Nikko Jenkins - Omaha Spree Killer
Nikko Jenkins. Photo: Briefly.co.za
Nikko Jenkins committed a series of murders in Omaha over a 2 week period in 2013. He blamed the Egyptian Serpent God Apophis for his actions, eventually cutting his tongue and penis into a serpent shape as an act of worship to this deity.
Who is Nikko Jenkins?
Nikko Allen Jenkins, born on September 16, 1986, in Omaha, Nebraska, we delve into the troubled upbringing that influenced his path towards criminality. Growing up amidst an environment marred by criminal activity, domestic violence, and substance abuse, Jenkin's early exposure to a life of dysfunction and crime set the stage for his own troubled journey.
Jenkin's endured a harrowing upbringing marked by incidents of physical and sexual violence, abuse, and criminality within their own family.
At the tender age of seven, Jenkins shockingly carried a loaded gun, belonging to their mother, into their elementary school.
Further exacerbating concerns, when Jenkins was only eight years old, his mother felt compelled to admit him to a hospital due to concerning self-harming behaviors and uncontrolled attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
As Jenkins progressed through his formative years, his involvement with gangs and display of aggressive behavior became apparent, leading to his eventual expulsion from school.
Given the criminal histories of both his parents, it seemed almost inevitable that Nikko would follow a similar path. Throughout his teenage years, his rap sheet expanded to include assault, theft, and possession of dangerous weapons. The culmination of his early offenses occurred in 2003 when, at the age of 17, he was incarcerated for car theft and robbery.
Following his ten-year imprisonment, Nikko was released in July 2013. Tragically, mere weeks after regaining his freedom, he embarked on a horrific spree of murders, mercilessly ending the lives of four unsuspecting individuals.
Nikko Jenkins Murders Juan Uribe-Pena and Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz
Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz was murdered by Nikko Jenkins. Image: Journal Star
In the early morning hours of August 11, 2013, at approximately 5:01 a.m., a police officer made a grim discovery near a city pool located at 18th and F St, in Spring Lake Park.
Within a white Ford truck, two lifeless bodies were found. The victims, identified as Juan Uribe-Pena and Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz, had suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Their pockets were completely empty and turned inside out.
It was later revealed that Jenkins and two female family members had lured the men into meeting under false pretenses, claiming that the women were interested in a sexual encounter. This was just the beginning of Jenkins’ killing spree.
Nikko Jenkins Murders Curtis Bradford
A photo of Nikko Jenkins and Curtis Bradford, taken just the day before Curtis was murdered.
Nikko committed yet another act of violence by taking the life of Curtis Bradford, a 33-year-old fellow inmate whom he had developed a friendship with during their time in prison. Bradford fell victim to two close-range gunshot wounds to the head. The discovery of his body was made by an individual who had just completed his night shift at a nearby convenience store on that fateful August morning. Bradford's lifeless body was found outside a separate garage situated at the intersection of 18th and Clark Street.
Upon arrival at the scene, investigators determined that Bradford had been shot twice in the back. It is worth noting that Bradford and Jenkins, the prime suspect, had recently taken a photograph together for Facebook, a mere day prior to this devastating incident. Among all the victims, Curtis Bradford was the only one who had a personal connection to Jenkins, further adding to the complexity of this tragic series of events.
Nikko Jenkins Murders Andrea Kruger
Andrea Kruger and her family before her horrific murder by Nikko Jenkins. Image: Facebook, In Memory of Andrea Kruger.
On August 21, 2013, Nikko deliberately targeted 26-year-old Andrea Kruger, a devoted mother of three who was making her way home following a late-night shift at her workplace. He intentionally drove her car off the road, forcibly removed her from the vehicle, and proceeded to shoot her four times before hastily fleeing the scene. The discovery of this horrific crime was made by a deputy sheriff who responded to a report of gunshots. Andrea Kruger's lifeless body was found lying on the street at the intersection of 168th and Fort St.
The gruesome details revealed that she had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her face, neck, and shoulder, inflicted by a 12-gauge shotgun. Prior to the incident, Kruger had been finishing up her bartending shift near 178th and Pacific St., as captured by surveillance cameras at 1:47 a.m. Later that day, at approximately 6:30 p.m., her gold 2012 Chevrolet Traverse SUV was discovered abandoned in an alley at 43rd and Charles St., approximately 12 miles away from the initial crime scene.
Further investigations led by Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning unveiled crucial information during a press conference held later in the week. It was determined that the stolen SUV had been left at the location approximately 2.5 hours after the vehicle was taken. Evidence revealed an unsuccessful attempt to set fire to the interior of the vehicle.
Nikko Jenkins is Arrested and Sentenced
As the investigation unfolded, an unexpected turn of events saw Nikko inadvertently incriminating himself through phone calls made to the police and local news stations. During these conversations, he shockingly admitted to the slaying of the four victims, offering them as sacrifices to the ancient Egyptian deity, Apophis.
On August 30, 2013, Nikko's arrest on separate charges related to a terroristic threat proved to be a pivotal moment in the case. During the subsequent police interrogation, he confessed to carrying out the four murders, providing chilling and horrifying details of the events. The disturbed individual revealed to detectives that his motive stemmed from his belief that Apophis, the Egyptian god, had commanded him to execute these killings with the intention of sowing chaos and destruction in the world.
The trial against Nikko commenced in April 2014, with him facing four counts of first-degree murder. Throughout the proceedings, his behavior proved to be erratic and unpredictable, making extravagant claims about his connection to Egyptian deities and insisting on representing himself in court. Concerns regarding his mental state were raised, leading to multiple psychiatric evaluations to determine his fitness to stand trial.
In 2014, Nikko was found guilty on all four murder charges. However, due to lingering doubts about his mental health, the sentencing was delayed. Extensive evaluations were conducted, with conflicting assessments from psychiatrists. Some regarded his symptoms of mental illness as feigned or fabricated, while others diagnosed him with various disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.
Finally, in 2017, after years of legal battles and assessments, Nikko was deemed mentally competent for sentencing. The death penalty was imposed, making him the first person in Nebraska to receive this sentence since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 2016. Additionally, he was handed a 450-year prison term for weapons charges related to the murders, including the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Currently, Nikko remains on death row, exhausting all available avenues for appeal. The Omaha community still grapples with the chilling memory of the gruesome murders, while the legal system's complex assessment of his mental state underscores the challenging nature of the case.
The Family of Nikko Jenkins and their Involvement in his Murders
Lori Jenkins, the mother of Nikko Jenkins, was found to have concealed evidence related to the purchase of weapons used in the killings committed by her son. She also assisted in disposing of clothing that contained gunshot residue, with the assistance of Warren Levering. As a result, she was sentenced to an additional 5-6 years on top of her 10-year federal sentence for providing firearms to her son. Lori Jenkins is expected to be released from jail around 2028, at the age of 61.
Nikko Jenkins' sister, Erica Jenkins, is currently serving a life sentence at the Nebraska Centre for Women. She was convicted of aiding him in the murder of his third victim, Curtis Bradford. Furthermore, Erica, along with her cousin Christine Bordeaux, enticed and lured his first two victims to their untimely deaths.
Another sister, Lori Sayles, faced charges in Bradford's murder and was accused of concealing the murder weapon. Nikko Jenkins' remaining sister, Melonie Jenkins, has not been incarcerated. She provided testimony against Erica and faced charges related to several unrelated violent felonies. At the time of her arrest, she was a mother to three children under the age of 7.
Nikko Jenkins' uncle, Warren Levering, received a 40-year sentence for aiding in the robbery and murder of Andrea Kruger. His sentence was halved, leading to his release from an Oklahoma prison in 2020.
Nikko Jenkins’ Worship of the Egyptian God Apophis
In a disturbing revelation, 29-year-old Nikko Jenkins has disclosed his latest act of self-mutilation, claiming to have sliced his own penis. Jenkins, currently on trial for the murder of four individuals in Omaha during August 2013, informed court officials that the intentional cut, requiring 27 stitches, was performed as a tribute to the Egyptian serpent deity he alleges to worship.
According to court sources, Jenkins stated that his self-proclaimed god, Apophis, commanded him to transform his genitalia to resemble a serpent. In compliance with this disturbing directive, Jenkins proceeded to carve into his penis, although he did not specify the surgical tool employed. Authorities have previously expressed concerns regarding the possibility of Jenkins accessing razor blades while in custody or during court proceedings.
Notably, Jenkins has previously limited his self-mutilations to areas above the waistline. These acts have ranged from the peculiar, such as mistakenly etching the number 666 on his head in reverse while using a mirror, to the sinister, including carving the word "Satan" across his face and attempting to slice his tongue to resemble a snake, an injury requiring nine stitches.
The recent revelation of Jenkins' self-inflicted disfigurement has drawn strong criticism from prosecutors, who denounced his actions as mere manipulative tactics. Concurrently, state officials are grappling with the pressing issue of how Jenkins continues to obtain the means to carry out these disturbing acts of self-mutilation.
