Yavapai County News – Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane announced that on April 30, 2025, Bridget Marie Nelson, 60, of Cordes Lakes, Arizona, entered a plea of guilty in the Yavapai County Superior Court to premeditated first degree murder, aggravated domestic violence, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated, “This plea agreement follows an extremely thorough and all-around excellent investigation by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office into the savage murder of an elderly man. This plea ensures Ms. Nelson will spend the rest of her life in prison. My Office will always vigorously prosecute crimes committed in this county. I have directed my prosecutors to seek lengthy prison sentences for violent criminals so that the citizens of Yavapai County will continue to have a safe community in which to raise their families and live their lives.”
The Sheriff’s Office investigation began on February 17, 2024, when deputies responded to a residence in Cordes Lakes to conduct a welfare check on a 96 year old homeowner. His roommate, Bridget Marie Nelson, was found at the residence, and claimed the victim had traveled to Las Vegas several days before. The alert deputies noted inconsistencies in Nelson’s story, and eventually discovered the victim inside the residence. The victim had been stabbed 30 times. Nelson eventually confessed to stabbing the victim over several hours on February 15, 2024 before taking some of his property.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.. before the Honorable John Napper of the Yavapai County Superior Court. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, Nelson is facing a life sentence plus an additional 55 years in the Arizona State Prison.