Details of triple homicide in Newport Beach and defendant’s mental health emerge as trial continues

A man accused of stabbing his parents and slitting the throat of their longtime housekeeper during a triple homicide in Newport Beach claims he had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Camden Burton Nicholson, 34, is accused of killing his parents, 64-year-old Richard Nicholson, and Kim Nicholson, 61, as well as 57-year-old Maria Morse of Anaheim. The defendant is charged with three counts of special circumstances murder with a sentencing enhancement of multiple murders.

Since he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, the trial will be split into two phases. The first tasks jurors with deciding if the defendant is guilty of the charges and the second will weigh whether he was criminally insane at the time. Those verdicts will determine if he is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or if he’s sent to a mental health facility indefinitely.

The defendant had a history of mental health episodes, and according to Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Dave Porter he was “completely dependent” on his parents financially. He became the subject of a missing person report filed by his mother on Dec. 15, 2018 after receiving what Richard Cheung of the Orange County public defender’s office described as an “ultimatum” that he check into a mental health and addiction treatment program.

Nicholson’s mother had checked in with Newport Beach police to follow up on that report shortly before she and her husband were killed at their house on Palazzo — a street in the guard-gated Bonita Canyon community — on Feb. 11, 2019, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Jason Prince said during testimony Tuesday.

Richard Nicholson was seen in security footage driving back to his home at about 12:45 p.m.that day. Porter said the defendant met his father in the garage of the home and “stabbed him over and over again.” When his mother got home about 10 minutes later, Porter said the defendant slammed a metal statue over her and repeatedly stabbed her to death.

“There was so much blood the defendant tried to soak it up” with a bag of flour, Porter said.

Chunks of his mother’s hair were found at the crime scene, indicating she fought for her life, Porter said.

The next day, Morse, described as a “longtime housekeeper” for the family, arrived for work at about 7:45 a.m. Nicholson repeatedly stabbed the woman and slit her throat before stuffing her into a large plastic bin with her arms and legs sticking out, Porter said.

After the murders, Nicholson began taking his mother and father’s car to stores and businesses, Porter said. He went on various “shopping sprees,” such as buying $300 worth of marijuana from a dispensary in Santa Ana, making a stops at a drug store and a business in Irvine where he bought sex toys, Porter said.

At about 8:30 p.m. on Feb 13, 2019, Nicholson drove his father’s car to a Kaiser Permanente facility in Irvine where he dialed 911 and reported that he had killed his parents. Nicholson said it was in self-defense because they were trying to kill him, Porter said.

Cheung said his client was raised in Newport Beach with his family, who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mental health issues date back to 2012 when he had his first episode while on a church mission in Florida. Nicholson was prescribed medication and sent home early from the mission, Cheung said.

Nicholson attempted to finish his college degree at the University of Utah, but in September 2012 he had another mental health episode and was hospitalized on a psychiatric hold, his attorney said.

Nicholson was prescribed anti-psychotic medications and attempted to live on his own again in 2017, when he moved to Colorado, Cheung said. It was there he underwent hormone therapy, which made him feel better so he stopped taking the anti-psychotic medication, the defense attorney said.

Nicholson was hospitalized in Colorado on Sept. 11, 2018, Cheung said, after he started experiencing visions and hearing voices in his head.

Nicholson complained at the time that he believed his landlord was attempting to kill him by lining the floor with oyster shells that were dispensing sarin gas, the defense attorney 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.

His parents cut off his credit cards when he refused to come home, 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 the seizures. When his family attempted to meet him there 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.

Prince, the Newport Beach Police Department’s lead detective in the case, said he became aware mental health might have been a factor in Nicholson’s actions early on in the investigation. However, Cheung pointed out, officers never interviewed any of the mental health specialists who had treated Nicholson over the years.

Cheung went on to note that Prince expressed frustration at Michael Yousef, a private investigator hired by Nicholson’s parents to find the defendant when he went missing and who went on to discuss some of his mental health issues in YouTube videos.

“Now we have to play defense a little bit because [he defendant] may have an insanity defense,” Prince told Yousef, according to transcripts admitted as evidence during trial.

On Tuesday Cheung suggested police ignored Nicholson’s mental health issues, and that their investigation was biased toward pursuing the most serious possible charges against his client.

In response, Prince stood by the integrity of the NBPD’s investigation and said it was not up to police to determine what charges were appropriate for a defendant.

“Right, that’s a jury’s job, isn’t it?” Cheung said.

Licas is a Daily Pilot contributor and Anderson reports for City News Service.