People v. Nielson CA3

BACKGROUND

Defendant was molested when he was a child. In May 2021, about a week before the murder, defendant found out that his father, Roger Nielson, knew about the molestation when it was happening. Defendant felt betrayed. At the time defendant made the discovery, he was living with his father in Lodi. The father had difficulty walking and sometimes used a wheelchair. Defendant helped him with errands and also took care of the property. Defendant’s mother lived in Penn Valley with her husband and two other children, including defendant’s half-brother Phillip. Defendant’s mother testified that defendant called her from Mexico on May 23, 2021. He said he drove there. Two days later, defendant called her again and asked for money, which she sent. She also rented him a hotel room in Puerto Vallarta. Defendant’s mother claimed she did not know why he was in Mexico. Being there violated defendant’s terms of probation in a prior misdemeanor case. On May 27, 2021, defendant again called his mother from Mexico, using a social media platform’s video call feature. Phillip could hear the conversation because their

2 mother’s phone was on speaker. Phillip listened to the first five…