Lodi man found guilty in shooting death of his father

Richard Nielson fled to Mexico in May of 2021

STOCKTON — San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar announced Tuesday that 32-year-old Lodi resident Richard Nielson was found guilty of first-degree murder and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death.

“Gun violence, especially against one’s own family, is unconscionable,” Salazar said. “Thank you to Deputy District Attorney Alexander Henry for skillfully prosecuting this case and to San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeremy Davis for his thorough investigation.”

On May 27, 2021, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a family member of the victim, Roger Nielson, requesting a wellness check at his home on the 13000 block of Eberhard Road in Lodi.

Upon arrival, deputies found the victim deceased in the home, reports state, and an investigation determined he had been the victim of a homicide.

The victim’s son, Richard Nielson, in violation of his probation, had fled to Mexico on May 23, 2021. With the assistance of the Mexican authorities, the U.S. Marshals arrested him in Guadalajara in early June 2021 and deported him to the United States, where he was taken into custody by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, reports state.

Richard Nielson was charged with murder and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death.

He will appear for sentencing in San Joaquin County Superior Court in Stockton on July 5. To view the complaint, visit SJGov.org/DA.