Ex-NFL Linebacker Shot Newport Millionaire Six Times, Prosecutor Says

A former NFL linebacker was in debt and bouncing from one job to another when he shot his lover’s wealthy boyfriend six times in the chest at his Balboa Coves home in 1994, a prosecutor told jurors Monday during opening statements in the murder trial of Eric Naposki.

Naposki, 44, faces one count of special-circumstances murder for financial gain in the death of Bill McLaughlin. Nanette Ann Packard—McLaughlin's girlfriend, who was also in a relationship with Naposki, according to the district attorney’s office—is charged with one felony count of special-circumstances murder for financial gain. A pretrial hearing for Packard is scheduled July 8.

“At the end of this case, you are going to want to hold this guy accountable—I guarantee it,” Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy said during his opening statements in the trial, which is being held at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

After a short football career with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in the late 1980s, Naposki moved to Orange County. He owed his ex-wife thousands of dollars, had bad credit and drove a car registered to his father, Murphy said.

Naposki ran a small security firm—taking jobs such as watching apartment buildings that were the targets of graffiti, Murphy said. He worked as a physical trainer and an occasional bodyguard and bouncer at clubs. Naposki lost job after job, Murphy said, many times after confrontations.

The one thing Naposki had going for him, Murphy said, was Nanette Packard—and her access to Bill McLaughlin’s money.

Packard, now 45 of Ladera Ranch, began dating McLaughlin, who was divorced and had three grown children, in 1991, Murphy said. The two met through a personal ad.

“Bill was kind of lonely,” Murphy said.

McLaughlin, a millionaire who had sold a medical technology company, paid off a $35,000 debt for the then 26-year-old Packard, who also was divorced and had two children, Murphy said. Soon she was living rent-free in McLaughlin’s beachfront home in Newport Beach.

“She actually enjoyed the really wealthy lifestyle,” Murphy said. “She really took to this.”

While being supported by McLaughlin, Murphy said, Packard became involved with Naposki—a relationship that was “progressing nicely.” The pair took several trips together, met each other's families and were even house hunting together, Murphy said. Packard had been forging checks and stealing about $4,000 every six weeks from McLaughlin's account, he said. In the time leading up to McLaughlin’s death, he said, the stealing increased. The day before McLaughlin was killed, Packard forged a $250,000 check,  and she deposited a $75,000 forged check a couple of days after his death, Murphy said.
  
Ultimately, Packard and Naposki decided to kill McLaughlin for money, Murphy said. Packard had a $1-million life insurance policy on McLaughlin, and there were provisions in his will that would give her $150,000 upon his death and allow her to live in his beach house rent-free for a year, according to the D.A.'s office.

Packard gave Naposki a copy of a key to McLaughlin’s house, along with a pedestrian access key to the gated Balboa Coves community, Murphy said. The prosecutor also said that Naposki owned a 9-millimeter handgun, the type used to kill McLaughlin.

Naposki made conflicting statements to investigators about what gun he owned and where it was, and about his relationship with Packard, Murphy said.  Police also found a notebook in Naposki’s car in which he had written the license plate number of McLaughlin's Mercedes-Benz, Murphy said.

One of Naposki's former neighbors, Susan Cogar, is expected to testify that Naposki made threatening comments about McLaughlin before his death.

“The last thing she remembers is him walking away from her smiling, saying, 'Maybe I did it, maybe I didn't,' " Murphy said.

Naposki was a prime suspect during the investigation of the McLaughlin slaying, but the case went cold until 2009 when the evidence was reviewed again by Newport Beach police and a district attorney’s office task force.

Following the slaying, Packard pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $500,000 from McLaughlin by writing checks from his account before and after his death. She was sentenced to a year in jail in 1996.

Naposki's attorney, Gary Pohlson, deferred his opening statement until he starts presenting evidence in the case.

Both Naposki and Packard face maximum sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, according to the D.A.'s office.

— City News Service contributed to this report