Naman Shrestha
When 45-year-old ex-Marine Nicolas “Nick” Morelos was found dead in the master bedroom of his house in Tuscon, Arizona, in July 2016, the entire community was left shell-shocked. The investigation was full of twists and turns, with the police having a long list of suspects who had strong motives for murder. Thanks to the efforts of a family member, the perpetrator did not remain free for more than a few days after the crime. The entire case is covered in detail in the episode titled ‘Stone Cold’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline.’ It also consists of in-depth interviews with the victims, who open up about the aftermath of the murder.
Nicolas “Nick” Morelos Was Employed at Marana Aerospace Solutions
Born on November 13, 1970, to Nicolas and Susan Morelos, Nicolas Dallies “Nick” Morelos Sr. was a smart and charming man, also known as “Corey.” While growing up with his two brothers, John “Red” Morelos and Jason Morelos, and a sister named Jesika Carrasco, he was showered with lots of love and care from his family. After he turned 18, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served for a little less than four years. Having served during the Gulf War I, he earned the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon for his valiant efforts.
Nicolas then got married and entered fatherhood with the birth of his son, Nicolas Jr. After his time in the Marines, he pursued a career in the aviation industry by starting out as an aircraft mechanic before becoming the Director of Maintenance at Marana Aerospace Solutions. His determination and hard-working nature allowed him to have a successful aviation career over two decades. However, his professional career came second to God and his loved ones. Besides reading the Bible, he also enjoyed fishing, hunting, reading, and spending time with his bulldog named Smokey.
Nicolas’ Fiancée Found Him Dead in His Apartment
His marriage didn’t last long, but in 2016, he found love again in Kristina “Kristy” Trepanitis. Before finding her and falling for her, he had given love quite a few chances as he dated co-workers named Claudia Banks and Jessica Stillwell, each for six months, but things never worked out with them. By July 2016, Kristy and Nicolas got engaged and were planning to move in together. However, their dreams of living together in the future as husband and wife never materialized as something tragic happened on the morning of July 18, 2016. When he did not call her like he usually did each morning, Kristy drove up to his residence in the 9200 block of North Grouse Place in Tuscon, Arizona, only to find the body of her future husband in the master bedroom.
Immediately, she informed the authorities about the situation. When the police arrived at the crime scene, they taped the perimeter and began inspecting the body and the property for clues and evidence. The investigators concluded that Nicolas was shot through the window of his bedroom before the assailant climbed inside through the same window and landed more shots at him. In total, the 45-year-old man had been shot eight times, including once in the middle of his forehead. Moreover, they found 11 shell casings at the scene of the crime.
Brother of Nicolas “Nick” Morelos Played a Crucial Role in Catching the Killer
In order to get to the bottom of the case, the detectives dug deep into the personal and professional life of Nicolas “Nick” Morelos. As he had strife with several co-workers and former girlfriends, the police had many suspects on their list. One of the co-workers who never got along with Nicolas was James LaPan, the safety inspector at Marana Aerospace Solutions. But when he was interviewed, he clearly denied any involvement and had no idea who would want to cause him harm. When asked about his alibi, he claimed that he was in bed with his wife, Sareena, on the night of the murder. The authorities were not the only ones investigating; the victim’s brother, John Morelos, was also doing his part and looking for answers.
Soon, when he talked to the HR director, Jeff Johnson, at Marana Aerospace Solutions, John found out that James was seen with bandages on his left arm, right after the shooting death of Nicolas. The detectives then interviewed the suspect’s wife, Sareena, who corroborated her husband’s alibi for the fateful night. However, she was aware of James’ affair with one of John’s ex-girlfriends, Jessica. When there was no significant development in the case, John was able to get another tip from a friend who claimed that James had repaired a silencer at a Tuscon shop just a few days prior to the murder.
The Killer Was on His Way to Work When the Police Apprehended Him at a Traffic Stop
With enough circumstantial evidence against him, the police obtained a search warrant for James’ house near Gladden Farms Drive and Lon Adams Road in Marana, where they came across 18 boxes of .45 caliber bullets, a pair of pants that had blood stains on them, and two spent shell casings similar to the ones found at the crime scene. Upon searching through his van, they discovered carpet fibers that seemed to match the rug in the victim’s bedroom. All these incriminating pieces of evidence allowed the police to arrest him on one count of first-degree murder on July 22, 2016, during a traffic stop on Pinal Air Park Road while he was carpooling to work with Jessica.
Later, Sareena also came forward and told the investigators that she had lied to them about James’ whereabouts on the night of the murder because she was afraid of him. She claimed that he left the house during the night and returned with bloody arms. What made the case against James LaPan stronger was when his DNA came out as a match to the blood they found in Nicolas’ bedroom. Thanks to the overwhelming DNA evidence and Sareena’s testimony, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary on October 2, 2018. A month later, on November 2, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge and ten and a half years for the burglary charge.
Read More: Kristy Trepanitis: Where is Nick Morelos’ Fiancee Now?
