Robert Dienes, a 67-year-old white male, was found dead on August 20, 2015, in his home in Tampa, Florida. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds. His wife, Myriam Dienes, a 56-year-old white female, was also found dead at the scene. The couple's deaths were ruled as homicides, and the investigation quickly focused on their stepdaughter, Nicole Nachtman, who was 21 years old at the time.
Nicole Nachtman, a former Florida State University student, was accused of murdering
her mother and stepfather. The investigation revealed that Nachtman had driven from Tallahassee to Tampa, where she allegedly killed Robert Dienes first. According to prosecutors, Nachtman then waited for her mother to return home and shot her in the driveway. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots and seeing a shadowy figure fleeing the scene.
During the trial, the defense argued that Nachtman suffered from severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, and had been a victim of abuse by her mother. They claimed that Nachtman was in a psychotic state and did not understand the consequences of her actions. The prosecution, however, contended that Nachtman knew right from wrong and had planned the murders to avoid confronting her mother about her failure to secure housing at school.
After a week of testimony and nearly 12 hours of deliberations, the jury found Nicole Nachtman guilty of the murders of Robert and Myriam Dienes. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case highlighted issues of mental health and familial abuse, raising questions about the extent to which these factors should influence criminal responsibility.
