Nanette Johnston

Case details

Nanette Johnston was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for orchestrating the special-circumstances murder of William McLaughlin for financial gain.

She was 46 years old at sentencing. She sat in the jury box during sentencing, using her attorney as a shield from the glare of news cameras, and did not look up as McLaughlin’s daughters delivered victim-impact statements.

People

• Nanette Johnston (also known as Nanette Packard and Nanette Packard McNeal) — defendant; former girlfriend of William McLaughlin; convicted of special circumstances murder for financial gain.
• William McLaughlin (55 at the time of the killing) — victim; health care entrepreneur.
• Eric Naposki (28 at the time of the killing; later 42/45 in the proceedings described; NFL linebacker) — shooter; convicted of special-circumstances murder at a separate trial.
• Jenny McLaughlin — daughter of William McLaughlin; delivered victim-impact statements.
• Kim McLaughlin Bayless — daughter of William McLaughlin; delivered victim-impact statements.
• Matt Murphy — Deputy District Attorney.
• Mick Hill — Deputy Public Defender; Johnston’s attorney.
• William Froeberg — Superior Court Judge who sentenced Johnston.
• Laura Hoyle — court clerk who read the verdicts.
• Karen L. Robinson — Superior Court Judge who agreed to delay Johnston Packard McNeal’s arraignment.
• Larry Montgomery — District Attorney’s investigator who reopened the case beginning in 2008.
• Kevin Ross Johnston — an ex husband of Nanette Johnston who testified about the murder timeline.
• Suzanne Cogar — prosecution witness.
• Leonard Jomsky — former roommate of Eric Naposki; testified that during the summer before the murder he, Nanette, Naposki and another man went to a local range.
• Dr. Tony Juguilon — chief forensic pathologist for Orange County.
• Barry Bernstein — defense attorney referenced during 2009 arraignment proceedings.
• Eric Andrew Naposki — named as the alleged co-conspirator in the 2009 arraignment proceeding.

Timeline

• Dec. 15, 1994 — William McLaughlin was shot to death in the kitchen of his Balboa Coves home by an intruder who gained entrance with a pedestrian access key and a freshly made house key.
• 1995 — A recording of Nanette Johnston’s interview with detectives took place on Jan. 19, 1995; she was charged as suspects were questioned but not arrested about the slaying in 1995; Johnston also pleaded guilty in 1996 to forgery and grand theft for stealing from McLaughlin’s accounts (after the 1995 timeframe).
• 1996 — Johnston pleaded guilty to forgery and grand theft for stealing from McLaughlin’s accounts and was sentenced to a year in jail.
• May 2009 — Johnston was arrested in 2009 at her home in Ladera Ranch; Naposki was arrested in Connecticut and extradited to Orange County.
• May 21, 2009 — Johnston was arraigned on charges she and Eric Andrew Naposki conspired to murder William McLaughlin for money in 1994.
• Jan. 11, 2012 — A pathologist testified that at least two of six shots were fired from less than two feet away.
• Jan. 17, 2012 — Jurors heard Johnston deny her guilt and her interview tape with detectives was played from Jan. 19, 1995.
• Jan. 19, 2012 — Closing arguments were delivered in Johnston’s trial.
• Jan. 23, 2012 — Johnston was convicted of first-degree murder and special-circumstance murder for financial gain; the jury deliberated about three hours.
• May 18, 2012 — Johnston’s sentencing was described in one report as scheduled and discussed.
• May 17, 2012 — Johnston was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Background

Nanette Johnston was described as a former girlfriend of William McLaughlin, a millionaire entrepreneur who had been shot to death in his bayside home in Newport Beach nearly 18 years earlier.

Johnston also was known in court records as Nanette Packard, and in 2009 as Nanette Packard McNeal.

In 1991, William McLaughlin answered a classified ad in a dating magazine directed at “Wealthy Men Only.” The ad read:

“Classy, well-educated woman ... knows how to take care of her man ... you take care of me and I'll take care of you.”

Johnston later lived with McLaughlin in his home within a gated community on Newport Bay and managed some of his personal financial affairs.

The offence

William McLaughlin was shot to death on Dec. 15, 1994 in the kitchen of his Balboa Coves home. He was shot six times in the chest with a 9 mm handgun. Prosecutors contended the intruder gained entrance into the gated community with a pedestrian access key and entered the house with a freshly made house key.

McLaughlin’s son, who suffered brain damage as a result of being hit by a drunken driver a few years earlier, was upstairs listening to music and heard gunshots. He later found his murdered father and called 9-1-1. The son’s anguished cries for help were recorded in a 911 call for help.

The newly cut house key was found stuck in the lock of McLaughlin’s front door, and the pedestrian-access key was found on the ground near the entryway, apparently dropped by the gunman.

Investigation

A District Attorney’s investigator, Larry Montgomery, took another look at the file beginning in 2008. He found new witnesses who provided enough additional evidence that led to murder charges being filed against Eric Naposki and Nanette Johnston in 2008.

No arrests were made in 1994 for McLaughlin’s murder, though detectives suspected that Johnston and Naposki were involved.

Arrest and charges

In May 2009, Johnston and Naposki were arrested after arrest warrants were issued. Johnston was arrested in 2009 at her home in Ladera Ranch, where she was living with her third husband. Naposki was arrested at his home in Connecticut and extradited to Orange County.

On May 21, 2009, Johnston stood in a courthouse holding cell and told her family “I love you” moments before her arraignment.

Johnston and Eric Andrew Naposki were charged with murdering William McLaughlin for financial gain—described as a special circumstance that could lead to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Superior Court Judge Karen L. Robinson agreed to delay Johnston’s arraignment until June 8 at the request of defense attorney Barry Bernstein.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy stated:

“The Newport Beach Police Department never gave up on this case,”
and: “We greatly look forward to presenting our evidence to a jury.”

Murphy declined to reveal what new evidence led to charges being filed nearly 15 years after McLaughlin was shot six times in the chest as he stood in the kitchen of his million-dollar-plus home in Balboa Cove.

Trial

Separate trial of Eric Naposki

Eric Naposki was convicted at a separate trial last year of special-circumstances murder. He was described as being convicted of special-circumstances murder and facing life without parole. In one account, his sentencing was postponed until Aug. 10 to give his attorneys more time to prepare a motion for a new trial.

Murphy called Naposki a “gigantic coward” who was afraid to face the two daughters of his murder victim. Murphy described Naposki’s behavior as:

“This is his final blaze of no class and cowardice,”
and later: (appearing in the narrative as the quoted description of his conduct).

Johnston’s trial

Johnston’s trial was described as lasting two weeks, including 35 witnesses and more than 156 exhibits. The trial was before Superior Court Judge William Froeberg.

Johnston was convicted by an Orange County jury of:

• guilty of first-degree murder, and
• guilty of the special circumstance of committing murder for financial gain.

The nine-woman, three-man jury deliberated for about three hours before reaching the verdicts.

Johnston’s attorney, Mick Hill, argued she did not conspire with Naposki to murder McLaughlin. Hill argued the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution did not prove that Johnston conspired, and he said there was “no evidence that she participated in a conspiracy, no confession and no evidence that she was unhappy with McLaughlin.”

In closing argument, Hill said:

“She didn't so it,”
and: “Naposki did it alone. There is no doubt he did the shooting. The question is, why?”
He also said: “I think it was jealously, that he wanted Nannette for himself,”
and: “My client would never leave McLaughlin for a deadbeat loser.”

In another account of closing arguments, Hill said:

“She's not a nice person,”
and: “Hate her as much as you want for being a cheater, a liar and a thief,”
and: “But you can't vote her guilty of murder.”
He added: “two hours of horse manure”
and: “She's a thief,”
“Not a killer.”

Murphy argued Johnston manipulated her secret lover Eric Naposki to kill McLaughlin so that she would not be detected for cheating and stealing, and to reap a financial reward from McLaughlin’s $1 million life insurance policy and his will. Murphy also argued that Johnston provided keys to Naposki—both a pedestrian-access key for the gated community and a house key so he could enter the home.

Evidence and testimony highlighted during trial

Dr. Tony Juguilon testified that the autopsy revealed at least two of six shots were fired from less than two feet away. All six shots struck McLaughlin in the chest or abdomen and each was potentially fatal. Prosecutor Matt Murphy and defense attorney Mick Hill agreed that the gunman was Eric Naposki.

Suzanne Cogar testified that she lived in the same Tustin apartment complex as Naposki in 1994 and that Naposki once told her he hated McLaughlin and wanted to kill him. Cogar also said she met Packard at the apartment complex and it was her impression that Johnston wanted McLaughlin for his money and Naposki for his body.

Kevin Ross Johnston testified that Nanette and Naposki left a soccer field in Walnut at 8:20 p.m. the night of the murder. He said Nanette was in a tremendous hurry to leave the soccer game and did not stay to watch the boy accept his trophy.

Leonard Jomsky testified that during the summer before the murder he, Nanette, Naposki and another man went to a local range and that:

“Eric was showing both Nanette and I how to operate the gun and how to shoot,”

Johnston’s police interview tape

During Johnston’s trial, a tape recording of her interview with detectives on Jan. 19, 1995 was played. After the tape, Murphy called Leonard Jomsky, who provided testimony about a prior trip to a local range.

In the taped interview, Johnston denied having seen Naposki’s guns, answering:

“No,”

She also stated:

“Never the whole night,”

On the “whole night” point, the detective asked:

“Did you stay the night (with Naposki)?”
and she replied:

When asked about going to a range, she stated:

“mentioned going to a gun range. ... He mentioned he wanted to teach me to shoot.”

She also told the cops she never saw Naposki with ammo and never saw Naposki’s then-roommate with a gun.

Near the end of the interview, when detectives confronted her with the prospect of catching up to her in a lie, she said:

“You can't 'catch up' ... because I didn't do anything,”

In the interview, Johnston also asserted her innocence on at least two occasions. At one point she said:

“I know I didn't have anything to do with this and I really feel he (Naposki) didn't either,”

Sentencing

On May 17, 2012, Nanette Johnston was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for orchestrating the murder of William McLaughlin for financial gain.

Superior Court Judge William Froeberg gave her the maximum-allowable sentence.

Victim-impact statements

Jenny McLaughlin delivered a victim-impact statement saying:

“No on should be interrupted while having dinner in the safety of their own home by a person pointing a gun at him,”

She added:

“I feel very grateful to have such a wonderful father in my life for as long as I did. I wish he could have stayed with us longer and that God could have chosen his time to leave rather than a person with a gun and a greedy heart.”

Kim McLaughlin Bayless spoke directly to Johnston and said her “destructive trail of deceit is astounding. The fact that you, Nanette, destroyed so many lives, including my Dad's, is vile....You had absolutely no right to take him from us for your own selfish reasons. He was incredibly good to you for four whole years.”

Appeals

No appeals were described in the provided material.

Outcome

Johnston was found guilty of first-degree murder and guilty of the special circumstance of committing murder for financial gain.

Naposki was convicted in a separate trial of special-circumstances murder and was described as facing a life without parole sentence, with sentencing postponed in connection with a motion for a new trial and scheduled again until Aug. 10.

Other details

Johnston had pleaded guilty in 1996 to forgery and grand theft for stealing from McLaughlin’s accounts and was sentenced to a year in jail.

Murphy contended that Johnston was the “femme fatale” at the center of a love triangle and convinced her young lover to gun down her wealthy, older live-in boyfriend.

Murphy contended Johnston was making a play to serve as trustee of McLaughlin’s estate, which could have been worth millions.

Murphy claimed Johnston provided:

• keys to allow access to the gated community, and
• keys to allow entry to McLaughlin’s home.

Johnston was described as “also known in court records as Nanette Packard” in the trial material.

Johnston was living in Ladera Ranch with her third husband when she was arrested.

Naposki was described as playing parts of two seasons in the National Football League as a linebacker and as a “former NFL linebacker.” In the arraignment narrative he was also described as a former National Football League player for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts and as a bouncer at the Thunderbird Nightclub in Newport Beach.