Episode 72: The Black Bear Bed & Breakfast Murders
In photo order: Julie Bullard, daughter Selby Bullard, Cynthia Beatson and James Whitehurst
The 130-year-old converted farmhouse in Newry, Maine held a lot of charm and small-town-feel that was perfect for a local bed & breakfast. In 2006, the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast had been owned by 65-year-old Julie Bullard for about two years, and was up for sale. So, when the Maine State Police got a call that there was an “unattended death” at the Inn, they were surprised and completely unsure of what they were walking into.
September 4th, 2006 was the Monday immediately after Labor Day weekend. When trooper Dan Hanson was dispatched to the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast, he was met with a woman who claimed her stepson had admitted to committing murder. Christian Nielsen, 31, was sitting with his father, Charles, who had followed a trail of blood and discovered the remains of two dogs and two dismembered bodies in the bushes. More questioning led the officers to discover a third body inside the Inn, and a location about 15 miles away where a burn pit contained the charred and dismembered remains of a fourth victim.
Christian Nielsen, who was a cook in a nearby town, had started the long weekend by shooting 50-year-old James Whitehurst over a possible rent dispute. When suspicion was rising because James hadn’t returned to his suite at the Inn, Christian shot and killed owner Julie Bullard to reduce the number of witnesses. When Julie’s daughter, Selby Bullard, and her best friend, Cynthia Beatson, came to check on Julie, they were killed as collateral.
Christian Nielsen was quickly arrested and charged with the four murders. His defense team initially fought for an insanity plea, claiming the aimless adult was incompetent to stand trial. When his October 2007 trial rolled around, his incompetency was denied and he pled guilty to all four counts. He was subsequently sentenced to four consecutive life sentences, and remains in jail to this day.
Image Sources:
boston.com - “Rent Dispute may have preceded Maine deaths”
mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com - “Spree Killer: Christian Nielson killed and dismembered 4 people over Labor Day weekend at the Black Bear Bed and Breakfast”