Nikko Jenkins

Nikko Allen Jenkins (sometimes spelled Nicholas on first name; born September 16, 1986)[1] is an American spree killer convicted of committing four murders in Omaha, Nebraska, in August 2013. The murders occurred within a month after he had been released from prison after serving 10-and-a-half years of the 18 years to which he had been sentenced for a carjacking committed at age 15 and for assaults committed in prison.[2] Jenkins stated that he had committed the killings at the command of the ancient serpent god Apophis.[3][4] He was found competent to stand trial, found guilty of the four murders, and was sentenced to death in May 2017.

Nikko Jenkins
Born
Nikko Allen Jenkins

(1986-09-16) September 16, 1986
Colorado, U.S.
Motive
Conviction(s)
Criminal penaltyFour consecutive death sentences, plus 450 years in prison
Details
Victims4
DateAugust 11–21, 2013
CountryUnited States
Location(s)Omaha, Nebraska
Weapons12-gauge shotgun
Hi-Point Carbine
Date apprehended
August 29, 2013
Imprisoned atNebraska State Penitentiary

Early years

Jenkins was born in Colorado to parents David A. Magee and Lori Jenkins.[5]

Murders

At about 5:01 a.m. on August 11, 2013, a patrol officer discovered two bodies in a white Ford pickup truck parked near a city swimming pool at 18th and F St, in Spring Lake Park.[6] The two victims, identified as Juan Uribe-Pena and Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz, had been shot in the head, and their pockets turned inside out. They were lured to meet two women for a sexual encounter.[7] The murder spree began with this random double-murder less than two weeks after his release from prison on July 30.

On August 19, around 7 a.m., the body of Curtis Bradford was found outside a detached garage at 18th and Clark St. by a man returning home from a night shift at a convenience store.[8] Investigators arrived to find two bullet wounds in Bradford's back. It was later revealed that Bradford and Jenkins had posed for a Facebook photo posted the day before.[9] Bradford would be the only victim familiar to Jenkins.

Jenkins' fourth and final victim, Andrea Kruger, was discovered on August 21, at about 2:15 a.m., by a deputy sheriff responding to a shots-fired call. Her body was found lying in the road at 168th and Fort St., with multiple 12-gauge shotgun wounds to the face, neck, and shoulder. Kruger had been returning home after a bartending shift near 178th, and Pacific St. Surveillance footage showed her locking up the Deja Vu Lounge at 1:47 a.m. At 6:30 that evening, Kruger's gold 2012 Chevrolet Traverse SUV was found abandoned 12 miles (19 km) away in an alley at 43rd and Charles St.[10] Later that week, a news conference was held by Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning, in which he stated that investigators believed the SUV had been abandoned roughly 2.5 hours after being stolen, and that a "feeble attempt" had been made at setting the vehicle's interior ablaze.[11]

Victims
No. Date Name Age Crime scene Method Relation Ref.
1 August 11, 2013 Juan Uribe-Pena 26 Pick-up truck by swimming pool at Spring Lake Park, near 18th & F St Shot in groin and head None [6]
2 August 11, 2013 Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz 29 Pick-up truck by swimming pool at Spring Lake Park, near 18th & F St Shot in head None [6]
3 August 19, 2013 Curtis Bradford 22 Near 18th & Clark St, outside detached garage Shot in back Met in prison [8]
4 August 21, 2013 Andrea Kruger 33 168th St near Fort St, middle of road Multiple shots to face, neck and shoulder None [10]

Arrest

On August 30, 2013, Jenkins was arrested on an unrelated terroristic threats charge. By then, the evidence against him had mounted—investigators had the image of a female associate on surveillance footage at a local gun outlet buying the kind of distinctive ammunition (Brenneke Classic Magnum 12-gauge, commonly known as "deer slugs") that had been used to commit the killings.[9][7] Additional footage had been pulled from cameras along the route to Kruger's abandoned SUV.[11][12] On the evening of September 3, Jenkins confessed to all four murders during a rambling 8-hour interview. Jenkins told police that the acts were sacrifices to Apophis, a deity in the ancient Egyptian religion.[7] He was charged with four counts of murder following the confession.[9]

Trial

In handwritten letters dated November 3, 2013, submitted to the Omaha World-Herald, prosecutors, and a judge, Jenkins said he wished to plead guilty to all counts in the four slayings and that he would protect Apophis' kingdom with "animalistic savage brutality."[13]

On February 19, 2014, Jenkins filed a federal lawsuit seeking $24.5 million from the State of Nebraska for wrongfully releasing him from prison. He stated that his claims of hearing voices from Apophis were repeatedly ignored. In the six-page handwritten filing, he stated that being kept in solitary confinement augmented his schizophrenia. He blamed corrections officials for the four killings.[14] Jenkins claimed that his problems were caused by mental illness, and that he had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation, and a psychiatrist concluded that Jenkins had antisocial personality disorder and was faking psychotic symptoms.[1]

After being declared competent to stand trial (Jenkins scored 68 on an administered IQ test),[15] the proceedings against Jenkins commenced. On his request, Jenkins was allowed to represent himself at trial under the guidance of advisory attorneys.[16] Throughout the trial, Jenkins maintained that he acts under the command of Apophis.[4] His courtroom antics included speaking in tongues, howling, and laughing as prosecutors recounted the details of his victims' deaths.[3] On April 16, 2014, Judge Peter Bataillon found Nikko Jenkins guilty of all four murders.[3]

Jenkins was initially scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2014. The date was delayed indefinitely following a hearing held to determine whether he was capable of understanding the death penalty proceedings against him.[17] On July 29, Judge Bataillon ordered Jenkins to be housed at the Lincoln Regional Center psychiatric hospital until doctors were satisfied with his condition.[18] Officials at the Regional Center refused to house Jenkins due to inadequate security,[19] but doctors agreed to treat him at a Lincoln prison.[20]

In May 2017, Jenkins was sentenced to death by a three-judge panel. He was also sentenced to 450 years on weapons charges connected with the murders.[21]

On April 20, 2020, the US Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.[22]

See also

References
  1. Albeit his name is just Nikko "Nikko Jenkins has spent his life in the system". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  2. Cooper, Todd; Wynn, Matt (September 5, 2013). "Why Nikko Jenkins was out on the street and not behind bars". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  3. Cooper, Todd (April 16, 2014). "When judge asks, Nikko Jenkins says 'I killed them'". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2014. He claimed that "command voices" clouded his memory of the killings. He said he remembered that the voices matched tattooed phrases on his face. "Kill them, destroy them, attack them," he said, translating the words.
  4. Cooper, Todd (April 2, 2014). "Nikko Jenkins opened up to police in 'long night'". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2014. Jenkins has maintained that he acts under the command of Opophis [sic], whom he calls an Egyptian serpent god.
  5. Cooper, Todd (May 31, 2017). "Nikko Jenkins sentenced to death for 'one of the worst killing sprees in the history of Nebraska". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  6. Cole, Kevin (August 12, 2013). "2 found slain in truck at Omaha park". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  7. Cooper, Todd (May 4, 2014). "The night Nikko Jenkins confessed". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  8. Skelton, Alissa; Cole, Kevin (August 20, 2013). "Homicide victim's mom says he was turning his life around". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  9. O'Brien, Maggie; Moring, Roseann (September 4, 2013). "CrimeStoppers tips linked 4 slayings, then Jenkins described spree to police". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  10. Withrow, Jay; Skelton, Alissa (August 22, 2013). "Funeral set for Omaha woman shot on the way home". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  11. "Sheriff: We have a killer on the loose". KETV. August 23, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  12. O'Brien, Maggie (September 6, 2013). "After Kruger slaying, police acted fast to prevent more killings". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2014. High-resolution security cameras also helped solve the case, said Dunning, who previously acknowledged that at least one image of Kruger's stolen sport utility vehicle was captured on a surveillance tape.
  13. Cooper, Todd (November 6, 2013). "In letter, Nikko Jenkins says he wants to plead guilty to all counts in 4 slayings". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2014. In those, Jenkins claimed to be ruled by an Egyptian serpent demon named "Ahpophis" [sic] and warned that he would protect the kingdom with "animalistic savage brutality."
  14. Cooper, Todd (February 20, 2014). "Nikko Jenkins files federal lawsuit against prison system". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  15. Cooper, Todd (February 20, 2014). "Nikko Jenkins ruled competent to stand trial". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  16. Retzlaff, Duane (March 14, 2014). "Judge: Nikko Jenkins can represent himself in court". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  17. Cooper, Todd (July 10, 2014). "Hearing again asks: Is Nikko Jenkins really mentally ill?". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  18. Cooper, Todd (July 29, 2014). "Nikko Jenkins is ordered to Lincoln Regional Center for treatment". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  19. "Regional Center won't accept Nikko Jenkins". Lincoln Journal Star. August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  20. "Nikko Jenkins will get treatment at Lincoln prison". Lincoln Journal Star. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  21. Beck, Margery A. (May 30, 2017). "Man who killed 4 people in Omaha sentenced to death". Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  22. Sievers, Kent (April 20, 2020). "U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear appeal from Omaha killer Nikko Jenkins". Retrieved August 22, 2020.
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