A California man was found guilty of killing his parents and their housekeeper during a shocking rampage that ended with him spending hundreds of dollars on drugs and sex toys—all because his family asked him to get help for his mental health and addiction issues.
Camden Burton Nicholson, 34, was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder in the 2019 deaths of Richard and Kim Nicholson and their housekeeper, Maria Morse, at their $6 million Newport Beach home, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.
Once described as a happy, normal kid, Nicholson reportedly changed after returning from a nine-month Mormon mission at age 19. Family members say he became severely depressed and began acting erratically, using illegal drugs, steroids, and seeking out escort services.
“In that short time, he went from a Boy Scout to using marijuana, steroids, the escorts—everything,” his brother testified in court. He also claimed their mother was verbally abusive, which may have worsened Nicholson’s mental state.
Tensions escalated when Nicholson disappeared in December 2018 after stealing his mother’s car, prompting the family to hire a private detective to find him. He later reappeared at a hotel, using his father’s credit card to splurge on drugs and other items.
On February 5, 2019, Nicholson was placed on a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric hold at a hospital, claiming his parents were “satanic” and trying to label him insane. Despite doctors’ concerns, he was released on February 11—and returned home to commit the brutal murders.
Authorities say Nicholson first attacked his 64-year-old father, stabbing him repeatedly. When his mother returned home, he struck her with a 20-pound silver statue before stabbing her multiple times. The following morning, housekeeper Maria Morse, 57, was fatally stabbed and had her throat slit before her body was hidden in a plastic bin.
After the murders, Nicholson took his father’s car on a shopping spree, buying drugs and sex toys, and later called 911 claiming he had acted in self-defense. Police discovered the gruesome crime scene while checking on the family’s welfare.
On October 22, 2025, an Orange County jury found Nicholson guilty of three first-degree murders and special circumstances for committing multiple murders. He now faces either life in prison without parole or placement in a mental health facility, depending on the outcome of a sanity evaluation.
Although Nicholson may have struggled with mental illness, prosecutors note he was never diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. He had previously received treatment for autism spectrum disorder.
He looks like he wants to fue so maybe he should get that