Nathan Dickson pleaded guilty to four counts murder and 4 counts possession of weapon during commission of a violent crime, even though he told the judge, he cannot remember committing the crimes.
In an Anderson Courtroom Monday, Solicitor Chrissy Adams, 10th Judicial Circuit, asked for 4 consecutive life sentences in exchange for not seeking death penalty in Dickson's case.
Dickson was charged with four counts of murder on April 26, 2008 after his father, brother, step-mother and step-sister were all found dead at their Pine Lake Drive home in Easley.
Dickson’s father, Andy, his 14-year-old brother, Taylor, and 46-year-old Maritza Hurtado Dickson and her 19-year-old daughter, Jilian Melisa Salazar were all fatally shot with a shotgun.
Anderson County Sheriff's Deputies found Dickson finishing up an afternoon of riding four-wheelers when they arrested him the same day outside a Belton home.
In court, Solicitor Adams read a confession investigators say Dickson gave the night of his arrest. Adams said all evidence supports Dickson's confession, including autopies which show the number of times each victim was shot, and where the bodies were found.
Dickson said he takes responsibility for the crimes, but he can't remember committing them or giving the confession. Read the confession here
A doctor who testified said Dickson, who initially remembered what happened, developed amnesia to cope with the trauma of the crimes.
Dickson says in his confession that his brother "Was looking at me saying help, help. I could not stand to hear that so I shot him again."
Also the confession says Dickson stated "Dad rolled over and told me 'I love you' before I took my last shot."
After much questioning and a brief recess, Judge Cordell Maddox accepted the plea and sentenced Dickson to four consecutive life sentences for the murders, saying he's often wondered if there is real evil in this world and "I think you are one of the rare people- just a bad person who did a horrible thing and you need to be locked up for the rest of your life."
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