What happened to father who stabbed his wife and children in late 1980s?
Q: In 1988, Michael Wayne Nida was accused of killing his daughter and stabbing his other children and his wife. What became of Mr. Nida?
Barbara, Sacramento
A: Michael Wayne Nida admitted to killing his 8-year-old daughter and stabbing his wife and three other children in December 1988.
He pleaded guilty in 1990 to one count of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of assault, and was sentenced to 31 years to life in state prison. Now 59 years old, Nida is at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
According to stories in The Sacramento Bee, Nida was in a drug- and jealousy-induced rage when he attacked his wife and children in their duplex on Connie Drive near El Camino Avenue and Interstate 80. His eldest daughter, Laura Jean, was killed, and the other three children – a 4-year-old daughter and 7-year-old twin sons – underwent surgery for their stab wounds. Nida’s wife was treated for a wound to her hand.
Nida attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the stomach and cutting his wrists.
A psychiatrist and psychologist who examined Nida determined that, at the time of the attacks, he was suffering from a methamphetamine-induced delusional disorder exacerbated by the ingestion of alcohol.
Cathy Locke: 916-321-5287, @lockecathy
This story was originally published September 12, 2017 at 9:50 PM with the headline "What happened to father who stabbed his wife and children in late 1980s?."