Harry Nickerson
American criminal and murderer (1962–1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Nile Nickerson (January 9, 1962 – August 31, 1993) was an American criminal and murderer from San Jose, California.[4]
January 9, 1962
Harry Nickerson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Harry Nile Nickerson January 9, 1962 Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 31, 1993 (aged 31) |
| Other names | "Nicky"[3] |
On June 2, 2025, Nickerson was announced to have been the perpetrator of the 1978 murder of 26-year-old schoolteacher Diane Peterson, in which he was a prime suspect for decades.[5] The murder took place at Branham High School in San Jose.[6] He could not be convicted, as he committed suicide in 1993.[7]
Early life
Nickerson was born on January 9, 1962, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Doris Jean Lucas (d. 1993) and Glen William Nickerson (d. 2018).[8][9][10] He had an older brother named Glen William "Buddy" Nickerson Jr., an older sister named Glenna, and another brother named Richard.[9][11] According to retired San Jose police officer Richard Boone, the Nickersons were a notorious and violent family, adding: "We were always going out there on 415s, which was [code for] a family disturbance".[9]
Harry Nickerson dropped out of school in the eighth grade, choosing to lead a life of crime instead. He was also reported to have had a "mean temper".[9]
Murder of Diane Peterson
Diane Peterson was an English teacher at Branham High School in San Jose, and was married with an infant son.[12][13] In 1978, she was scheduled to be laid off due to low enrollment at the school.[14]
On June 16, the day after school had concluded for the summer, Peterson was cleaning her classroom.[5] Shortly after noon, a student discovered Peterson lying unconscious in the hallway a short distance from her room, with a single stab wound to the chest.[12][15] Other contemporary reports claimed that she stumbled to the school's main corridor while shouting for help before collapsing.[12][16] She was pronounced dead en route to Good Samaritan Hospital.[13]
Investigation
1978–1984
According to initial reports, there was no physical evidence left at the crime scene. She had not been sexually assaulted,[3] and robbery was also ruled out as a motive, as her purse was left behind.[6][13]
On the day of her murder, seniors were boarding buses on the other side of the campus for a trip to Disneyland. One lead alleged that a young, stocky man with "broken teeth" was seen running from the grounds around the time Peterson was stabbed.[12]
In 1978, Nickerson was 16 years old.[17] He did not attend Branham but was considered a long-time suspect in the case.[1] Four days after the incident, he was arrested for an unrelated crime; after police speculated that he was involved in the killing, Nickerson "spontaneously accused the police of trying to 'pin' the murder on him" and "denied killing Diane and denied owning a knife".[1]
After the murder, an unnamed witness told police that Nickerson had confessed to the crime and that he was seen carrying a knife that had "Teacher Dear" written on it, but this was unable to be verified.[17] He also bore a resemblance to a composite sketch, which was based on eyewitness accounts.[4] In 1983, the parents of an ex-student told police that their son had witnessed Nickerson commit the murder, but the son denied this.[18] The following year, another witness came forward and told police that Nickerson had confessed to killing Peterson after she spotted him in the process of a drug deal.[19]
2023–2025
In 2023 and 2024, extensive examinations of DNA evidence left at the crime scene were unable to identify a suspect.[19]
In 2025, investigators learned that moments after the murder, Nickerson had confessed to a relative at their home that he was the perpetrator.[1][20] They interviewed the relative who was "emotional" and appeared to be "relieved after having kept [the] secret for almost 50 years".[4] Charges were not pressed against the woman, with the district attorney's office of Santa Clara County, California, adding that it was "reasonable to surmise it was [kept secret] out of fear of retaliation".[4]
On June 2, the office concluded that Nickerson was the murderer of Peterson.[1] Rob Baker, a prosecutor with the county's cold case unit, added that the relative "demonstrat[ed] unique knowledge about the crime that could have only come from someone who spoke with the killer".[7] The motive was not established, but detectives leaned towards a theory that she had witnessed a drug deal, due to comments from an alleged witness.[1]
Later crimes
From the 1970s onward, Nickerson was arrested for crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon.[21] He was suspected to have been involved in six armed robberies, and he stabbed a bouncer in 1981.[9]
On August 6, 1984, Nickerson attempted to rob the home of John C. Evans, a 29-year-old drug dealer in San Jose, with a sawed-off shotgun. After a struggle, Nickerson was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down.[9] Following his release from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, he was charged with burglary, false imprisonment, and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.[4][11] Evans and the Nickersons had run in the same circles due to their lifestyles but eventually had a falling out prior to the robbery attempt.[9]
Nickerson's older brother Glen was arrested in September for allegedly entering the same home, handcuffing Evans and 30-year-old Mickie Lee King, and fatally shooting both of them in the back of the head.[11][22] Prosecutors claimed that it was revenge for what had happened to Harry the month prior.[22] He maintained that he was innocent and was released from prison in 2003 after the Santa Clara County district attorney's office decided to not pursue a new trial, following years of pressure from Glen Nickerson and his lawyers.[22]
Death
Nickerson was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 31, 1993, aged 31.[4]