Nikko Jenkins
Nikko Allen Jenkins (born September 16, 1986) is an American serial killer convicted of four murders in Omaha, Nebraska in August 2013. The murders came a month after he was released from prison after serving 10 and a half years of the 189 years he was sentenced to for stealing a car at age 15 and for assaults while in prison. Jenkins claimed to have carried out the killings on the orders of the ancient serpent god Apophis.
He was declared eligible to stand trial, found guilty of four murders and sentenced to death in May 2017.
Early years
Jenkins was born in Colorado to parents David A. Meiji and Laurie Jenkins. Jenkins’ criminal record began at age 15, when he was charged with theft and aggravated assault.
Kills
Around 5:00 am on August 11, 2013, a patrol officer found two bodies in a white Ford pickup truck parked near the city pool on the corner of 18th and F St, in Spring Lake Park. Both victims, identified as Juan Uribe-Pena and Jorge C. Cahiga-Ruiz, were shot in the head with their pockets turned inside out. They were lured there thinking that they could have sexual relations with two women.
This accidental double homicide set off Jenkins’ murder spree less than two weeks after he was released from prison on July 30th.
On August 19, around 7 am, the body of Curtis Bradford was found near a detached garage at the corner of 18th and Clark Streets by a man returning home from a night shift at the store. Arriving investigators found 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. Bradford was the only victim known to Jenkins.
Jenkins’ fourth and final victim, Andrea Krueger, was discovered on August 21 at approximately 2:15 a.m. by a sheriff’s deputy on a call for a shooting.
Her body was found lying on the road at 168th and Fort Streets with multiple 12-gauge gunshot wounds to the face, neck and shoulder. Kruger was returning home from her bartending job at 178th and Pacific St. CCTV footage shows her closing the Deja Vu Lounge at 1:47 a.m. At 6:30 p.m. that evening, a gold 2012 Kruger Chevrolet Traverse SUV was found abandoned 12 miles (19 km) from the house in an alleyway at 43rd and Charles St. Later that week, Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning held a press conference stating that investigators believed the SUV was abandoned about 2.5 hours after the theft, and that a “feeble attempt” was made to set fire to the vehicle’s interior.
Victims
- Aug 11, 2013 Juan Uribe-Pena 26 Pickup by the pool at Spring Lake Park, circa 18&F St Shot in the genital area, shot in the head
- August 11, 2013 Jorge C. Cahiga-Ruiz 29 Pickup at the swimming pool in Spring Lake Park, circa 18&F St Headshot
- August 19, 2013 Curtis Bradford 22 circa 18 & Clark St, near detached garage Shot in the back Detained in prison
- August 21, 2013 Andrea Krueger 33 168th street near Fort Street, middle of the road Several shots
Arrest
On August 30, 2013, Jenkins was arrested on an unrelated charge of threatening terrorism. By that time, the evidence against him had already been collected – the investigators had an image of an accomplice on the surveillance cameras at a local gun shop buying the characteristic ammunition (12-gauge Brenneke Classic Magnum, commonly known as “deer bullets”), which was used to carry out the murders. . On the evening of September 3, Jenkins confessed to all four murders during a rambling 8-hour interrogation.
Jenkins told the police that these acts were a sacrifice to Apophis, a deity in the ancient Egyptian religion. After confessing, he was charged with four murders.
Litigation
In handwritten letters dated November 3, 2013, sent to the Omaha World-Herald, prosecutors and the judge, Jenkins stated that he wanted to plead guilty to all charges of the four murders and that he would defend the realm of Apophis with the “beast cruelty.”
On February 19, 2014, Jenkins filed a federal lawsuit seeking $24.5 million from the state of Nebraska for his unfair release from prison, alleging that his claims that he heard the voices of Apophis were repeatedly ignored.
In a six-page handwritten statement, he claimed that his solitary confinement exacerbated his schizophrenia. He blamed correctional officers for four of the murders. Jenkins claimed that his problems were caused by mental illness, and that he suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The judge ordered a psychiatric examination, and the psychiatrist concluded that Jenkins had antisocial personality disorder and was feigning psychotic symptoms.
After Jenkins was declared capable to stand trial (according to the results of the IQ test, Jenkins scored 68 points), the process against Jenkins began. At his request, Jenkins was allowed to represent himself at the trial under advisory counsel. Throughout the trial, Jenkins claimed to be operating under the command of Apophis.
His antics in the courtroom included speaking in tongues, howling and laughing as prosecutors recounted the details of his victims’ deaths. On April 16, 2014, Judge Peter Bataion convicted Nikko Jenkins of all four murders.
Jenkins was originally to be sentenced on August 11, 2014. That date has been postponed indefinitely after a hearing held to determine whether he is able to understand that he is facing the death penalty. On July 29, Judge Bataillon ordered that Jenkins be committed to the Lincoln Regional Center Mental Hospital until doctors were satisfied with his condition. Regional Center officials refused to admit Jenkins to the hospital due to insufficient security, but doctors agreed to treat him at Lincoln Prison.
Jenkins was sentenced to death by a three-judge panel in May 2017. He was also sentenced to 450 years in prison on weapons charges related to the murders.
On April 20, 2020, the US Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.
External links
- Ombudsman Report http://d1vmz9r13e2j4x.cloudfront.net/NET/misc/40161741.pdf
- Nebraska Department of Corrections: Inmate Information http://dcs-inmatesearch.ne.gov/Corrections/InmateDisplayServlet?DcsId=59478
- Kill Timeline (Omaha World-Herald) http://dataomaha.com/timelines/nikko-jenkins-timeline
