Foster son accused of murdering mom who was battling cancer to get her money

Foster son accused of murdering mom who was battling cancer to get her money Prosecutors say Cedric von Ferdinand carried out an elaborate scheme to take control of his foster mother’s real estate portfolio after she mysteriously disappeared during cancer treatment - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A 34-year-old San Diego County man has been charged with murder after prosecutors said he fatally poisoned his foster mother with fentanyl and concealed her body on her Southern California property to steal her real estate assets. Cedric von Ferdinand was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles County and is scheduled for a Thursday arraignment on one count of murder and two special circumstance allegations — killing for financial gain and administering poison — in the death of 64-year-old Nadine Jett. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty. The victim, a retired attorney who was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, disappeared in January 2024, as reported by NBC 7 San Diego. According to prosecutors, Jett was last seen alive during a chemotherapy session on January 14, 2024. Investigators believe von Ferdinand killed her between January 14 and January 17. Prosecutors said toxicology reports revealed a massive amount of acetylfentanyl, a compound found in illicit rather than pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl, in Jett’s system, prompting the medical examiner to rule her death a homicide caused by acute fentanyl toxicity. In the days surrounding her death, he told her family and friends that her health was rapidly declining and claimed she wanted to travel to Mexico to be cremated without a funeral service, authorities said. He also dismissed Jett’s caretaker, telling her around January 17 that her services were no longer required because Jett had died. Jett’s foster daughters reported her missing in June 2024 after becoming suspicious of von Ferdinand’s claims and after he repeatedly prevented them from visiting her in person. Authorities later searched Jett’s 20-acre property on Oak Creek Road in Valley Center, where detectives uncovered her skeletal remains in July 2025. Prosecutors said that on January 16, 2024, von Ferdinand had hired someone to dig a six-by-six-foot hole on the property, where her body was eventually recovered roughly 30 yards from the home. Investigators said the motive was financial. Following Jett's disappearance, von Ferdinand used documents bearing her forged signature to gain power of attorney, transfer control of her ranch and two Los Angeles County properties to himself and withdraw thousands of dollars from her bank accounts. He also used her funds to purchase another residence in Los Angeles County. Two co-defendants have also been charged in connection with the fraud scheme. Kimberley Pifer faces forgery and identity theft charges for allegedly impersonating Jett and marrying von Ferdinand under Jett’s name in May 2024. Escondido-based notary public Raymond Joseph Alto, 46, is accused of notarizing documents with forged signatures, including a notary log where von Ferdinand allegedly submitted his own thumbprint in place of Jett’s. An attempt to sell her primary home in Valley Center fell through when he was unable to produce a death certificate. In April 2025, von Ferdinand was indicted on multiple counts of real estate fraud linked to the transactions. “This is a case of deadly greed,” Summer Stephan, the San Diego County district attorney, said at a news conference announcing the homicide charges. “His deadly greed led to this horrific homicide. He preyed on her in her time of need when she was suffering from cancer. It is quite despicable.” Bianca Lucci, one of Jett’s four foster daughters whom Jett took in after they had been in ten separate foster homes, expressed relief following the homicide charges. “She was the mom we needed,” Lucci told NBC 7 San Diego. “She gave us a fair chance at life. I’m glad justice will finally be served. I do believe that this was all out of greed and money and it’s just sad.”