Noor Malhotra
‘Signs of a Psychopath’ on Investigation Discovery looks at the gruesome crimes that have occurred all over the country in recent times. It dissects the personality traits of the terrifying criminals and even explores exactly which characteristics were exhibited by the killer at the time of the crime. The series does so with the help of news footage and other relevant sources. The case of Christian C. Nielsen has been discussed in the episode ‘Into the Woods at Midnight.’
Christian C. Nielsen Let His Dark Side Out in 2006
Christian C. Nielsen was a cook at the Black Bear Bed and Breakfast in Newry, Maine, and also worked at the Sudbury Inn in Bethel. The owner of the latter facility, Nancy White, described him as a soft-spoken individual and a good employee. However, he was actually a psychopath who killed four people at the bed and breakfast, including the owner and her daughter.
In 2006, during the Labor Day weekend, Nielsen committed a quadruple murder. His victims were James Whitehurst, Julie Bullard, Selby Bullard, and Cindy Beatson. The first victim was James Whitehurst, a 50-year-old handyman who occasionally helped the owner, Julie Bullard, at the facility. He was shot and his corpse was burnt. Nielsen had disposed of the body in the woods in Upton.
Two days later, 65-year-old owner Julie was shot, followed by her daughter Selby Bullard and her daughter’s friend, Cindy Beatson, a day later. They were killed after they showed up unexpectedly to spend some quality time with Julie. However, shooting them was not enough. Nielsen also dismembered the three women using a hacksaw, an ax, and a chainsaw, according to the prosecution. Moreover, he cut Selby’s and Cindy’s fingers off, presumably to take their rings. Three dead dogs were also discovered on site.
Christian C. Nielsen’s Action Left Maine Shaken to the Core
Julie and Selby Bullard had moved to Maine after losing the latter’s husband to a fatal car crash. Selby also had two children— a 12-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. The family shifted and set up the bed and breakfast as a fresh start for themselves. In February of that year, Julie had decided to sell the facility. Meanwhile, Selby worked part-time at the Apple Tree Realty Inc. with her friend Cindy Beatson after obtaining her real estate license.
To say that these murders shook the community would be an understatement. After all, the area was not an unsafe one in any manner. In fact, the last event that had a similar impact on the community was an arson that killed four people in Portland almost 14 years before Nielsen’s crimes. Robin Zinchuk, the Executive Director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, also said, “Everybody is just numb with shock. It’s something out of a horror movie.”
Christian C. Nielsen Was Aprrehended With the Help of His Father
Nielsen’s crimes came to light when he called his father, Charles Nielsen, and his stepmother down to the property. He told his father that the owner had gone to California and left him in charge of the bed and breakfast. But when Charkles arrived, he saw a bloody trail from where the bodies had been dragged outside. Therefore, he immediately notified the police and even told them that he thought his son had carried out horrific killings. A point that must be noted is that Nielsen even worked the Sunday dinner shift after already having killed at least one person.
Authorities arrested Christian Nielsen on four charges of murder that very same day, and he did not attempt to resist arrest. According to an affidavit, when he was questioned about his heinous crimes, he admitted that he was guilty and even showed the cops where Whitehurst’s body was. Then, when asked about a motive, he simply stated there was none. He said he had been thinking of killing people for many years, and so he just decided to follow through with it. However, officials did speculate that he wanted to operate the bed and breakfast himself. Up until the murders, the worst crime on his rap sheet was driving under the influence, for which his license had been revoked.
Christian C. Nielsen is Serving Four Concurrent Life Terms
Nielsen was declared competent enough to stand trial for the murders in September 2007, with Justice Robert Crowley statung he met the legal standards that had been set by the State’s Supreme Court. That’s despite the fact his legal team declared he was unfit on the grounds of his mental health – he reportedly has Schizoid Personality Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and other mental illnesses. They also stated he was emotionally detached and could not aid in his own defense. Yet, many professionals felt that Nielson could contribute to his defense if he chose to. The judge said this about the matter— “While it is certainly unfair to subject a defendant to trial when he lacks the capacity to take part in his own defense, it is not unfair to subject him to trial when he simply chooses not to take part.”
Two psychologists during Nielsen’s trial concluded that Nielsen had mental health issues. They backed his diagnoses before adding that they prevented him from communicating properly. But they disagreed about his capabilities as far as the trial was concerned, so he was not declared legally insane. With this, the insanity plea was dropped a day before he was to stand trial, and he ended up pleading guilty to the crimes. He was subsequently handed down four concurrent life terms in prison on October 18, 2007, and so, today, the 49-year-old is incarcerated at the Maine State Prison.
In 2007, it was also reported that while he was at the Cumberland County Jail awaiting his trial, Nielsen had lost 55 pounds. This put his health in danger, as his weight came down from 158 pounds to 103 pounds. Sheriff Mark Dion was given permission by the court to force-feed him. Moreover, Nielsen had also been placed on a suicide watch after he made cuts that resembled the letter X on his scalp. He could not be transported to the Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta for further treatment until his condition had stabilized, yet it appears as if he has since been doing better.
Read More: Who Were Christian C. Nielsen’s Victims?
