Jenna Nannetti lived in Livermore with her grandmother, Linda Nannetti, who had raised Jenna and was her legal guardian.2 To provide money for Jenna’s college education, Linda had taken out a $50,000 insurance policy on Jenna, with Linda as the sole beneficiary.
In June 2002, with Linda’s consent, Jenna was legally emancipated and married defendant. Jenna was 17 years old. Defendant moved into Linda’s house and Linda bought a Ford Mustang for Jenna and defendant as a wedding present. Linda registered the Mustang in Jenna’s and/or defendant’s name.
About a month later, defendant moved out and told Jenna he wanted a divorce. Angry that Jenna did not want the divorce, defendant became verbally abusive and, at one point, threatened to kill her. He also told an acquaintance that he would “take care of her.” After the separation, Linda registered the Mustang in her own name.
Defendant called Jenna on October 6, 2002, and that evening, she left in the Mustang to meet defendant and discuss the divorce. The Mustang was found burned completely through in the early morning hours of October 7, 2002. Jenna’s decomposing body was found in the bushes on Lower Jones Island in the Delta on October 19, 2002. She had two shotgun wounds to the chest, consistent with the shotgun being fired at a range of between one and three feet. The shotgun shell found at the scene was identified as being fired from a Remington shotgun that was found near an Oakland estuary.
In March 2003, Jeffery Hamilton and Katherine Belflower were arrested in connection with the attempted murder of Aspen Lum. While Hamilton was being questioned, he told police that defendant had killed Jenna. Hamilton testified at defendant’s trial as part of a plea agreement and explained how the killing occurred.
When defendant and Jenna separated, defendant moved in with Belflower, with whom he had a sexual and romantic relationship. Defendant was upset with Jenna because she kept calling and saying she wanted to save the marriage.
In September 2002, defendant said he wanted to kill Jenna. Defendant continued to mention it and started coming up with a plan. Defendant believed he was the beneficiary of Jenna’s insurance policy, and he and Belflower planned to buy a house together with the insurance proceeds. Since neither defendant nor Belflower had a car, they asked Hamilton to assist in their plan by driving his Dodge Neon. In exchange, Hamilton could live in the house they planned to buy.
About a week before the killing, Hamilton realized defendant and Belflower were serious about killing Jenna. Belflower regained a Remington shotgun she had previously given away and defendant bought six or seven boxes of ammunition. Defendant and Belflower planned to hit Jenna on the head with a bat and take her to a place in the Delta they called Whiskey Slough where defendant would kill her with the shotgun. They would then drive part way back in Jenna’s car, light the car on fire, and then Hamilton would drive them all back the rest of the way. Defendant, Belflower and Hamilton went to Whiskey Slough twice to test-fire the shotgun.
On October 6, 2002, defendant called Jenna and told her he wanted to talk about the divorce and getting back together. Jenna came over to Belflower’s house that evening. Jenna and defendant play-wrestled awhile and then sat on the front porch. Belflower was crouched in the hallway holding a baseball bat. Hamilton heard a thud and Jenna yell, “You bitch.” Jenna was bleeding from her head. Defendant held Belflower back and apologized to Jenna. Belflower got a towel from the house and defendant gave it to Jenna. Defendant then offered to drive Jenna home and he and Jenna got into the Mustang.
Jenna wanted to go to the hospital but defendant convinced her to go to Whiskey Slough by telling her that Belflower would be there and she could beat Belflower up. Defendant stopped for gas so it would have a full tank when he set it on fire. In the meantime, Belflower got the shotgun and ammunition and she and Hamilton drove to Whiskey Slough. They parked on the upper part of the levee road and waited. Defendant and Jenna arrived shortly thereafter and parked on the lower part of the levee road, about 60 feet away from Hamilton.
Defendant got out of the Mustang and walked up the embankment to Hamilton’s Neon. Belflower gave defendant the shotgun and ammunition and defendant walked back down the embankment to Jenna. Jenna turned toward defendant and defendant fired the shotgun. Jenna fell on the ground and yelled, “Please, Mike, don’t.” She was on her back trying to push herself away when defendant fired a second time. Jenna screamed and defendant fired again.
As Belflower and Hamilton got out of the Neon and started walking down the embankment, defendant fired two more shots. When Hamilton saw Jenna, her chest was blown open and the skin on her neck was peeled back. Hamilton took her wrist to feel for a pulse and she let out a “gurgly” breath. When Hamilton jumped back, defendant and Belflower laughed at him. They looked for shotgun shells and defendant dragged Jenna’s body into the bushes.
Defendant and Belflower got into the Mustang and Hamilton got into the Neon. They both drove to Mountain House Bar, a place Jenna had been to before. Defendant lit a road flare and put it in the Mustang in an attempt to burn any evidence that he had been in the Mustang. As the three drove off in the Neon, Hamilton realized there was something wrong with his car. He pulled over and saw he had a flat tire. Defendant and Belflower hid the bat and shotgun, and then borrowed a jack from a nearby homeowner.
A week or two later, defendant and Belflower borrowed the Neon so they could go “make out.” Hamilton later found out they had gone to retrieve the shotgun. Defendant had taken the shotgun to a pier in Oakland, tied it to a bag of rocks, and thrown it in the water.
Find-A-Grave: Jenna Nacole “Jen” Nannetti
Police Ask Public’s Help in Solving Murder of Teen
Little Miss Murder
Missing girl’s car found torched in East Bay
Victim begged for her life, detective says
Suspect claims pair shot wife
Woman sentenced in teen’s death
Murderer gets life in prison, plus 25 years and deserves more
Wife killer gets life sentence
The People of California v Michael Simons 2007
2002 Livermore Teen Murder Case on TV
Movies/Documentaries
Wicked Attraction: Deadly Rival
Defendants
Michael Simons – convicted, sentenced to life plus 25 years
Katherine Belflower – convicted, sentenced to 25 years to life in prison
Jeffrey Hamilton – convicted, sentenced to 15 years to life in prison
Katherine Belflower
INMATE INFORMATION
Name: SIMONS MICHAEL
CDCR#: F08767
Age: 30
Admission Date: 01/03/20
Current Location: Mule Creek
4001 Highway 104
Ione, CA 95640
(209) 274-4911
INMATE INFORMATION
Name: HAMILTON, JEFEREY
CDCR#: F06224
Age: 31
Admission Date: 12/02/200
Current Location: Soledad
Highway 101 North *
Soledad, CA 93960
(831) 678-3951
