Kristen Arno

We did not know how things were going to go until we got that verdict.

We did not know how things were going to go until we got that verdict.

And they were able to place together, using the cell tower data, timeline and location of where David had been in it. put him in some interesting places.

And they were able to place together, using the cell tower data, timeline and location of where David had been in it. put him in some interesting places.

It definitely told a very different story than what David had reported in his interview. Took things in a different direction.

It definitely told a very different story than what David had reported in his interview. Took things in a different direction.

It was a very serious case. You have a minor trans female being murdered. It's a It's horrible. Nikki's family, also the LGBTQIA plus community was there and very vocal and wanting justice for Nikki, as did many people. But there's a lot riding on this.

It was a very serious case. You have a minor trans female being murdered. It's a It's horrible. Nikki's family, also the LGBTQIA plus community was there and very vocal and wanting justice for Nikki, as did many people. But there's a lot riding on this.

Given that her body had been left out in the wilderness for approximately six months, much of the evidence you would normally have in a homicide case was not there, you know, in terms of what happened to her body. We didn't know exactly where it had happened. We didn't know exactly what was done to her body.

Given that her body had been left out in the wilderness for approximately six months, much of the evidence you would normally have in a homicide case was not there, you know, in terms of what happened to her body. We didn't know exactly where it had happened. We didn't know exactly what was done to her body.

So that was really game-changing and surprising in a lot of senses to us.

So that was really game-changing and surprising in a lot of senses to us.

Once he pled self-defense, we knew he'd have to take the stand. If he took the stand, whatever he was going to say was going to be brand new to all of us. We did not know how things were going to go. It was a lot of surprises.

Once he pled self-defense, we knew he'd have to take the stand. If he took the stand, whatever he was going to say was going to be brand new to all of us. We did not know how things were going to go. It was a lot of surprises.

None of this is normal. Like most prosecutors go through their whole career and never have any case that makes national news.

None of this is normal. Like most prosecutors go through their whole career and never have any case that makes national news.

What happens in the courtroom can't be kept private. The public has the right to know. And so given the COVID concerns at the time, that was the answer that was come up with, was just to put it on Zoom so that everyone could have access to it.

What happens in the courtroom can't be kept private. The public has the right to know. And so given the COVID concerns at the time, that was the answer that was come up with, was just to put it on Zoom so that everyone could have access to it.

We had no idea what he was going to say under what circumstances. I haven't never had a trial, I think, outside of this where there was so many question marks and unknowns as to what the defense could possibly say had happened.

We had no idea what he was going to say under what circumstances. I haven't never had a trial, I think, outside of this where there was so many question marks and unknowns as to what the defense could possibly say had happened.

The medical examiner was saying it would take minutes to actually end someone's life strangling them. I think they got her down to maybe a couple minutes. His version of events just wasn't jiving with strangling someone for two minutes. You didn't need to continue to strangle someone for at least two minutes, likely much longer, and tie this cord around her neck.

The medical examiner was saying it would take minutes to actually end someone's life strangling them. I think they got her down to maybe a couple minutes. His version of events just wasn't jiving with strangling someone for two minutes. You didn't need to continue to strangle someone for at least two minutes, likely much longer, and tie this cord around her neck.

So he tried to say he didn't tie the cord, and nothing he was saying made sense with the version that we had. So we were going to paint this as the picture of him finding out Nikki was transgender after having been sexually intimate with her and then basically just losing it.

So he tried to say he didn't tie the cord, and nothing he was saying made sense with the version that we had. So we were going to paint this as the picture of him finding out Nikki was transgender after having been sexually intimate with her and then basically just losing it.

The whole thing was kind of from a very self-centered, like how this is affecting me, how I'm going to have to deal with it, like why this is bad for me, not realizing, obviously, the whole other side of it. And so it was pretty striking.

The whole thing was kind of from a very self-centered, like how this is affecting me, how I'm going to have to deal with it, like why this is bad for me, not realizing, obviously, the whole other side of it. And so it was pretty striking.

Guilty on everything, which was a huge relief, and the family was overjoyed at that outcome.

Guilty on everything, which was a huge relief, and the family was overjoyed at that outcome.

not what he deserves, but given the evidence, we ended up getting the most amount of time we could have possibly gotten.

not what he deserves, but given the evidence, we ended up getting the most amount of time we could have possibly gotten.

Nikki's Law, which officially took the panic defense off the table for people. To officially get that off the table was very cool. It's first and foremost justice for Nikki because I hope that this gave some small piece of solace to the local LGBTQIA community that gave them some hope in the system and let people know that we care about these cases.

Nikki's Law, which officially took the panic defense off the table for people. To officially get that off the table was very cool. It's first and foremost justice for Nikki because I hope that this gave some small piece of solace to the local LGBTQIA community that gave them some hope in the system and let people know that we care about these cases.

It feels like there was some silver linings to it.

It feels like there was some silver linings to it.

Nikki's mom knew something was up right away.

Nikki's mom knew something was up right away.

Snapchat is where the investigation first went to because the last very early morning that Nikki was seen, she had been talking to someone on Snap. I believe using one of her friend's devices to do that because Nikki didn't have her phone. So they knew that whoever she'd been talking to, she'd been doing it with Snap. These are messages that didn't just evaporate after they were sent, thankfully.

Snapchat is where the investigation first went to because the last very early morning that Nikki was seen, she had been talking to someone on Snap. I believe using one of her friend's devices to do that because Nikki didn't have her phone. So they knew that whoever she'd been talking to, she'd been doing it with Snap. These are messages that didn't just evaporate after they were sent, thankfully.

So they got his account information, able to get things like his IP address and use their investigative tools to figure out where he was.

So they got his account information, able to get things like his IP address and use their investigative tools to figure out where he was.

They set up a time for him to talk. So at that time, David was just a person of interest. They didn't know exactly what had happened to Nikki. And so they talked to him.

They set up a time for him to talk. So at that time, David was just a person of interest. They didn't know exactly what had happened to Nikki. And so they talked to him.

By his account at that point, he was the last person to see her at all. No one had seen her thereafter. So that's obviously going to bring up a lot of flags right there.

By his account at that point, he was the last person to see her at all. No one had seen her thereafter. So that's obviously going to bring up a lot of flags right there.