Nissensohn sentenced to death for 3 killings
By Kathryn Reed
Joseph Michael Nissensohn will never have the opportunity to hurt another woman. On Tuesday, a jury of 12 in South Lake Tahoe said he should die for his crimes.
In October, the 62-year-old was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder.
The remains of Kathy Graves, 15, of South Lake were found near the Mount Tallac trailhead in 1990, about one year after she was last seen alive. Nissensohn also killed Monterey County teenagers Tanya Jones and Tammy Lynn Jarschke in 1981.
Joseph Michael Nissensohn
He has already been in prison 15 years for the second-degree murder of a woman in Tillicum, Wash. When he was supposed to get out in 2008 El Dorado and Monterey county prosecutors agreed to wrap their cases into one and filed charges before Nissensohn was freed.
It took jurors only 90 minutes to complete this phase of the more than six-month trial.
As soon as the clerk in the El Dorado County Superior Court read the verdict Nissensohn was handcuffed. The entire time he sat staring straight ahead in the direction of Judge Suzanne Kingsbury.
“I wouldn’t say it was disturbing, but you definitely feel a lot of responsibility is on your shoulders,” Bob Grant, one of the jurors, told Lake Tahoe News after the Dec. 10 sentencing verdict. “You are very careful to pay attention in court to make sure you get the right verdict.”
El Dorado County sheriff’s Lt. Pete Van Arnum was in the courtroom. Afterward he called Nissensohn a dangerous man. Van Arnum was with a different department when Grave’s skull was found near Fallen Leaf Lake.
He said it’s good Nissensohn was sentenced to death; pausing to wonder if these are the only crimes the criminal committed.
Nissensohn is scheduled to be formally sentenced March 18.
Since El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson was elected in 2007 his office has pursued the death penalty three times and has won them each time. Prior to today, David Zanon was the last person sent to Death Row from El Dorado County. This was three years ago for the murder of California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Russell.
California has more than 700 inmates on Death Row. Clarence Ray Allen on Jan. 17, 2007, was the last person executed. The controversy of using lethal injection is creating the logjam.
I am Tammy Lynn Jarschke’s mother, Penny…I can only say Thank you, again and again, for these jurors….. reaching this decision, after such a long, tiring, emotionally draining, and stressful time, which started last May.
I hope they would know, I have had them all in my prayers.
I am also very glad to have had Dale Gomes, the District Attorney, prosecuting this case, for his determination, and all the hard work he has contributed in the effort to bring justice for Tammy, Tanya and Kathy.
I don’t want to forget, Marty Opseth, who also worked very hard, and did alot to get our case moving again.
And certainly Judge Suzanne Kingsbury….who has been there through this ordeal ..I thank her also.
I am for ever grateful to all the many many others, who have given so much.
It is comforting to know joe will never beable to perform despicable acts on innocent young girls, ever again.
Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers….God Bless you.
Sincerely,
Penny
Pete was not with EDSO when this happened. He came on years later. He was with SLTPD at the time.
I think stopping Nissensohn, a known pediphile, who was into BDSM, murder/torture and also necrophilia, trumps, your feeling the need to comment, that Mr. Van Arnum, was with a different Department, at the time, when unfortunately Ms. Graves skull was found, which is exactly what the newspaper stated….
Gee,I am surprised you didn’t point out that Nissensohn would be formally sentenced, on March 28, 2014, not on the 18th.