When 50-year-old multi-millionaire Bill McLaughlin answered 25-year-old Nanette Johnston’s classified ad back in 1991, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.  The ad was directed at “wealthy men only” and Nanette described herself as a “classy, well-educated woman” who “knows how to take care of her man.”  Clearly, Nanette was looking for a sugar daddy. Divorced and lonely, it seemed like a good deal to Bill.

Despite the concerns of Bill’s daughters, Nanette moved into Bill’s Newport Beach home.  He took her on expensive trips, bought her a new car, and even gave her a generous allowance.  But unknown to Bill, Nanette had secrets, including other boyfriends, during their relationship.

Join us at the quiet end for Death of a Sugar Daddy. After three years together, Nanette was out shopping when someone got into the house with a brand-new key and shot Bill six-times.  There was no direct evidence linking Nanette to the crime, but she was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy.  In 1995, Nanette was arrested and convicted for forging checks and stealing from Bill, but it would take another seventeen years to find and convict Bill McLaughlin’s killers.

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Eric, Nanette, & Bill McLaughlin

Sources

48 hours “Murder in the OC” Season 25 Episode 5

“I’ll Take Care of You” by Caitlyn Rother

LA Times Archives 2009

Orange County Register archives 1995-2012

“Wealthy Men Only” by Stella Sands