Shivangi Sinha
Cliff Lambert’s murder led to the conviction of several individuals, with six people apprehended in connection with the case. Among them were Russell Manning, Miguel Bustamante, and Craig McCarthy, each of whom was involved in the crime in different capacities. Their arrests and subsequent convictions ensured that justice was served for Lambert’s brutal death. The case drew significant media attention, and NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Prince, The Whiz Kid & The Millionaire’ provides a detailed account of the investigation, the suspects, and how authorities finally uncovered the truth.
Russell Manning, Miguel Bustamante, and Craig McCarthy Were Involved in Cliff Lambert’s Death at Different Stages
Miguel Bustamante and Craig Anthony McCarthy were acquaintances of Kaushal Niroula. Miguel was a bartender in San Francisco, California, and lived with Craig, a former Marine cook. In 2008, when Niroula and Danny Garcia plotted Cliff Lambert’s murder, Miguel and Craig became active co-conspirators. On December 4, 2008, they were granted entry into Lambert’s home in Palm Springs, where Niroula, who was posing as an attorney, was already present. However, they failed to carry out the plan that day. The following day, December 5, 2008, they returned, and while waiting in the kitchen, Miguel and Craig ambushed Lambert and fatally stabbed him with a knife.
With the assistance of Danny Garcia and Niroula, Lambert’s body was wrapped in a carpet, placed in the trunk of their car, and buried in a shallow grave near Los Angeles, California. They then involved Russell Manning, an art dealer from San Francisco. According to prosecutors, Manning was likely unaware of the murder plot and was brought in only after attorney David Replogle forged power of attorney documents, granting him control over Lambert’s properties. Manning was allegedly told Lambert was serving a sentence and that payments were reparations to Niroula. He subsequently exploited the assets, wired funds to himself, and even attempted to sell Lambert’s Palm Springs property.
In January 2009, Miguel returned to Lambert’s home. He later claimed he had been sent by Niroula to retrieve a painting and insisted he had no involvement in the murder. He maintained that if he had been part of the killing, he would never have come back. However, a neighbor had reported his presence, leading to his arrest. Following this, the investigation intensified, and Craig and Manning were also arrested on separate charges, bringing more members of the conspiracy into custody.
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Russell Manning is a Free Man, While Miguel Bustamante and Craig McCarthy Are Serving their Sentences Today
In 2010, Russell Manning pleaded guilty to burglary, forgery, grand theft, and several other offenses after being extradited from Mexico in 2009. He received a five-year sentence, likely completing it around 2015, and little is publicly known about him since then. In 2013, Craig McCarthy pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, robbery, and six other felony charges, resulting in a 25-year prison term.
Miguel Bustamante was convicted in 2011 of first-degree murder, burglary, criminal conspiracy, and identity-related crimes. He had his sentence overturned due to judicial misconduct. Upon retrial in June 2023, he was found guilty again and sentenced to life without parole in November 2023. Now 42, he is incarcerated at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, California. Craig, now 45, is at the California Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, a facility where inmates participate in fire suppression and conservation work. He will be eligible for parole in July 2026.
