court order to end Ziesmer’s jail communications with anyone but his lawyer.

“The defendant intends on killing witnesses who have cooperated in this case,” Bamieh wrote in a recent motion. “He is a member of an extremely violent gang, and he will capitalize on the loyalty of his fellow gang members to ensure that his plans for killing are realized.”

A hearing on the proposed order is set for next week. A temporary order remains in effect allowing jail officials to monitor Ziesmer’s phone calls, mail and visits.

In their motion, prosecutors describe Ziesmer as a “shot caller” for his white-power gang, who has the clout to order assaults on people.

They allege that Ziesmer started trying to have witnesses killed within weeks of being called before a grand jury this summer to testify about Hendrix’s slaying.

Hendrix, a continuation school student, disappeared on the night of Oct. 15, 1998, after calling her mother from a Ventura motel room to say she would be home soon. Her remains were found six months later in the Ventura County back country.

Prosecutors say Ziesmer stabbed her with help from co-defendants Michael Bridgeford, 24, of Oxnard and Bridget Callahan, 28, of Ventura. They also face murder charges, but have not entered pleas.

Before the grand jury issued its indictments, prosecutors say, Ziesmer was working from his jail cell to silence witnesses. Their motion states that Ziesmer told a fellow skinhead to kill three witnesses, including Callahan.

“We’re telling him [the fellow skinhead] to hit a grand slam,” Ziesmer allegedly wrote in a note to Bridgeford, who gave the letter to investigators.

According to the motion, Ziesmer later told Bridgeford that the skinhead “would do what he was told to do.” The motions say Ziesmer also said his girlfriend had two guns.

In addition to allegedly admitting in the August interviews to killing Hendrix, Ziesmer admitted wanting his friend to kill witnesses, prosecutors said in their motion. But they said Ziesmer assured them he had no intention of following through with those plans.