Christian Nielsen

Case overview

Christian Nielsen pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison on October 18, 2007.

The killings involved a murder spree during a Labor Day weekend in western Maine. Nielsen killed four people connected with the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry, Maine, and dismembered the bodies using tools including a chain saw, a hacksaw, and an ax. The remains of James Whitehurst were burned and disposed of in woods in Upton.

Timeline

• September 1, 2006 — Nielsen shot James Whitehurst, 50, of Batesville, Ark., in a remote wooded area, dismembered his body, and burned the remains the next day.
• September 2, 2006 — Nielsen killed Julie Bullard, 65, the owner of the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast, and dismembered her body.
• Labor Day weekend (Sunday into Monday), 2006 — Nielsen killed Selby Bullard, 30, and Cindy Beatson, 43, after they arrived unexpectedly at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast to check on Julie Bullard.
• Evening of Labor Day (2006) — The murder scene at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast was discovered after Nielsen talked to his father on the phone and said he was running the inn in Julie Bullard’s absence; Nielsen’s father and his wife dropped by and called police.
• Monday evening, September 2006 — The bodies of three women were recovered; detectives continued working to recover the remains of the man in the woods in Upton.
• Monday night, September 2006 — Nielsen was taken into custody after police received a 911 call from the bed and breakfast.
• September 20, 2007 — Justice Robert Crowley ruled Nielsen was competent to stand trial; trial on four counts of murder was set to begin October 10 in Oxford County Superior Court.
• October 9, 2007 — Nielsen pleaded guilty after dropping an insanity defense.
• October 18, 2007 — Justice Robert Crowley sentenced Nielsen to life in prison.

The offence

Nielsen killed four people over a four-day period in western Maine during a Labor Day weekend. The victims were connected to the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry.

Nielsen shot James Whitehurst, 50, in a remote wooded area on September 1, 2006. He dismembered Whitehurst’s body and burned the remains the next day. Whitehurst had been staying at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry as a handyman.

Over the next days, Nielsen killed Julie Bullard, 65, the lodge’s owner, along with Julie Bullard’s daughter, Selby Bullard, 30, and Selby Bullard’s friend, Cindy Beatson, 43. Investigators described the three women as dismembered and left at the bed and breakfast. Prosecutors stated Nielsen used a chain saw, a hacksaw and an ax to cut the bodies in half.

Authorities said the killings were aimed at covering up the murder of Whitehurst. One account stated that Nielsen continued killing to eliminate witnesses. Police also stated they believed no one else was involved and that there were no additional victims.

Investigation

Police and prosecutors described an investigation in which detectives worked to recover evidence at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast and to remove burned remains from a shallow grave area in Upton.

Investigators worked through the night and still had questions about the sequence of events. At an early stage, officials refused to discuss motive, saying investigators were still piecing together details from the weekend.

Arrest and custody

Nielsen was ordered held without bail and was taken into custody on Monday night after police received a 911 call from the bed and breakfast at about 5:30.

One report stated Nielsen offered no resistance when arrested. Nielsen was held in Oxford County Jail.

Competency and mental health

A competency hearing occurred. Justice Robert Crowley concluded Nielsen met the legal standard for competency to stand trial.

Crowley ruled that the legal standard was whether a defendant could cooperate, not whether the defendant actually chose to cooperate. Crowley also wrote that while it was unfair to subject a defendant to trial when the defendant lacked the capacity to take part in the defense, it was not unfair to subject a defendant to trial when the defendant simply chose not to take part.

Two psychologists agreed with each other on some assessments, and disagreed about whether Nielsen had the ability to assist his defense team. Dr. Ann LeBlanc of the state forensic service said Nielsen could take a larger role in his defense if he chose to do so. Dr. Charles Robinson concluded Nielsen’s mental illness prevented him from engaging his lawyers.

Both LeBlanc and Robinson testified that Nielsen suffered from schizoid personality disorder. Robinson also said it was likely that Nielsen suffered from other mental problems including Asperger’s Syndrome, described as a mild form of autism.

Nielsen’s lawyers sought unsuccessfully to suppress Nielsen’s confession and to have Nielsen declared incompetent to stand trial. Defense counsel stated the guilty plea could be withdrawn if a court later decided Nielsen was not competent or if his confession was not admissible.

Trial posture and guilty plea

Nielsen signaled he preferred to plead guilty if he was ordered to stand trial. During earlier proceedings, he initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

On October 9, 2007, Nielsen dropped his insanity defense a day before jury selection was to begin. He pleaded guilty to four counts of murder.

When sentencing was announced, Nielsen, aged 32, addressed the victims’ families, stating: “I just want to say I'm sorry for what I did.”

Evidence and statements described in court

Prosecutors said Nielsen admitted shooting James Whitehurst to death and dismembering his body and burning the remains. Prosecutor Andrew Benson said the only motive Nielsen ever gave for killing Whitehurst was that Whitehurst was “objectionable.”

Authorities said investigators described Whitehurst’s body being burned and left in the woods in Upton.

Nielsen told investigators he had been obsessed with thoughts of killing someone for several years and had wanted to take over the lodge. A sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors said Nielsen had no specific motive.

In court, Nielsen indicated he could not explain why he committed the killings and stated he had discussed his motive with his attorneys but that they had not come up with anything concrete. In one statement reported from court, a defense lawyer, Ron Hoffman, said he recommended Nielsen continue with a trial using an insanity defense to hope Nielsen would continue to receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital instead of going to state prison.

During an earlier court appearance, Nielsen uttered only two words when the judge asked if he was present: “I am.”

Sentencing

Justice Robert Crowley sentenced Nielsen to life in prison on October 18, 2007. Crowley said: “I just want to say I'm sorry for what I did.” and also stated: “When all is said and done, Christian Nielsen has committed four of the worst criminal acts in recent Maine history.”

Maine life sentences carry no chance of parole.

Victims

James Whitehurst

James Whitehurst was 50 and was described as a handyman. He was from Batesville, Ark. He had been staying at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry. Nielsen shot him on September 1, 2006, dismembered his body, and burned the remains.

Juanita Whitehurst, Whitehurst’s mother, expressed dismay when she left the courthouse, saying: “He can't give me a motive for why he killed my son. He doesn't know,”

Julie Bullard

Julie Bullard was 65 and was the owner of the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast. She was killed over the Labor Day weekend. She was described as having been relocated to Maine from San Francisco and as having offered Whitehurst a free room in exchange for services as a handyman.

Selby Bullard

Selby Bullard was 30 and was Julie Bullard’s daughter. She was killed over the Labor Day weekend after arriving unexpectedly at the bed and breakfast to check on Julie Bullard.

Brooke Bullard read a statement written by Selby Bullard’s 10-year-old son, Elliot, who lived in California. The statement included: “They have all walked the stairway to heaven.” and “At least there's no violence up there.”

Cindy Beatson

Cindy Beatson was 43 and was described as a friend of Selby Bullard. She was killed over Labor Day weekend after arriving at the bed and breakfast unexpectedly to check on Julie Bullard.

Bonita Sessions said Selby Bullard “was always smiling” and Beatson was “so beautiful and animated.” Sessions also said: “They'll be sadly missed by everyone,” and “There will be a hole in everyone's heart.”

Legal participants and other people

• Justice Robert Crowley — presided over proceedings including the competency ruling and sentencing. Crowley said: “The legal standard "is whether a defendant can cooperate, not whether he actually is cooperating," he wrote.” Crowley also stated: “While it is certainly unfair to subject a defendant to trial when he lacks the capacity to take part in his own defense, it is not unfair to subject him to trial when he simply chooses not to take part,” and later said: “When all is said and done, Christian Nielsen has committed four of the worst criminal acts in recent Maine history.”
• Andrew Benson — prosecutor who described motive and told the court what motive Nielsen gave for killing Whitehurst was that Whitehurst was “objectionable.”
• Ron Hoffman — defense lawyer who discussed Nielsen’s possible approach to insanity defenses and stated: “He has a right to do what he wants to do,” and “We respect that.”
• Dr. Charles Robinson — forensic psychologist who testified that Nielsen was not legally insane but suffered from schizoid personality disorder and possibly other mental health problems including Asperger’s Syndrome.
• Dr. Ann LeBlanc — forensic psychologist who testified that Nielsen met the legal definition of competency and could take a larger role in his defense if he chose to do so.
• Christian Nielsen’s father, Charles Nielsen — apologized for the pain caused and asked the judge for compassion before saying: “I love you.”
• Dianna Taylor — James Whitehurst’s sister, who said: “When I first saw him on TV, he had this smirk on his face like 'look what I did, people,'” and also said she viewed Nielsen not as insane but as a calculating killer like “the devil.”
• Col. Craig Poulin — described the killings and said: “It's a crime of horrific proportions,” and also referred to it as the “worst homicide in Maine in 14 years.”
• William Stokes — described the investigation and stated: “How it happened, when it happened and why it happened is still unclear.”
• Nancy White — co-owner of the Sudbury Inn, who said Nielsen “was a reliable employee, a competent cook and a soft spoken individual,” and also: “I'm shocked and stunned and appalled. It's horrible.”
• Richard Caton III — Farmington police chief, who said: “The name didn't jump out as somebody that we knew,” and described Nielsen’s last brush with Farmington police as a summons for driving after suspension.
• Kristen Dorey — waitress at Family Fare Restaurant in Farmington who recalled Nielsen saying: “No more boozing,” and that he would shelve his haphazard college career for the strictures of the US military; she also said: “I thought, Christian's finally finding a place for himself.”
• Robin Zinchuk — executive director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, who described community reaction and other background, including: “We're all just numb with shock,” and said about Julie Bullard: “Her daughter, Selby, had just lost her husband in a car crash and I think in some ways she and Selby were doing something together, getting a fresh start, with Selby's two children,” and stated: “For Sale” sign was out front and Julie decided in February to close the Black Bear.
• Marcia Thomas — described as a San Francisco real estate agent and close friend of Julie Bullard; she said: “She loved Maine and she felt very safe in Maine and she really didn't want to leave, but for economic reasons she was going to sell the B&B and share a house her daughter had just bought in Brooklyn,” and also described the rationale for the move to Maine.

Other details

Nielsen had previously studied English at the University of Maine at Farmington, completed a semester in 2001, and attended during summer and fall of 2003, spring of 2004, and spring and fall last year. The university said he did not earn a degree.

Kenny Bachner, owner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, described Nielsen as a frequent customer and said Nielsen sometimes appeared “very earnest,” while at other times “very closed off.” Bachner said: “He called Nielsen "very bright" and said he favored classic literature and comedy books,” and also said: “I'd be very surprised if any of this had anything to do with any cohesive ideology,” and that: “He had weird stuff going on in his head that most of us can't imagine.”

Police said Nielsen had a record of mostly traffic-related violations, including a 1998 arrest and conviction for drunken driving. Farmington authorities said Nielsen’s last brush with Farmington police involved a summons in August 2005 for driving after suspension.