Niels Nielsen

Case record

Niels Christian Nielsen was convicted of killing his ex-wife, Sue Marshel, and her 13-year-old daughter, Melinda.

The offence

Nielsen shot Sue Marshel and Melinda in the head. He then burned their bodies on a trash pile, stuffed their remains in a gym bag, and tossed them in a farm pond.

Investigation

The trial addressed evidence gathered from a burn pile at the home of Nielsen’s mother and stepfather.

Arrest

Nielsen gave a confession to a Wayne County sheriff’s deputy after beginning to talk about the case during a casual conversation in the jail exercise yard.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Adams stopped the discussion and turned Nielsen over to state police, who took a formal statement about the killings.

Trial

Nielsen was sentenced by Judge Loren Lewis.

Nielsen’s attorneys argued that he should not have received the death penalty because he was absent from court when Judge Loren Lewis read the sentence. Under Illinois law, a defendant had a right to be present at sentencing.

The record of the sentencing described that security officers removed Nielsen from the Lawrence County Circuit Courtroom because he shouted obscenities at court officials and overturned tables. Judge Loren Lewis gave Nielsen several opportunities to stop the disruptive behavior and rejoin the sentencing hearing, but Nielsen declined.

Nielsen was convicted of shooting both victims in the head, burning their bodies on a trash pile, stuffing their remains in a gym bag, and tossing them in a farm pond.

The trial court also rejected Nielsen’s argument that a confession he gave to Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Adams was improperly obtained.

Appeals

The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the death penalty and rejected Nielsen’s contention that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence gathered from a burn pile at the home of his mother and stepfather.

The Illinois Supreme Court also rejected Nielsen’s argument concerning the confession.

Sentencing

Niels Christian Nielsen was sentenced to death in 1996.

Outcome

Nielsen’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

A date of scheduled execution was set for November 16, 1999, and the execution was stayed pending further appeals.

Other details

Nielsen was on death row at the Menard Correctional facility at Chester, Illinois, for the July 4, 1995, shooting death of his ex-wife, Sue Marshel, and her daughter, Melinda.