Elena Starr Nesler (August 2, 1952 – December 26, 2008) was an American woman known for shooting and killing, in a court room, the man accused of molesting her son. Her case was reported on throughout the United States, and the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

wrote that the incident "sparked a national debate about vigilantism".

Killing of Driver

Nesler made headlines on April 2, 1993 when she killed Daniel Mark Driver, who had been accused of sexually abusing five boys, including Nesler's then-six-year-old son, William, in the courtroom of the Jamestown Justice Court. She fired five shots into Driver's head, killing him instantly. Driver had previous convictions for child molestation. According to Jon Thurber of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', the finding that Nesler was under the influence of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

when she killed Driver caused the "sympathetic portrait" of herself portrayed by her defense team to "erode". "She served 3 1/2 years as her case wended its way through trial and appeal before she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter," a plea bargain that released her in 1997.

Later life and death

In 2002, she was convicted of selling and possessing

. She was released from a woman's facility near

Chowchilla, California Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. The city's population was 19,039 at the 2020 census. Chowchilla is located northwest of Madera, at an elevation of . The city is the location of two prisons: Central Californi ...

in 2006. She died nearly three years later in December 2008. Nesler died at age 56 of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

at the

UC Davis Medical Center UC Davis Medical Center is part of UC Davis Health and a major academic health center located in Sacramento, California. It is owned and operated by the University of California as part of its University of California, Davis campus. The medical c ...

Legacy

The television film ''Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story'' was based upon the incident, starring

Christine Lahti Christine Ann Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 film '' Swing Shift''. Her other film roles include '' ...And Justice for All'' (19 ...

as Nesler.

References

External links

"Son of vigilante mother now subject of California murder probe, manhunt"

, July 29, 2004
"Ellie Nesler again out of prison"
Chris Nichols, Sonora Union-Democrat, June 5, 2006 1952 births 2008 deaths 20th-century criminals 21st-century American criminals American people convicted of drug offenses American prisoners and detainees American vigilantes Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from breast cancer Extrajudicial killings People from Tuolumne County, California Place of birth missing Prisoners and detainees of California American people convicted of manslaughter Vigilantism against sex offenders {{US-crime-bio-stub

Killing of Driver

Later life and death

Legacy

See also

References

External links