5 key details about the Bill McLaughlin murder

In 1994, millionaire Bill McLaughlin was shot and killed in his California home. Investigators believe he was killed for his money in a murder plot orchestrated by his young fiance Nanette Packard and her lover, former NFL star Eric Naposki.

McLaughlin was in the middle of a love triangle, which was fueled by greed and hunger for a lavish lifestyle. Packard and Naposki were found guilty years later.

While Packard and Naposki began as acquintances, their relationship soon changed and they began having an affair. Investigators believe that it was this affair that ultimately led to the businessman being found dead, his body riddled with bullets, in a pool of his own blood.

Fifteen years later, his fiance and her lover were indicted in connection to the 1994 murder and found guilty on multiple charges. The two are currently serving their respective sentences in prison.

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Five essential facts about Bill McLaughlin's 1994 shooting

1) Bill McLaughlin's son found his body

Bill McLaughlin had just returned home from a trip to Las Vegas on the day of his death in 1994. When his son Kevin, who was upstairs at the time, heard gunshots, he raced to the kitchen, only to find his father shot and lying in a pool of blood.

Bill McLaughlin, who was 55 at the time of his death, was shot six times in the chest with a 9mm pistol by a house invader.

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2) McLaughlin's then-fiance, Nanette Packard, lived with him in the luxurious house

Bill McLaughlin was a divorced father of three, who met Nanette Packard, a single mother of two, who was nearly 30 years younger than him. The two reportedly met through a personal ad that McLaughlin had posted in the Pennysaver.

The two clicked right away and began dating soon after. In fact, Nanette even movedinto McLaughlin's lavish Newport Beach home soon after. The house was situated in an affluenct, gated community was the same one where he was later killed.

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3) Bill McLaughlin's 1994 case went cold due to lack of evidence

Although authorities had suspected that Bill's fiance and her lover were involved in his murder, the case went cold as they couldn't find any tangible evidence. This included DNA evidence, fingerprints, witnesses, admissions of guilt and even the murder weapon.

Owing to all this, Packard and Naposki weren't detained or prosecuted. However, things changed in 2009, fifteen years later, when the case was reopened.

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4) Bill's fiance Nanette Packard, pleaded guilty to forgery and grand theft in 1996

Authorities alleged that Nanette was set to gain millions of dollars and benefit the most from her fiance's death. She was supposed to be the sole beneficiary of Bill's $1 million life insurance policy, receive $150,000, and have access to his lavish beach property as per the terms of his will.

Moreover, in the months that followed, it was discovered that she faked her fiance's signature on a few cheques to steal from him. The day before he was shot, Nanette even forged his signature on a $250,000 check. She admitted to forgery and grand theft in 1996.

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5) Nanette and Eric Naposki were arrested after a sting operation for involvement in Bill McLaughlin's murder

Bill McLaughlin's fiance Nanette Packard and her lover, former NFL player, Eric Naposki were arrested in a sting operation in 2009. After authorities reponed the case fifteen years after McLaughlin's murder, they decided to catch the suspected killers in a sting operation.

During trial, it was alleged that Packard was the mastermind behind the killing who had convinced Naposki to kill her fiance so they could collect his insurance money.

Both Packard and Naposki were found guilty and are serving their time in prison.

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Tune in to Reasonable Doubt on ID this Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 10 pm ET, to learn more about the murder case.