Naman Shrestha
In September 2018, the community of Huntsville, Alabama, received shocking news when 37-year-old private investigator James Cappello went mysteriously missing. A few days of searching led to the discovery of his remains, which devastated his family and friends. During the investigation, the detectives uncovered some dark secrets and motives that ultimately led them to the perpetrator. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are explored in the episode titled ‘Drip, Drip!’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster,’ with the help of insightful interviews.
James Cappello’s Remains Were Found in His Garage After Days of Disappearance
On May 27, 1981, in Buffalo, New York, Kathleen Cappello and James Cappello Sr. welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world in the form of James Dominic “Jim” Cappello. Accompanied by his sister, Jamie Weast, James grew up in a rather loving and supportive household. Driven by a passion for serving his community and solving people’s problems, he became a private investigator. At some point, he crossed paths with a woman named Marjorie Nichole, also known as Nikki, whom he dated and married.
In the following years, the couple gave birth to a daughter named Ryleigh Brooke. By that time, James owned a successful private investigation company, through which he served the legal community. In his free time, he loved taking a drive in his Corvette. Apart from being a doting father to his daughter, he was also passionate about helping people in the community. Meanwhile, his wife, Nikki, worked as a nurse at the North Alabama Specialty Hospital in Athens, Alabama.
In September 2018, when James failed to show up at work for a few days, he was reported missing by his family and friends. Two days of extensive search later, the authorities discovered his decomposing remains on a tarp in the garage of his home in Huntsville on September 22. Upon searching for evidence, they also found a freshly dug grave in the backyard, along with a shovel and a pair of women’s shoes. The autopsy revealed that the cause of the 37-year-old private investigator’s death was insulin poisoning. Without wasting any time, a homicide investigation was launched to get to the bottom of the case.
James Cappello Was Poisoned by Someone Close to Him
Before discovering James Cappello’s remains, the authorities obtained a search warrant for the house he shared with his wife, Marjorie Nichole “Nikki” Cappello. According to police reports, she reportedly tried to keep the police out of the house. During the inspection of the property, they also found several syringes and insulin needles in the house. Upon digging deeper into the couple’s personal life, the detectives learned that at the time of his death, he had been looking into his wife, who allegedly developed substance abuse issues. As part of his investigation, he also reportedly installed a GPS tracker on her car and gathered information about her without letting her know.
James also allegedly planned to divorce Nikki and seek the sole custody of their daughter, Ryleigh Brooke. According to Crystal Anderson, one of Nikki’s friends, the nurse confessed to killing her husband to the friend and asked her for help to dispose of his remains in the days following his disappearance. She had reportedly stolen multiple vials of insulin from the hospital where she was employed and poisoned James in an attempt to get rid of him. Instead of participating in the crime with her, Crystal informed the police about it. Thus, soon after James’ remains were found at the house, his wife, Nikki, was arrested and charged with the murder.
Marjorie Nichole “Nikki” Cappello is Currently Incarcerated at an Alabama Prison Facility
By choosing to plead not guilty to killing James Cappello, Marjorie Nichole “Nikki” Cappello decided to take matters into court. A few years after the tragedy, her murder trial began in May 2022. During her trial, the prosecution presented all the pieces of evidence that pointed towards the defendant, including muddy women’s shoes, a shallow grave in the couple’s backyard, and a muddy shovel near the grave. Her friend, Crystal Anderson, also took the stand and testified against her, claiming that she had called her to confess and ask for her help to dispose of the remains. The prosecution also called a dozen more witnesses.
Meanwhile, Nikki’s defense attorneys argued that there was no direct evidence or proof of what led to the unfortunate death of James Cappello. A medical examiner also took the stand and testified that James did not have any insulin, but claimed that it was due to the fact that the tests were conducted several days after his death. Ultimately, the jury deliberated for less than an hour to return with a final verdict. Thus, in May 2022, Nikki was found guilty of killing her husband, James Cappello. After the conviction, the Cappello family addressed the killer during a conversation with WAAY31, stating, “I mean, did you hate your daughter? Because she’s the one who’s living through this. You took a father away, you took a mother away, and a whole family life.”
For her crime, on July 14, 2022, Nikki was eventually sentenced to life in prison. Less than a year later, she and her defense counsel filed a motion to have her conviction overturned, claiming a lack of evidence. However, the judge denied the appeal and upheld the conviction. As of today, Marjorie Nichole “Nikki” Cappello is seemingly serving her sentence at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama.
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