Bio

Robert Henry Nicolaus was born in 1933. As a young man, he had several jobs and spent time in different places. He eventually settled in Sacramento, California, where he started his own family. He was married and became a father to three children.

As the years went by, his relationships became strained. He faced difficulties that led to the breakdown of his marriage. Despite these personal challenges, he managed to keep a job and support his family, or at least make attempts to do so.

Nicolaus's life took a drastic turn in May 1964 when a tragic event occurred involving his children. This incident would mark the beginning of a troubled path that continued into the 1980s, ultimately leading to his arrest in July 1985.

He spent some time in prison but was later released on parole in 1977. After his release, he changed his life circumstances but continued to struggle with the repercussions of his past. He died in prison in April 2003.

Murder Story

Robert Henry Nicolaus committed his first murders in May 1964, when he killed his three children, who were two, five, and seven years old. After these murders, he faced three counts of first-degree murder and received a death sentence. However, the California Supreme Court later reduced his convictions to second-degree murder, leading to his release on parole in August 1977.

In February 1985, Nicolaus murdered his ex-wife. She was able to identify him as her killer before she died. Following this event, he fled California. The FBI tracked him down and arrested him in Pennsylvania in July 1985. After his arrest, a jury in Santa Clara convicted him of first-degree murder for his ex-wife's death, resulting in another death sentence in March 1987.

Nicolaus's legal journey continued after his sentencing. The California Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in October 1991. He filed a state habeas petition in November of the same year, which was denied. The U.S. Supreme Court later declined to hear his case in June 1992.

In April 1993, the court appointed a lawyer to represent Nicolaus for his federal habeas appeal. By October 1995, his legal team had filed a motion for discovery, requesting access to documents related to his case, but the court's response to this motion involved several procedural and legal discussions regarding his rights. Robert Henry Nicolaus died in prison on April 12, 2003.