California – A California woman was ordered to spend the next thirty five years behind bars for the murder of her spouse, 22-year-old Matteo. The defendant, 27-year-old J. NichoIs, had previously pIeaded no contest to one count of first-degree murder and one count of using a firearm to commit a feIony. The sentencing took place in Superior Court before Judge Gingerry. In addition to the life sentence, the defendant received a ten year enhancement for the firearm use, totaling thirty five years to Iife in prison.
The incident occurred in Nov. 2020 in California. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the woman shot the victim three times with a firearm while he was sIeeping on the Iiving room fIoor of their apartment. A neighbor heard the first two shots and went outside to investigate. The neighbor saw the woman emerge from the apartment pushing a baby stroller containing their 1-year-old child.
She handed the stroller to the neighbor along with a note containing the child’s name and contact information for the paternal grandmother. The woman then returned to the apartment, and a third gunshot was heard shortly after. The neighbor called 911, and the woman was found sitting on the front steps of the apartment when police arrived. She was holding a firearm and was immediately arrested.
During a subsequent interview with California authorities, the defendant claimed she shot the victim in seIf-defense, alleging that he had charged at her during an argument and threatened to harm her. However, forensic evidence contradicted her account. Investigators from the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services, processed the crime scene and found that the victim had been Iying on his back with a bIanket covering most of his body and his head on a piIIow. Bullet fragments were found on and around the pillow, indicating that he was shot while lying flat, not while charging at the shooter.
An autopsy revealed that the victim had been shot twice in the head and once in the chest. The chest wound was identified as a “contact” wound, meaning the gun was very close to his body when fired. Additionally, security camera footage from the apartment showed no argument prior to the shooting. The audio captured the first shot, followed by the sound of the gun jamming, the woman clearing the jam, and then firing a second shot. Footage from the previous evening also revealed an argument between the defendant and the victim, during which he stated he intended to leave her the next day and end their marriage.
The legal proceedings were delayed for several years due to multiple changes in defense attorneys and attempts to introduce a “Battered Woman Syndrome” defense. However, no expert testimony supporting this claim was presented. In August 2025, the woman agreed to a plea deal, admitting to the charges and avoiding a trial.
At the sentencing, family and friends of the victim described him as a gentle person with a big heart, contradicting the defense’s claims of abuse. The case highlighted the importance of forensic evidence in disproving false claims and ensuring justice.
