Murder in Newport Beach

Summary

Summary of "Murder in Newport Beach" Episode of 48 Hours

Podcast Title: 48 Hours
Host/Author: CBS News
Episode: Murder in Newport Beach
Release Date: August 7, 2025

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Introduction

In the compelling episode titled "Murder in Newport Beach," CBS News' award-winning correspondents delve into the tragic and complex murder case of Bill McLaughlin. Set against the backdrop of the affluent Balboa Coves community in Newport Beach, the episode unravels the events leading up to McLaughlin's murder, the ensuing investigation, and the controversial arrests and convictions that followed. Through key evidence and gripping interviews, the narrative explores themes of deceit, financial motives, and the intricacies of the justice system.

The Victim: Bill McLaughlin

Bill McLaughlin was a prominent entrepreneur known for his lavish lifestyle in Newport Beach. He owned multimillion-dollar waterfront properties, yachts, and a private plane. Beyond his wealth, McLaughlin was a devoted family man with two daughters and a son.

Detective Tom Voth provides an overview of McLaughlin's life:
“Newport beach has it all. It's got the surfing, it has the yachts, it has beautiful homes, it's got the palm trees. There's a lot of money in Newport... He had two beautiful daughters and a handsome young son” ([01:05]).

Despite his success, McLaughlin's personal life was marred by marital strife. After nearly 25 years of marriage, his relationship with his wife became rocky, leading to a painful divorce that deeply affected his family.

His daughter Kim shares:
“My mom actually left the relationship and that crushed my dad” ([01:51]).

The Murder

On December 15, 1994, just days before Christmas, Bill McLaughlin was brutally murdered in his own home. The killer entered through a pedestrian access gate, confronted McLaughlin in the kitchen, and shot him six times before fleeing the scene.

Kim McLaughlin recounts the devastating news:
“Nobody deserves to die the way my dad died” ([02:51]).

Initial Investigation

The initial investigation faced significant challenges due to the lack of concrete evidence. There were no fingerprints, no weapon was found at the scene, and forensic technology was still in its nascent stages.

Detective Tom Voth explains:
“To have a murder occur here was very uncommon. There were no fingerprints. DNA was very early in its stages. There were no weapons found” ([04:27]).

However, a pivotal moment occurred when McLaughlin had called his brother the night before his murder, expressing a sense of being threatened.

Eric Naposki, a key figure later in the case, recalls:
“He was feeling as though his life was threatened” ([04:53]).

Suspects and Motives

Hal Fishel

Initially, suspicion fell on Hal Fishel, a former business partner engaged in a bitter lawsuit with McLaughlin over the invention of a plasma device.

Detective Voth notes:
“Fishel lost the suit and had to forfeit $9 million to Bill. That sounded like a motive” ([06:15]).

However, Fishel was quickly eliminated as a suspect when eyewitnesses confirmed his presence in Santa Barbara, nearly 150 miles away from Newport Beach at the time of the murder.

Nanette Johnston

The investigation then shifted focus to McLaughlin's inner circle, particularly his fiancée, Nanette Johnston. Nanette had entered McLaughlin's life following his divorce, providing companionship and boosting his self-esteem during a vulnerable period.

Kim McLaughlin expresses her skepticism:
“I think she's with you for your money” ([08:12]).

Further suspicions arose when significant financial discrepancies were discovered in McLaughlin's accounts. Kim found that $250,000 was missing, with Nanette implicated in the embezzlement.

Detective Voth states:
“We felt very strongly that both Eric Naposki and Nanette Johnson were responsible for Mr. McLaughlin's murder” ([20:05]).

The Arrest of Eric Naposki and Nanette Johnston

Eric Naposki

Eric Naposki, Nanette's boyfriend and a former NFL linebacker, became a prime suspect. On the night of the murder, Naposki claims he was at his job at the Thunderbird nightclub, supported by phone records indicating a call from a Denny's in Tustin at 8:52 PM.

Naposki asserts his innocence:
“I guarantee you. Looking straight in the face, Eric Naposki did not murder Bill McLaughlin” ([17:15]).

Despite his alibi, prosecutors argued that the timing and proximity made it implausible for Naposki to be in two places simultaneously. Forensic evidence, including shell casings matching Naposki's 9mm Beretta, further implicated him.

Detective Voth firmly states:
“There is no doubt in any of our minds that Eric Naposki pulled the trigger and murdered Bill McLaughlin” ([26:04]).

Nanette Johnston

Nanette Johnston's financial misconduct solidified her motive. Bank records revealed unauthorized withdrawals totaling nearly half a million dollars, suggesting she needed to eliminate McLaughlin to secure her financial future with Eric.

Detective Voth emphasizes:
“She steals $48,200 in the month of October alone. $20,000 in November, $68,200 in seven weeks” ([33:37]).

Trials and Conviction

The trial unfolded with intense scrutiny of evidence. The prosecution presented compelling links between Naposki and the murder, including phone records, possession of the murder weapon, and financial discrepancies involving Nanette.

Despite Naposki's steadfast claims of innocence and presenting new evidence suggesting Nanette's involvement, both he and Nanette were convicted. Naposki was sentenced to life without parole, while Nanette received a similar sentence for her role in the murder.

Kim McLaughlin reflects on the outcome:
“We really miss him and we're so glad that justice has been served on his behalf” ([35:05]).

Eric Naposki's Continued Claims of Innocence

Years after his conviction, Eric Naposki maintained his innocence and alleged that Nanette orchestrated the murder by hiring a hitman. He presented new evidence, including bank statements and cash withdrawals, indicating Nanette's financial motives.

Naposki asserts:
“Nanette paid for the killing. She hired somebody, a hitman” ([37:29]).

Despite these claims, authorities and the prosecution dismissed the new evidence, upholding the original verdict.

Detective Voth dismisses Naposki's assertions:
“Everything that comes out of Eric Naposki's mouth is a lie” ([42:47]).

Conclusion

"Murder in Newport Beach" provides a thorough exploration of a high-profile murder case marked by wealth, betrayal, and the quest for justice. While the convictions of Eric Naposki and Nanette Johnston brought closure to Bill McLaughlin's family, lingering questions and Naposki's ongoing claims of innocence add layers of complexity to the narrative. The episode underscores the challenges in criminal investigations, the impact of financial motives, and the enduring pursuit of truth within the justice system.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to moments in the provided transcript, ensuring accurate attribution of quotes and events.

Transcript

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[Detective Tom Voth]

Newport beach has it all. It's got the surfing, it has the yachts, it has beautiful homes, it's got the palm trees. There's a lot of money in Newport. You're talking multimillion dollar beautiful waterfront properties. Bill McLaughlin was a multimillionaire. He had a boat, he had a private plane, he had a beautiful bayside home. He had two beautiful daughters and a handsome young son.

[Kim McLaughlin]

His family was everything to him and his kids. Especially all three of us.

[Detective Tom Voth]

After almost 25 years of marriage, things were getting a little rocky between Bill and his wife.

[Kim McLaughlin]

My mom actually left the relationship and that crushed my dad.

[Detective Tom Voth]

After his divorce, he eventually would meet somebody new. Nanette Johnston.

[Kim McLaughlin]

She's my age. Yuck, dad, you're dating this young chick. It boosted his self esteem to have this young girl around working her magic and making him feel good.

[Detective Tom Voth]

December 15, 1994. Right before Christmas, Bill McLaughlin came home from Las Vegas, went into the kitchen for some reason and unbeknownst to him, he was about to die. And at that point, the killer was coming through the pedestrian access gate. He got inside the house, he came around the corner and There was Bill McLaughlin standing face to face with his murderer. The killer shot him six times and then fled.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Nobody deserves to die the way my dad died. Months went by and then two years went by and we kept waiting. They said we just don't have enough information.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Finally, 15 years later, we were able to make an arrest. The shooter was a former NFL linebacker.

[Kim McLaughlin]

It was such a Shock to all of us.

[Eric Naposki]

My name is Eric Naposki. I might wear handcuffs and I might be locked up, but I'm no criminal. There's a person out there who actually committed a crime. And today I'm gonna tell the world who really did it. And I'm gonna prove my innocence.

[Troy Roberts]

I'm Troy Roberts. Tonight on 48. Murder and the murder of Bill McLaughlin rattled the quiet gated community of Balboa Coves and devastated Bill's daughters Jenny and Kim.

[Kim McLaughlin]

My mom called me and told me it was too terrible to hear somebody had come into our house and shot him in the chest. What?

[Troy Roberts]

On December 15, 1994, Newport beach detectives struggled to piece together the puzzle. Tom Voth was the lead detective on the case.

[Detective Tom Voth]

To have a murder occur here was very uncommon. There were no fingerprints. DNA was very early in its stages. There were no weapons found.

[Troy Roberts]

So it wasn't much to go on. No, no, sir. But just the night before his murder, Bill McLaughlin had called his brother Patrick.

[Eric Naposki]

I could tell right away something was wrong.

[Detective Tom Voth]

He was in Las Vegas calling me. He was feeling as though his life was threatened.

[Eric Naposki]

That's just the way he talked to me. It was like people were out to get him.

[Troy Roberts]

Detectives began poring over every personal detail of McLaughlin's life. His world of privilege in Newport beach was a far cry from his humble beginnings on the south side of Chicago.

[Eric Naposki]

He was always the self made guy, Billy.

[Troy Roberts]

He was the first in his family to go to college.

[Detective Tom Voth]

He wanted to be the kind of.

[Eric Naposki]

A guy that would make a difference.

[Troy Roberts]

And he did. Bill McLaughlin was the entrepreneur behind the development of a groundbreaking device that separates from blood. It was a huge advance in the health care field and it made him a fortune. How old was he when he made his first million? Probably early 30s. Bill's best friend, Don Callau, says that was just the beginning. By the time of his death, McLaughlin was worth an estimated $55 million. You don't amass that kind of fortune without stepping on some toes.

[Eric Naposki]

There was nobody that I knew that had a vendetta against him.

[Troy Roberts]

But in the months before his murder, Bill had been embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with this man, Hal Fischel, a former business partner who had invented the plasma device.

[Kim McLaughlin]

And this had been a long, difficult lawsuit. Hal Fishel was the adversary in the lawsuits.

[Troy Roberts]

Fishel lost the suit and had to forfeit $9 million to bill. That sounded like a motive. Did you consider Hal Fishel a main suspect in this case? Yes. But Fishel had an alibi. A good one Eyewitnesses say he was in Santa Barbara, nearly 150 miles north of Newport beach at the time of the murder. He was quickly eliminated.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Fairly quickly, yes.

[Troy Roberts]

Besides, investigators were becoming more convinced the killer was part of McLaughlin's inner circle. The clues kept leading them closer to home. In fact, directly to his front doorstep.

[Detective Tom Voth]

When we arrived at the homicide scene in 1994, there were two keys located. Found a key in this door. In addition, they also found a key laying on the ground here.

[Troy Roberts]

And the key that fits this lock right here at that time also fit.

[Detective Tom Voth]

The front door of the residence.

[Troy Roberts]

What does that say in all of our minds? That narrows the field of suspects down to those that have access to keys. The police took a closer look at McLaughlin's family, beginning with McLaughlin's son, who was upstairs in the house when he says he heard the shots that killed his father, Orange County Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy.

[Detective Tom Voth]

They put paper bags over Kevin's hands and they did a forensic analysis of his hands, showing that Kevin did not fire a firearm that night.

[Troy Roberts]

That left McLaughlin's two daughters and his ex wife, all who had airtight alibis and no motive. And then there was Nanette, Bill McLaughlin's much younger fiance, who he met through a magazine ad she placed looking for a wealthy older man.

[Eric Naposki]

I know how to take care of a man if he can take care of me, that's what she said.

[Kim McLaughlin]

He was at a vulnerable time. And so here she comes along and, you know, made everything a little better.

[Troy Roberts]

In return, McLaughlin provided Ninette with a generous allowance and a lavish lifestyle.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She immediately stepped into a lifestyle that most people would only dream of. She lived in a beautiful home. They went to Europe, they went on cruises, they went on exotic ski vacations, jewelry, everything.

[Troy Roberts]

Within months, Nanette brought her two young children to live with Bill. His daughters, Kim and Jenny became increasingly worried.

[Kim McLaughlin]

I said, dad, I don't really like her. I think she's with you for your money.

[Troy Roberts]

She knew how much she was worth?

[Kim McLaughlin]

Yes, definitely.

[Troy Roberts]

In spite of the warnings, after about a year of dating, McLaughlin proposed. He even wrote her into his will.

[Detective Tom Voth]

He wanted to make sure that if anything happened, her and her kids would be taken care of. He had a million dollar life insurance policy with her as the beneficiary.

[Troy Roberts]

On December 15, 1994, Bill McLaughlin came home and found a note from Nanette. She had gone to her son's soccer game and would be home late. When she pulled up to the house around 10pm her fiance was dead. What was Nanette's alibi That she was at the soccer game.

[Detective Tom Voth]

And directly after that she went shopping.

[Troy Roberts]

She couldn't possibly have been involved in.

[Detective Tom Voth]

The murder because she had these receipts.

[Troy Roberts]

Did her alibi check out? No, not completely. Nanette had been at the soccer game, but with another man, someone McLaughlin's family knew nothing about.

[Kim McLaughlin]

They said, do you know who Eric Naposki is? And we said, absolutely not. Who's that? He said, this is Nanette's boyfriend. And we were like, really? We thought our dad was Nanette's boyfriend. Deborah had to have surgery. I had hip surgery in November of 2024. Her United Healthcare nurse, Crystal, checked on her. We do a routine call after surgery and I could tell that she was struggling. Deborah needed help. My infection markers were through the roof and Crystal knew what to do. I called the hospital and said, she's coming in, and got Debra the help she needed. Crystal and United Healthcare saved my life. Hear more stories like Debra'[e-mail] benefits, features and or devices vary by plan, area limitation and exclusions apply at Capella University. Learning online doesn't mean learning alone. You'll get support from people who care about your success, like your enrollment specialist who gets to know you and the goals you'd like to achieve. You'll also get a designated academic coach who's with you throughout your entire program. Plus, career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella.edu.

[Troy Roberts]

Bill McLaughlin's fiance, Nan Nanette Johnston, had a secret, a big one. Eric Naposki, with the sack, six foot two and weighing more than 250 pounds. Eric Naposki, professional football player for the NFL.

[Eric Naposki]

Well, there was the blitz.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric Naposki, linebacker for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, among others, was certain in December of 1994 that Nanette was his girlfriend. You wanted to marry Nanette?

[Eric Naposki]

I did.

[Troy Roberts]

Do you think she really loved you?

[Eric Naposki]

She appeared to back then.

[Kim McLaughlin]

She seemed madly in love with him.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric's sister, Angela.

[Kim McLaughlin]

I liked her. She had two small children that were wonderful children. We fell in love with them instantly. We really thought she was the one for Eric because she was strong and she was intelligent and we thought it was a good match.

[Eric Naposki]

He was excited.

[Troy Roberts]

Dave Matthews couldn't believe his high school buddy was smitten.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Eric back then, he's a good looking.

[Eric Naposki]

Charming, funny guy with great energy. He's a tough one to fall in.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Love because he dates a lot.

[Troy Roberts]

But with Nanette, things were different.

[Eric Naposki]

This wasn't just A regular girl. She was a bombshell and she was very attractive. It was hard to miss her.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric's former roommates, Rob Frias and Leonard Jomski.

[Kim McLaughlin]

She's beautiful.

[Eric Naposki]

I mean, without a doubt, she was.

[Detective Tom Voth]

A really, really pretty girl.

[Troy Roberts]

But to Eric, there was much more to Nanette than her beauty.

[Eric Naposki]

She graduated college early. She's got her mba.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She was a real hardworking person.

[Eric Naposki]

She wrote business plans for a living.

[Troy Roberts]

Being in medical sales.

[Eric Naposki]

She had this prototype design for a device.

[Detective Tom Voth]

It separates plasma from blood. It's really cool.

[Troy Roberts]

Nanette told them she took her invention to her boss, Bill McLaughlin.

[Eric Naposki]

They end up selling it and making tens of millions.

[Troy Roberts]

Not only did she take credit for Bill McLaughlin's work, but she claimed his money was her own.

[Eric Naposki]

From the very beginning, she told me exactly what she was doing with Bill McLaughlin as far as a mentor and as far as a business relationship. And it sounded really good.

[Troy Roberts]

You never suspected that she and Bill McLaughlin shared an intimate relationship?

[Eric Naposki]

I never once suspected. Bill was an investor and Nanette also took part in his investments. She would tell everyone the same stories.

[Troy Roberts]

Ninette told them. She and her business partner were investors in high end real estate.

[Eric Naposki]

She owned a $5 million beach house in Newport.

[Troy Roberts]

He says Nanette told him she also shared another million dollar home with her colleague Bill, where they had separate bedrooms. To Eric, she was clearly a self made success storm, something he desperately wanted to be. But his football career was in jeopardy.

[Eric Naposki]

In Giant Stadium. I'm making a sack and my foot twisted and I popped the arch in my foot.

[Troy Roberts]

Years of playing professional football was taking a toll in the early 90s. Eric Noposki was trying to figure out what to do next.

[Eric Naposki]

Started programs at the gym, working with kids, started a security company.

[Troy Roberts]

And then just two weeks before Bill McLaughlin's murder, Eric got another job. Running security at the Thunderbird nightclub, less than 200 yards from Bill McLaughlin's home, where he was killed. How did you learn that Bill McLaughlin was murdered?

[Eric Naposki]

Nanette told me she was shaken up. She was absolutely shaken up.

[Troy Roberts]

But within a week, Eric says he learned he was a suspect.

[Eric Naposki]

I notice there's a car following me.

[Troy Roberts]

It was the police.

[Eric Naposki]

Then they brought me to an interview room and started throwing questions at me.

[Troy Roberts]

Like what?

[Eric Naposki]

Like what's your relationship with Nanette?

[Detective Tom Voth]

What is your involvement in a relationship?

[Eric Naposki]

Nanette's a pretty good friend of mine. Okay. He was very evasive.

[Troy Roberts]

Detective Vaughth remembers. Eric wouldn't give them a straight answer.

[Detective Tom Voth]

What would you describe as a dating relationship?

[Kim McLaughlin]

A boyfriend, girlfriend?

[Eric Naposki]

Yeah, I wouldn't say a solo total like, I have girlfriends.

[Troy Roberts]

You know, you danced around the truth. If you're an innocent man, why would you do that?

[Eric Naposki]

I'm an innocent man now. Why? Because there's no manual or there's no handbook when you're being looked at as a suspect in a murder case.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric was not forthcoming about Nanette and evasive about other things. It took him a while to admit he had once had a 9 millimeter gun. What were you thinking when you heard he had owned the 9 millimeter?

[Detective Tom Voth]

I knew that a 9 millimeter was.

[Troy Roberts]

Used in the crime, but he refused to tell investigators where the gun was.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Where is your 9 millimeter?

[Eric Naposki]

I have no idea. You have no idea? That's my statement.

[Troy Roberts]

Why weren't you truthful about the nine millimeter with police?

[Eric Naposki]

I think I was just scared because I didn't buy that 9 millimeter for myself. That was Nanette's 9 millimeter Beretta I was scared to start throwing around. That's Nanette's gun. You know, go look at Nanette. You know, that would have been really like just pointing a finger.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric says Nanette likes shooting at the range and months earlier asked him to get her a 9 millimeter. But he didn't tell police that because at the time, Eric says he didn't know what to believe about his girlfriend and Bill McLaughlin.

[Eric Naposki]

And they're telling me, well, there's this relationship going on that you don't know about. And then she's telling me, there's no relationship that you don't know about. So I'm getting hit from both sides.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Eric called home. He was hysterical crying, and he said.

[Detective Tom Voth]

They think I killed this guy.

[Kim McLaughlin]

They think I killed him.

[Eric Naposki]

I guarantee you. Looking straight in the face, Troy, Eric Naposki did not murder Bill McLaughlin.

[Troy Roberts]

Any way you slice it, Eric Naposki had an alibi. And he was sure back in 1995 that after authorities heard everything, he'd be exonerated.

[Eric Naposki]

I couldn't have done it. The alibi allows me no time to commit any crime.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric's evening began with Ninette at her son's soccer game.

[Eric Naposki]

It was a good game. It was a championship game, and it ended pretty late.

[Troy Roberts]

Ninette, he says, then drove him to the town of Tustin, where he lived.

[Eric Naposki]

She drops me at my truck. I say goodnight. She says she's gonna go do some shopping.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric says he got into his truck and headed to his job at the Thunderbird nightclub in Newport Beach. But before he could get very far, his beeper Went off.

[Eric Naposki]

My page is from my boss, one of the managers at the Thunderbird. So I continue over the 55 freeway and I pull into the Denny's. I walk to one of the two phone booths in the back and I used my calling card to call to Thunderbird.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric says, according to his calling card, bill, it was 8:52.

[Eric Naposki]

Phone records put me in Tustin, which is 20 minutes outside Newport beach, minutes before the 911 call. I hate to burst your bubble, fellas, but I wasn't in Newport at 9 o'. Clock.

[Troy Roberts]

It's impossible, he told police, for him to have had a phone conversation at 8:52, then drive about 12 miles to Newport beach, sneak into Bill's house, shoot him and then flee before Bill's son discovers his father's body shortly after 9pm.

[Eric Naposki]

You can't make it, Troy. That's why they didn't arrest me back then. If you could make that drive, they would have arrested me in 95. I could have not committed this murder, period and end.

[Troy Roberts]

But it wasn't the end. About a month after the murder, Kim McLaughlin was looking over her father's financial record and got the surprise of her life.

[Kim McLaughlin]

When December bank statements came in. I noticed a very big amount of money missing.

[Detective Tom Voth]

How much?

[Kim McLaughlin]

And $250,000.

[Troy Roberts]

$250,000? Someone had written a check for a quarter of a million dollars and it was dated December 14, just one day before the murder.

[Kim McLaughlin]

And I thought, this is strange. We alerted the banks that we needed to get copies of the check on the check.

[Troy Roberts]

Their father's signature was forged. Nanette Johnston, it turned out, had cashed it.

[Kim McLaughlin]

I was in shock. And then I continued to look further altogether.

[Troy Roberts]

How much money did she embezzle from your father?

[Kim McLaughlin]

Gosh, probably close to half a million dollars.

[Troy Roberts]

Half a million dollars?

[Kim McLaughlin]

Mm. Money is a really strong motive for her.

[Troy Roberts]

It was clear to Kim and Jenny that Nanette had to end their father's life before he found out that she was stealing from him. Stealing for a future with Eric Naposki. They called the police.

[Detective Tom Voth]

We felt very strongly that both Eric Naposki and Nanette Johnson were responsible for Mr. McLaughlin's murder.

[Troy Roberts]

Retired detective Dave Byington remembers being frustrated when the district attorney refused to charge Eric and Annette.

[Detective Tom Voth]

The decision was made. There wasn't enough evidence to file, but our guts told us that they were good for it.

[Troy Roberts]

The DA would only charge Nanette with forgery and theft.

[Eric Naposki]

They've accused her of stealing money. Of course, she has a pretty good excuse for all of it being Signers on accounts and co, business partners.

[Troy Roberts]

And Eric says he wanted to believe Nanette, that the money was hers. But then newspaper articles were referring to her as Bill McLaughlin's fiance.

[Eric Naposki]

So I look at her and I go, what the hell is this fiance stuff? She blamed it on a misquote. Oh, they don't know what they're talking about. I'm not engaged to Bill. I've never been engaged to him. That's ridiculous.

[Troy Roberts]

How did she explain her deceit?

[Eric Naposki]

She never did.

[Troy Roberts]

And you didn't demand answers?

[Eric Naposki]

I demanded him and asked. Which led to our breakup.

[Troy Roberts]

But that was six months later, right?

[Eric Naposki]

With a lot of in betweens.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric finally left Southern California. And In March of 1996, Nanette pled guilty to forgery and theft and served 180 days. After Ninette was released from jail, she quickly began dating again.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Ninette did what she always does. She went looking for a new sugar daddy, someone else to support her.

[Troy Roberts]

Nanette married the very wealthy businessman John Packard and had another child.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She was a manhunter, and she used that sexuality as her main tool to grab these guys.

[Troy Roberts]

That marriage ended in divorce, but Nanette quickly moved on, marrying entrepreneur Bill McNeil and having yet another child.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She was so aggressive that it wouldn't surprise her if she had a trapeze set up in her bedroom. You needed a playbook to keep track of the marriages.

[Troy Roberts]

Back on the East Coast, Eric Naposki had moved, moved on with his life. He fathered two children.

[Eric Naposki]

Eric's my 11 year old and Susanna is my 8 year old.

[Kim McLaughlin]

There you go.

[Troy Roberts]

Go Eric, go.

[Eric Naposki]

Eric's a miniature me. Plays football, basketball, soccer. Hi. He's a great kid. And my daughter is the light of my life. Just always smiling, always happy.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric picked up work as a personal trainer and promoted workout products. And he even tried his hand at acting, going back to Orange county to film a pitch reel for a potential TV series called Newport 40.

[Eric Naposki]

Kind of a male version of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

[Troy Roberts]

By 2009, Eric Naposki was finally settling down in quiet Greenwich, Connecticut. But one spring morning, his world turned upside down.

[Eric Naposki]

It was four vehicles, machine guns pointed at me over a loudspeaker. They were telling me to get out of the vehicle. They put me on the ground. I said, am I under arrest? And they said, yes, for murder. There's no way. I wasn't. I couldn't even believe it.

[Troy Roberts]

And almost 3,000 miles away in Orange County, California, a real life Orange county housewife and mother of four is behind bars tonight. Nanette Johnston, Packard McNeil was also under arrest for murder.

[Eric Naposki]

Anything to say, Nanette?

[Kim McLaughlin]

All of a sudden, 15 years later, out of the blue, to have a phone call from the detectives. We just made two arrests. Nanette and Eric are in jail. We were overjoyed.

[Eric Naposki]

It's hard to get a fair trial. Fifteen years. Am I innocent? Absolutely, 100%. Can I prove it? I hope so. Can they prove I'm guilty? I don't think that's possible because I didn't do it.

[Kim McLaughlin]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Eric Naposki]

Now streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver.

[Kim McLaughlin]

I'm Elspeth Tasioni. I work with the police.

[Eric Naposki]

It's on the case.

[Kim McLaughlin]

I like my outlandish theories with a heavy dose of evidence and ready to.

[Eric Naposki]

Go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Kim McLaughlin]

It's starting to look that way.

[Troy Roberts]

Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth.

[Detective Tom Voth]

All episodes now streaming on Paramount and return CBS fall.

[Kim McLaughlin]

That sounds like fun.

[Troy Roberts]

Obviously, murder's not fun.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways.

[Troy Roberts]

To tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Of $45 for a three month plan equivalent to $15 per month. Required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy. Taxes and fees extra.

[Troy Roberts]

See mintmobile.com Fifteen years after Bill McLaughlin was gunned down in his Balboa, Eric Naposki is facing trial for a murder he says he did not commit.

[Eric Naposki]

I've never been in that house. Never, ever. I don't see any DNA. I don't see any fingerprints. I don't see any big footprints from a size 14 boot. I don't see anything from that night. And if I was never in the house ever, how did I commit a crime.

[Detective Tom Voth]

There's no doubt in any of our minds that Eric Naposki pulled the trigger and murdered Bill McLaughlin.

[Troy Roberts]

Prosecutor Matt Murphy is confident that he can do what prosecutors before him didn't prove, that Eric was the shooter and Annette Johnston got him to pull the trigger.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Her gift is the manipulation of men. She told Eric Naposki in the months beforehand that Bill McLaughlin was sexually assaulting her. There's no reason for her to tell him that lie unless her plan is to manipulate him into actually committing the murder.

[Troy Roberts]

Murphy's case revolves around this star witness, Suzanne Koger. In 1994, she lived next door to Eric Naposky and says he confided in her.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Eric Naposki came to her and said, Bill McLaughlin keeps coming into Ninette's room at night. And he was furious about it. And she said that he was really, really upset.

[Troy Roberts]

So upset that he said he wanted to blow up Bill McLaughlin's plane. Eric says he was just letting off steam.

[Eric Naposki]

I did tell her that I wanted to blow up his plane. I didn't say I wanted to kill Bill or that I wanted to shoot Bill or I want Bill blown away. His plane didn't blow up, did it?

[Troy Roberts]

But there was a second conversation with Koger just three weeks after the murder where Murphy says Eric implicates himself even further.

[Detective Tom Voth]

And she goes, oh my God, Eric, I don't even want to know if you had anything to do with it. And he smiled and he said, maybe I did, maybe I didn't. He said, maybe I had somebody do it.

[Eric Naposki]

I said I didn't first. And then when she kept badgering me about it, it was more of a laughing conversation at that point. But to me it's just an off the cuff comment.

[Troy Roberts]

But there's more to what Eric told Koger.

[Detective Tom Voth]

He said the killer used the same kind of gun that I used to have. So the police think I did it. The only people on the planet Earth that knew a 9 millimeter was used in the murder were about a half dozen detectives at Newport Beach Police Department. And the killer.

[Eric Naposki]

And I believe him when he tells me he's not the shooter.

[Troy Roberts]

Defense attorney John Pappalardo grew up with Eric Naposki in Westchester, New York.

[Eric Naposki]

I met him through little league baseball.

[Troy Roberts]

He teams his most experienced attorney from New York, Angela McDonald, with well respected Orange county defense attorney Gary Poulsen. Matt Murphy, as you know, has never lost a murder case. Does it worry you? It worries me, but he doesn't get.

[Eric Naposki]

To make up the evidence.

[Troy Roberts]

But just before Eric's scheduled trial. New forensic tests tie the shell casings from the gun that killed McLaughlin to the exact make and model of the gun eric once owned. A 9 millimeter Beretta. If convicted, Eric and Nanette face life behind bars. Eric will stand trial.

[Detective Tom Voth]

First, Mr. Naposki lied about his relationship with Nanette.

[Troy Roberts]

Murphy immediately hones in on Eric's history of lying to the police.

[Detective Tom Voth]

And of course we know he lied about his 9 millimeter. You just don't do that if you're innocent.

[Troy Roberts]

And the defense will show in order to find him not guilty, the jury must believe Eric's story that at 8:52pm just minutes before Bill McLaughlin's murder, Eric was about 12 miles away on a payphone at the Denny's restaurant.

[Eric Naposki]

Ladies and gentlemen, the defense will prove that he possesses a solid, simple, logical, reasonable and compelling alibi. He simply could not have done.

[Troy Roberts]

Will be hard to convince the jury though without evidence of Eric's phone call. Eric says he no longer has copies of his bill. And the phone company no longer has the records.

[Eric Naposki]

We had the phone record. It might be open and shut case. Right.

[Troy Roberts]

Murphy doubts the call even happened. But if it did, he says it's hardly an alibi.

[Detective Tom Voth]

As opposed to being an alibi. The timing of that actually fits perfectly.

[Troy Roberts]

He sent his investigator, Larry Montgomery to time the drive from the Denny's to Bill McLaughlin's home. I did at least 15 time trials.

[Eric Naposki]

All of our tests show that he.

[Troy Roberts]

Should have been able to arrive at.

[Eric Naposki]

The location in order to to do the killing.

[Troy Roberts]

But Eric's defense lawyers have time to drive too.

[Eric Naposki]

I do not believe it's physically possible he could have made it in the required time.

[Troy Roberts]

How critical is a matter of minutes to your defense?

[Eric Naposki]

Seconds could decide this case.

[Troy Roberts]

Not unexpectedly, Angelo McDonald suggests to the jury a more likely killer.

[Eric Naposki]

Nanette Johnson is an accomplished liar, cheat, thief, manipulator, con woman and selfish, promiscuous gold digger. There's more evidence here that Nanette Johnson did this murder than Eric Naposky. So you know what? Let's us play prosecutor. Let's put her on trial. Let's show the jury that she could have done this. She had the motive, she had the means. And you know what? She's got the cold blooded heart, the sociopathic personality to do it.

[Troy Roberts]

Now Murphy has no problem letting the defense prosecute Nanette.

[Detective Tom Voth]

I could not agree more. If diabolical behavior was an Olympic sport, she'd be a gold medalist every year. She is a manipulator and an evil manipulator.

[Troy Roberts]

But says Eric was a willing participant. He and Nanette were thick as thieves.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Several months before the murder, they're shopping for million dollar homes. Eric Naposki was in debt and Nanette had no money. The only way that they could ever afford that house that they were looking at is if Bill McLaughlin died.

[Eric Naposki]

I've heard that the reason that Mr. McLaughlin was murdered is so I can buy a house. It's ridiculous.

[Troy Roberts]

But maybe the hardest thing for the defense to explain is that Eric had Bill McLaughlin's license plate number written down on a notebook found in his car right after the murder.

[Detective Tom Voth]

And that that was a clue that he forgot to get rid of. That license plate number cannot be explained.

[Eric Naposki]

That license plate number has nothing to do with the murder at all.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric told 48 Hours that he wrote down that license plate number months before the murder after he caught Nanette in a series of lies.

[Eric Naposki]

So I called a buddy of mine. I wanted her followed to see what she was doing.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric says his friend Todd Calder went by Nanette's house, told Eric there was a car there and gave him the plate number. Turns out the car belonged to McLaughlin. But Murphy says the story just isn't true.

[Detective Tom Voth]

We interviewed Todd Calder and he said, I have no idea what you're talking about. He never asked me to do that. I absolutely never did that.

[Troy Roberts]

Whatever happened, Eric's attorneys say with no DNA or fingerprints, there's nothing to tie Eric to the murder scene.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Please.

[Troy Roberts]

As much as I've ever wanted anything in my life, I want you to find him not guilty. Because this man is not guilty.

[Detective Tom Voth]

This is an innocent man.

[Troy Roberts]

But the plea falls on deaf ears. After a month long trial. It takes only seven hours.

[Kim McLaughlin]

We, the jury, in the above entitled.

[Eric Naposki]

Action, find the defendant Eric Andrew Naposky.

[Troy Roberts]

Guilty of the crime of felony. Too wet. The jury finds Eric Naposki guilty of Bill McLaughlin's murder.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Murder as charged.

[Troy Roberts]

And count one of the information. Six months later, a very different looking Nanette Johnston, after spending a year and a half in jail waiting for trial, is about to have her day in court.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She is a killer. That woman is responsible for the murder of Bill McLaughlin.

[Troy Roberts]

Murphy argues at trial that Nanette killed Bill so he wouldn't discover her infidelity or her rampant stealing.

[Detective Tom Voth]

She steals $48,200 in the month of October alone. $20,000 in November, $68,200 in seven weeks. Now how is she going to get away with that if Bill McLaughlin lives?

[Eric Naposki]

She's not a nice person then.

[Troy Roberts]

That's attorney McHill doesn't sugarcoat it.

[Eric Naposki]

Hate her as much as you want for being a thief, a liar, a cheat, a slut, whatever you want to call her. I knew the jury weren't going to like her, but that doesn't mean she's a murderer either. When you're motivated by money, when you're living with the golden goose, you are not going to get rid of him.

[Troy Roberts]

In the end, Hill says Nanette never would have left Bill McLaughlin for someone poor like Eric Naposki. Remember, Bill had just won a $9 million settlement from his ex business partner Hal Fishel, and he was about to get millions of dollars richer. Eric, Hill says, acted alone.

[Eric Naposki]

Someone who is fully capable of getting jealous. Someone who's fully capable of being violent. Someone who's fully capable of killing his girlfriend's lover. We the jury in the above and.

[Troy Roberts]

But it took the jury just three hours. Nanette Ann Packard guilty of the crime to find Nanette guilty of Bill McLaughlin's murder.

[Kim McLaughlin]

We really miss him and we're so glad that justice has been served on his behalf.

[Troy Roberts]

For Bill's daughters, Kim and Jenny, this painful journey would finally be over. Except that now Eric Naposki says he'll reveal a secret he's kept for almost 20 years. The identity of the man who really killed their father. You know, there are people who believe that this is a desperate ploy to gain release.

[Eric Naposki]

What else are they gonna say? Whoops, we messed up.

[Kim McLaughlin]

This episode is brought to you by J.C. penney. Yes, JCPenney. And if you've been there recently, you know it's the place to go for jaw dropping looks at brag worthy prices. They've got something special for every style and budget. Not to mention rewards and deals that make finding those hidden gems even swee. If you already shop JCPenney, you're already in on the secret. But if not, it's time to ask. Wait, am I sleeping on JCPenney. Shop JCPenney.com yes, JCPenney. This episode is brought to you by Cars.com On Cars.com you can shop over 2 million cars. That means over 2 million new car possibilities. Like making space for your growing family. Becoming the type of person who takes spontaneous weekly weekend camping trips or upgrading your commute wherever life takes you next. Or whoever you're looking to be. There's a car for that on cars.com visit cars.com to discover your next possibility.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric Naposki says he's always known who really murdered Bill McLaughlin. Only he didn't tell police. He didn't think they would believe him. I think some people watching this will say to themselves, if I was in his shoes, I would be screaming to the mountaintops that I know who the true killer is. And you sat on that information.

[Eric Naposki]

There was no real benefit for me to come forward with no proof.

[Troy Roberts]

Eight months after his conviction for murder, Eric Naposki's legal team contacted 48 hours, asking us to come back to prison to speak with Eric. He wanted to reveal the name of McLaughlin's killer. And he said he now had evidence to prove what he says he's known for nearly 20 years.

[Eric Naposki]

Nanette paid for the killing. She hired somebody, a hitman.

[Troy Roberts]

And Eric says he knows who she contacted to arrange it. It all began, Eric claims, three months before the murder. When Nanette told him McLaughlin sexually assaulted her. A furious Eric confided. And a business acquaintance, he said to.

[Eric Naposki]

Me, I have people that take care of things like this. You know, I have people who don't like rapists.

[Troy Roberts]

But Eric says he didn't take the acquaintance seriously.

[Eric Naposki]

You know, a lot of people talk about a lot of stuff in this town, what connections they have and this and that, and you kind of take it with a grain of salt.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric was more interested, he says, in the connections his friends said he had in Hollywood.

[Eric Naposki]

They got me an extra part in a movie.

[Troy Roberts]

They were talking about stuff, starting a film production company. And Eric thought Nanette could write up a business plan.

[Eric Naposki]

That was her spiel. That's what she did. She put together business plans, she got funding, things like that.

[Troy Roberts]

So he set up another meeting to introduce Nanette. And that's when Eric says the acquaintance turned to Nanette and repeated his offer to help her get revenge on Bill McLaughlin.

[Eric Naposki]

It almost looked like a sales pitch. I know what's going on. I can help you. This is what I can do for you.

[Troy Roberts]

Ninette, Naposki says, liked the idea.

[Eric Naposki]

She was definitely more interested in what he was talking about than I would figure she would be.

[Troy Roberts]

Naposki says he calmed her down, but then later, he saw the acquaintance again. What did he say to you?

[Eric Naposki]

I've started the ball rolling or something like that on what Nanette wants to do.

[Troy Roberts]

And what did you take that to mean?

[Eric Naposki]

That he was going to form some kind of retaliation. And that's when I said, well, wait a second, you know, stay out of it. It's not your business. He said he thought that she. She wanted him to go forward. And I said, I don't think that was the case.

[Troy Roberts]

So did you confront Nanette?

[Eric Naposki]

Yeah, I told Nanette that it wasn't going to happen. She's upset with me.

[Troy Roberts]

But Eric believed Nanette wasn't going to do anything.

[Eric Naposki]

It was squashed. It was over. The discussion was had. Nothing happened September, nothing happens October, nothing happens in November.

[Troy Roberts]

But by early December, Naposki says he knew the 9 millimeter Beretta he usually kept in his car was missing.

[Eric Naposki]

It's her gun. I asked her, I said, did you take it from the car?

[Troy Roberts]

Within days, Bill McLaughlin was shot to death. Did you ask Nanette the question directly? Did you have Bill McLaughlin killed?

[Eric Naposki]

Yes.

[Troy Roberts]

And she answered, absolutely.

[Eric Naposki]

She has no remorse about killing Bill McLaughlin.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric then went to confront the Hollywood producer. And what did he tell you?

[Eric Naposki]

He told me that it was what it was, you know, he did what she wanted him to do and that there's nothing I could do or say about it.

[Troy Roberts]

What's more, the acquaintance confirmed the gun used to murder Bill was Eric's. He was now forever tied to the murder of Bill McLaughlin.

[Eric Naposki]

It's kept me quiet for 17 years, but no longer.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric Naposki called for a meeting with you, right?

[Kim McLaughlin]

Right.

[Detective Tom Voth]

He changed his story substantially.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric Naposki says he spent every day of his incarceration reading through the documents and evidence police collected on the murder and on the Net, including bank statements and phone bills.

[Eric Naposki]

The first time I saw all her phone calls was after the trial. So there was a lot of things I didn't have access to that I should have had access to, but I didn't know existed.

[Troy Roberts]

Eric showed CBS News what he had presented to the police and prosecutors in the spring of 2012. The acquaintance's telephone number on the Net cell phone bill just days leading up to the murder.

[Eric Naposki]

Why is this number eight times called in one week, never called beforehand?

[Troy Roberts]

But Murphy says the man's number on Nanette's cell phone bill isn't enough because Eric could just as easily use Ninette's phone.

[Detective Tom Voth]

The problem there is that we know that Eric Naposki had access to that phone. So as far as being able to say Ninette made that phone call versus Eric Naposki, we just can't do that. We just don't know.

[Troy Roberts]

And Murphy says police have now thoroughly investigated the man Eric accuses of setting up the murder. And he's an unlikely suspect.

[Detective Tom Voth]

What I can tell you is he was completely cooperative in every way. He's never been arrested before. He's legitimate in every way. As far as his business dealings go.

[Troy Roberts]

When police spoke to him, he denied even knowing Nanette. Eric provided CBS with bank Statements, Cash withdrawals Ninette made right before and right after the murder. A total of $50,000. Naposki is certain the money went to pay for the hit. One of the cash withdrawals Nanette made actually happens the very same day the man's number appears on her phone bill. You're telling me that a businessman with no criminal history carried out this murder for what, $50,000?

[Eric Naposki]

I could only assume that that's the amount of money that's missing from her. From her cash withdrawals.

[Troy Roberts]

It's kind of hard to digest.

[Eric Naposki]

Eric Troy, 50 grand. Is it easier to digest that I did it for nothing?

[Troy Roberts]

But Murphy's so certain the businessman had nothing to do with the murder. CBS News has decided not to broadcast his identity.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Everything that comes out of Eric Naposki's mouth is a lie. Virtually every single thing. From the first time the police contacted him all the way to the point that we've interviewed him recently. Eric Naposki went into that kitchen that night and he murdered Bowman McLaughlin. And we have proven it. And everything that he does since then is about pointing fingers someplace else.

[Troy Roberts]

Both Eric and Nanette were supposed to be sentenced for Bill McLaughlin's murder in May of 2012. But only Nanette came into the courtroom. Bill's daughter confronted her.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Your trial revealed what an abomination you and your life have been. We are appalled and repulsed.

[Troy Roberts]

The judge then sentenced Nanette to life without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, Naposki's attorneys continue to fight to have his conviction dismissed, arguing that in the 16 years since the murder, too much evidence had been lost to get a fair trial. They also tried to make a case for a new trial based on the posse claim that he can identify the real killer. But the judge was not swayed. In August, Naposki was back in court.

[Eric Naposki]

The circumstantial evidence is overwhelming, and I.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Don'T believe there is any juror who would not find that Mr. Naposki killed Mr. McLaughlin.

[Eric Naposki]

So I'm going to deny the motion for new trial.

[Troy Roberts]

But Naposki continued to protest his innocence.

[Eric Naposki]

And that will never change, no matter what the 12 people did. I said they made a mistake. They made a mistake.

[Troy Roberts]

Bill's daughter couldn't get through her victim impact statement without Naposki interrupting.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Yes. You say that you've never set foot in Balboa Coves or in our house. That's a lie, Eric.

[Eric Naposki]

It's not a lie.

[Kim McLaughlin]

Your father knows you are full of lies. Somehow during your lifetime, you have learned that you could get away with these lies. And these lies could get you where you want. Well, look where it's gotten you now.

[Detective Tom Voth]

The defendant has been convicted of violating.

[Eric Naposki]

Penal code section 1.

[Troy Roberts]

At last the judge read his sentence.

[Eric Naposki]

His only sentence option is life without possibility of parole.

[Troy Roberts]

In this case, life in prison without the possibility of parole. Eric Naposki remained defiant to the end.

[Eric Naposki]

Blew it. You blew it.

[Detective Tom Voth]

Bye bye.

[Eric Naposki]

Yep, see you again.

[Troy Roberts]

Now streaming on Paramount plus it's an all new season of adventures.

[Detective Tom Voth]

We have to stop this invasion, get into this shit.

[Kim McLaughlin]

This crew is a team. We are going to find our way out of this.

[Troy Roberts]

Star Trek Strange New worlds. New season now streaming on Paramount+ stop. Do you know how fast you were going? I'm gonna have to write you a ticket to my new movie. The Naked Gun. Liam Neeson, buy your tickets now and get a free chili dog. Chili dog not included. The Naked Gun now playing. Rated PG 13.