On September 15, 1984, Mickie Lee King was found dead in a house on Ronda Street in San Jose, California, an unincorporated area of Cambrian Park. The Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies responded to a call of gunshots and discovered King in the kitchen with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. His hands were handcuffed behind his back, indicating a brutal execution-style killing.
Alongside King, John Evans, the homeowner and King's half-brother, was found in the front entryway with a gunshot wound to the head, and Michael Osorio was found in the hallway, also shot in the head but miraculously survived.
The investigation into the murders revealed that John Evans was a reputed methamphetamine dealer, which led authorities to suspect that the killings were drug-related. The crime scene was meticulously examined, and evidence such as bloodstained gloves, shell casings, and a bloody handprint was collected. A police dog named Ajax played a crucial role in tracing the scent from the crime scene to a nearby pond, uncovering more evidence along the way.
The case became one of the longest and most expensive murder investigations in Santa Clara County history. Glen "Buddy" Nickerson, along with Murray Lodge Jr., Dennis Hamilton, and Bret Wofford, were charged in connection with the murders. Nickerson and Hamilton were tried jointly in 1987 and were convicted of two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Both were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Wofford pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder, while Lodge's case was severed and tried separately.
Nickerson's conviction was later challenged on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. New evidence emerged suggesting Nickerson's innocence, leading to a series of legal battles. Despite losing his direct appeal, Nickerson continued to fight for his exoneration, and the case drew significant attention due to the potential miscarriage of justice.
