The Psycho Murder Love Triangle...

What this episode is about

The murder of Bill McLaughlin, a successful California businessman and inventor, shocked the world in 1994 when he was found shot six times in his home, leading to a cold case that remained unsolved for over a decade. The case gained renewed attention in 2008 as new evidence and witnesses emerged, revealing a complex love triangle involving McLaughlin and his much younger partner, Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil, which may have played a crucial role in the gruesome murder.

Key takeaways

• In the twisted world of wealth, love triangles can turn deadly; just ask Nanette Johnson.
• Murder: the ultimate betrayal—Bill McLaughlin's love life went from charming to chilling in one fateful morning.
• Sometimes, a lavish life is overshadowed by greed; Bill's riches made him a target, not just a success.
• Cold cases can heat up: evidence from 14 years ago turned donut holes of doubt into holes of conviction.
• In a gated community, security can be deceiving; the biggest danger may come from within your own home.

Who speaks in this episode?

• James (Guest) · 12 min speaking
• Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil (Guest) · 2 min speaking
• Eric Naposki (Guest) · 2 min speaking
• Bill McLaughlin (Guest)
• Susan McLaughlin (Guest)
• Matt Murphy (Guest)
• Kim McLaughlin (Guest)

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Bill McLaughlin, Susan McLaughlin, Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil, Loyola Marymount University
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil, Eric Naposki
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Bill McLaughlin, Eric Naposki, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Bill McLaughlin, Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil, Eric Naposki, William McNeil
5. 12:00 – 15:00: William McNeil, Bill McLaughlin, Eric Naposki, Chowchilla

Notable quotes from "The Psycho Murder Love Triangle..."

• In 1994 media from around the world reported the shocking murder of wealthy California businessman and inventor Bill McLaughlin although there were suspects at the time the case remained unsolved for more than a decade with police.

  about Bill McLaughlin · at 0:00

• Early on in life meant that he made his first couple Millions before his 30s while Bill's ex-wife Susan McLaughlin described him as very controlling and domineering those who…

  about Susan McLaughlin · at 2:10

• Leads because of the details police became suspicious of those closest to him including his fiancee Nanette Johnson who had arrived back home hours after Bill's brutal slay as…

  about Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil · at 4:05

• National Football League as a linebacker for the New England Patriots in 1988 and 1989 before playing his final season with the Indianapolis Colts at the time of Bill's murder…

  about Indianapolis Colts · at 8:33

• Jail for forging Bill's signature to steal his money following her release from prison she married another Rich businessman called John Packard on Valentine's Day 1998 who she…

  about John Packard · at 9:54

• Work as an alibi on May 20th 2009 the two were detained and stood trial soon after Eric was found guilty of first-degree murder on July 14 2011.

  about Eric Naposki · at 10:50

• Overseas where he played American football then moved to Connecticut where he was living with his fiancee William McNeil who was Nanette's husband at the time of the arrest…

  about William McNeil · at 12:15

• Was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the crime and so at the age of 57 she is currently incarcerated at the central California women's facility in…

  about Chowchilla · at 13:42

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Bill McLaughlin — Person · Victim / central figure of the case · 9 mentions · first at 0:04
  The episode centers on the 1994 murder of wealthy inventor and businessman Bill McLaughlin and the later convictions tied to his death.
• Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil — Person · Primary suspect/convicted co-conspirator; Bill's fiancée · 5 mentions · first at 1:25
  Portrayed as Bill McLaughlin’s fiancée who had an affair with Eric Naposki, had financial motives, committed check fraud, and was later convicted for her role in the murder.
• Eric Naposki — Person · Primary suspect/convicted shooter; Nanette's lover · 5 mentions · first at 4:23
  Presented as Nanette’s affair partner and the person convicted of first-degree murder for shooting Bill McLaughlin; his alibi, gun ownership, and timeline are discussed.
• William McNeil — Person · Referenced spouse (post-murder) of Nanette; trial witness · 3 mentions · first at 10:07
  Nanette’s later husband who testified against her, describing being misled and later filing for divorce after her arrest.
• Susan McLaughlin — Person · Referenced witness/character reference; Bill's ex-wife · 2 mentions · first at 1:21
  Cited to provide personal characterization of Bill McLaughlin (controlling/domineering), contrasting with other positive descriptions.
• John Packard — Person · Referenced spouse (post-murder) of Nanette · 1 mention · first at 9:57
  Mentioned to show Nanette’s life trajectory after the murder investigation stalled—she married wealthy businessman John Packard and had a child.

Companies & orgs

• Loyola Marymount University — Company · Referenced institution · 1 mention · first at 2:32
  Mentioned as a recipient of Bill McLaughlin's generosity through scholarships for poorer students.
  Devoted father a fitness fanatic who frequently jogged with his dog and a generous donor to Loyola Marymount University where he would give scholarships for poorer students in…
• Indianapolis Colts — Company · Referenced sports team · 1 mention · first at 8:27
  Mentioned as part of Eric Naposki's background as a former NFL linebacker.
• New England Patriots — Company · Referenced sports team · 1 mention · first at 8:27
  Mentioned as part of Eric Naposki's background as a former NFL linebacker.
  Romance she longed for was provided by Eric naposki a former NFL linebacker who played part of two seasons in the National Football League as a linebacker for the New England…

Places & events

• Chowchilla — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at 13:46
  Mentioned as the location where Nanette Johnson is currently incarcerated.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 in 1994 media from around the world reported the shocking murder of wealthy California businessman and inventor Bill McLaughlin although there were suspects at the time the case remained unsolved for more than a decade with police making almost no progress in the case that all changed in 2008 when a review into all the evidence and details brought forward several key Witnesses and reminded the world of the truly gruesome details of the case welcome to Twisted Minds my name is James and today we take a look at the murder of Bill McLaughlin a millionaire who was shot six times in the chest while he lounged in a robe sitting in the kitchen of his Newport Beach home many cold cases never get solved with those who committed the crime getting to live the rest of their life as a free person well as is the case in today's video time doesn't always vary the past in fact it sometimes takes time for the facts to

0:52 come to light William Bill McLaughlin was 55 when his life was taken from him on a cold December morning in 1994. bill was described as a loving father of three who'd created a great life for himself and his family in Newport Beach California not only did he make his fortune by inventing the medical instrument that separates plasma from blood but he was also said to have had a wonderful home life with his loving family after the breakdown of his 24-year long marriage bill met a beautiful woman called Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil a single mother who was 30 years younger than him Bill became the epitome of success to all around him with the brightness of his future showing no signs of dimming that is until the Fateful morning when the man shockingly met his end before his death bill was a shrewd businessman his pioneering prototype that separated plasma was a business he started in his garage in Santa Ana this went on to be

1:51 used in blood banks Nationwide after his groundbreaking invention bill went on to create an updated version of the the dialysis catheter before the new and improved process was developed there was a risk that a patient could die if a mistake was made because of this bill would have no doubt prevented the deaths of many people the success he found early on in life meant that he made his first couple Millions before his 30s while Bill's ex-wife Susan McLaughlin described him as very controlling and domineering those who worked with Bill McLaughlin described him as a Charming friend with a warm smile the kind of guy who always asked about their families while neighbors described him as a devoted father a fitness fanatic who frequently jogged with his dog and a generous donor to Loyola Marymount University where he would give scholarships for poorer students in short most considered Bill a really nice

2:41 guy but as it turns out in this case be nice doesn't always keep you off someone else's hit list on December 15 1994 Bill's son found him lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of his beach home which is located within a gated community this happened not long after the man had returned from a trip to Las Vegas in his private plane the young man who had learning difficulties frantically called 9-1-1 moments later and it became obvious that the shots fired had killed Bill almost instantly once investigators arrived at the crime scene they discovered that nothing had been ransacked or stolen which instantly LED detectives to consider that it was a personally driven homicide according to Crime Scene reports the entrepreneur was shot six times in the chest and torso while minding his business sitting at the kitchen table in his luxurious home residents of the Gated Community at Balboa Coves were understandably nervous

3:41 about the event and wanted answers from the police the vice president of the communities association's board of directors shared this concern by telling me times that they didn't believe it was a random shooting but a targeted execution by someone mad at Bill the investigation in the Bill's murder kicked off with the shell casings from a nine millimeter gun and two house keys recovered from the scene being the main leads because of the details police became suspicious of those closest to him including his fiancee Nanette Johnson who had arrived back home hours after Bill's brutal slay as police broke the tragic news Nanette initially appeared devastated soon after however detectives quickly realized that she was having an affair with a man named Eric neposke who is a former professional football player working as a nightclub Bouncer and bodyguard at the time of the murder later on while giving an

4:34 interview Nanette explained how she met Eric at the gym and began working out together soon after they started hanging out and the friendship became more than a spotter in the gym if you get my drift apart from the love triangle in obvious reasons why Nanette would want bill out of the picture she also had another motive financial gain as was stated in Bill's will she stood to gain 150 000 and ownership of the beach house as well as being the sole beneficiary of his one million dollar life insurance policy it seemed that Annette couldn't wait for Bill to pass away as even before the murder it came to light that she had forged her fiance's name on checks to steal from him while he was still alive Nanette had even faked his signature on a 250 thousand dollar check the day before he was murdered when she was questioned about the fraud she pleaded guilty but when it came to the murder she appeared shocked at the very idea

5:27 that she could shoot her beloved partner as police focused further on those closest to Bill authorities began to speculate that Nanette's lover Eric was involved this speculation only got stronger after they discovered Bill's license plate number scribbled down in a notepad in his car after they stopped him due to a traffic violation warrant Eric didn't do himself any favors when questioned as he kept changing his story and lied about his relationship with Nanette another shocking detail was how he lied about ever owning a nine millimeter handgun keep in mind that there were nine millimeter shells found in the kitchen eventually he admitted to owning a Beretta 92F nine millimeter but had no idea where it went I mean how do you casually misplace a gun did he check down the sides of the sofa cushions maybe it got tangled up in his blanket despite the glaring details the couple was never arrested or charged because

6:21 there was a lack of physical evidence no DNA no fingerprints no Witnesses no admissions not even a murder weapon nothing sadly for many official cold cases the story would end there due to a lack of evidence but in the case of Bill McLaughlin Justice would eventually be served it just took a little time before we get into that I think it's important that we find out a little more about the main suspect for Bill's murder Nanette packer foreign in July 1965 in Chicago the petite woman grew up mostly in Phoenix Arizona before settling down in the sunny State of California she was just 18 years old when she married her first husband Kevin Johnson on November 11 1983. with whom she had two children a son and a daughter unfortunately their marriage didn't last long and they ended up divorced in 1989. shortly after this Nanette met bill who she began dating before the millionaire proposed to her

7:21 by all accounts Bill loved his fiance dearly describing her as a good mother Nanette was a single mother to her two young children when she met 55 year old Bill McLaughlin through a personal ad the millionaire placed in a magazine I guess it's true what they say you can't buy love he was 30 years older than Nanette but that didn't affect things in fact the two got along like a house on fire with nanat moving into the luxurious Newport Beach home located in a wealthy community with her children within months from there their relationship grew and he not only ended up becoming her fiance but also a teacher and Mentor when it came to business and finance bill even made sure Nanette had everything she needed to be comfortable by gifting her a generous allowance with that being said it seems that the relationship between Nanette and Bill wasn't a romantic one with Nanette one saying it's going to sound

8:12 kind of cliche but he was sort of a father figure he taught me about business we sat and wrote business plans together he included me I did all the finances for everything he also loved that I was a good mother while Bill filled many needs in Annette's life the romance she longed for was provided by Eric naposki a former NFL linebacker who played part of two seasons in the National Football League as a linebacker for the New England Patriots in 1988 and 1989 before playing his final season with the Indianapolis Colts at the time of Bill's murder Eric was working as a nightclub security guard as well as a personal bodyguard in fact he was working at the Thunderbird nightclub which was only 131 yards away from McLaughlin's home when police questioned the man he claimed to have gone to a soccer game on the day and went to work straight after he even went further to preach that he wouldn't have enough time

9:03 to Kill Bill between the game and heading to work in his trial however investigators repeatedly took the same route that Eric took and determined he had plenty of time to Kill Bill and go straight to work the actions of a stone cold killer despite the killing of Bill McLaughlin being a high profile case and being worth a hefty 55 million dollars at the time of his death prosecutors couldn't get enough physical evidence to back up the claims that Eric and Nanette had plotted and acted out the brutal killing of an innocent unsuspecting man foreign death in 1994 Eric was hoping to marry Nanette especially knowing that she and Bill had never been in a romantic relationship according to Nanette unfortunately for Eric that never happened as Nanette spent 180 days in jail for forging Bill's signature to steal his money following her release from prison she married another Rich businessman called John Packard on

10:02 Valentine's Day 1998 who she had a daughter with the marriage was short-lived however as they legally separated in 2003 and in 2006 Nanette married William McNeil with whom she has a son after her last marriage Nanette and Eric moved on with their lives leaving the bloody past behind them or so they thought 15 years after Bill was brutally executed in his kitchen detectives re-examined the case and chose to set up a bicoastal sting operation in order to catch Nanette and Eric who they still believe were behind the murder the theory was that Nanette cooked up the plan to slay Bill and convinced her boyfriend Eric to do the dirty work so that they could start a new life together with the money that she would receive that way Nanette could play the distraught partner when she returned and Eric could slip back to work as an alibi on May 20th 2009 the two were detained and stood trial soon after Eric was found guilty of

10:57 first-degree murder on July 14 2011. whereas Nanette was convicted on January 23 2012. Eric has spoken out about the killing backing up the theory that Nanette Mastermind a murder-for-hire plot to get rid of bill with the only exception being that Eric played no part in it when questioned about his nine millimeter gun Eric said that the killer could have gone behind his back by instruction of Nanette to use it without his permission and how convenient regardless both of them still maintain their innocence to this day during the Net's court appearance Kim McLaughlin Bill's daughter said the destructive trail of Deceit is astounding the fact that eating the net destroyed so many lives including my dads along the way is vile your Web of Lies has caught up with you finally Eric refused to be present when Bill's family got to speak out about the two monsters who took the life of their loved one

11:54 senior district attorney Matt Murphy wasn't happy with this going on to say he was a gigantic coward he's always been a coward but he refused to come out of his cell today to listen to what the family had to say that's what happened and it's just it exemplifies him to a team by the time that Nanette and Eric were arrested neposky briefly moved overseas where he played American football then moved to Connecticut where he was living with his fiancee William McNeil who was Nanette's husband at the time of the arrest testified against her during the court battle during the trial he said that he was blindsided when his wife was arrested and initially supported her before realizing the woman had told him a lot of lies that didn't add up with fact in fact he claimed he never knew she was a suspect in the murder case the lesson here is to always do the standard social media and Google search when going into a new

12:45 relationship it could save you from saying I do to a gold digging murderer William McNeil did bring Nanette's son to visit her for a little while but he eventually stopped and filed for divorce in 2010. Eric naposki remarried at a church in Barcelona and had two more children a son and a daughter at the time of his arrest in 2009 he was working for a security company that watched over ESPN's Bristol campus he even took classes at UConn continuing his undergrad Degree in General Studies and opened his own gym he had a lovely wife thriving gym and a great group of friends life was good for Eric but that all changed the second the handrails were slapped on his wrists former boyfriend and ex-nfl linebacker named Eric deposkey who authorities say shot the rich businessman six times in his kitchen nearly two decades go what happened in that Packard Nanette was handed a life sentence without the

13:44 possibility of parole for the crime and so at the age of 57 she is currently incarcerated at the central California women's facility in Chowchilla she now spends most of her time training service dogs through a prison program called the little angels in an interview she once said that the dogs gave her a lot of healing and that knowing that she is helping others helps her cope with being away from her children when asked about the murder she said that she still holds a lot of guilt over what happened despite claiming to be innocent believing that bill would have still been alive if she hadn't started an affair with Eric with that being said she says she doesn't know if Eric had a hand in the crime either Nanette always claimed that she had no reason to Kill Bill as there was no financial gain but I think we could all agree that a luxurious beach house and 150 thousand dollars isn't exactly nothing if her

14:33 argument was that she wasn't in need of the cash then why risk the fraud charges when forging Bill's checks Eric was all also handed a life sentence after a four-week trial with jurors finding the man guilty of shooting Bill McLaughlin In Cold Blood cases like this are disturbing for one major reason you never really know what the people closest to you in your life are capable of the world is Rife with murder which is sadly an epidemic that seems to be getting worse as time goes on feeling nervous about your personal safety when out in public is understandable but would it ever cross your mind that you could be shot dead in your own kitchen on the instruction of someone you shared a bed with that night thanks for tuning in to Twisted Minds that was the case of Nanette Johnson and why don't you go ahead and click on one of the two videos on your screen for another one of our videos

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The Psycho Murder Love Triangle..."?

James (Guest), Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil (Guest), Eric Naposki (Guest), Bill McLaughlin (Guest), Susan McLaughlin (Guest), Matt Murphy (Guest), Kim McLaughlin (Guest).

What is "The Psycho Murder Love Triangle..." about?

The murder of Bill McLaughlin, a successful California businessman and inventor, shocked the world in 1994 when he was found shot six times in his home, leading to a cold case that remained unsolved for over a decade. The case gained renewed attention in 2008 as new evidence and witnesses emerged, revealing a complex love triangle involving McLaughlin and his much younger partner, Nanette…

What is mentioned in this Twisted Minds episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Bill McLaughlin, Nanette Johnson Packard McNeil, Eric Naposki, William McNeil, Susan McLaughlin, Loyola Marymount University. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Psycho Murder Love Triangle..."?

The episode runs 15 min; the transcript is about 2,803 words in 17 timestamped sections.

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