Though Jacquiline "Nikki" Reynolds never denied plunging a 14-inch blade into Billie Jean Reynolds more than 25 times, she claims she was insane when she committed the May 14, 1997 murder.

Prosecutors, however, contend that the killing was premeditated, and only part of an elaborate murder plot Nikki managed to execute. According to prosecutors, Nikki, then 17, was so distraught over the breakup with her boyfriend, Carlos Infante that she plotted to kill him. But when her parents unknowingly got in the way of her plans, Nikki also plotted their murders.

According to Nikki's adopted father, Robert Reynolds, the defendant's troubles began when she was in 10th grade and became interested in boys. Robert, a commercial truck enforcement officer, and his wife Billie Jean, an administrative assistant, had adopted Nikki when she was three months old. Their relationship with their daughter seemed fine until her high school years. Robert claims Nikki's relationship with her mother began to deteriorate, and the teen-ager exhibited mood swings. The concerned parents sought counseling for Nikki from a church minister.

By early 1997, Nikki was dating fellow student Carlos Infante. They began having unprotected sex. Fearing she may be pregnant, Nikki told her parents she had been raped by a stranger. Robert and Billie Jean Reynolds immediately reported the alleged incident. But after police determined that the story was fabricated, Nikki eventually confessed to her mother that she had made it up.

Nikki continued a stormy relationship with Infante that included several break-ups. Each time the two would break up, Nikki would tell Infante that she was pregnant in hopes of getting him back. Infante would return, but the cycle of break-ups and false pregnancy claims would occur repeatedly. Rumors of Nikki's "pregnancies" spread at school and eventually reached a guidance counselor.

When the counselor met with the teen-age couple, Nikki maintained that she was pregnant. When the counselor attempted to reach Nikki's parents, Nikki gave her a disconnected phone number. The guidance counselor eventually contacted Billie Jean Reynolds, who then had her daughter take a home pregnancy test — revealing Nikki was not pregnant and was pulling off another scam.

Billie Jean took Nikki to church for counseling. After storming out of her session, an angry Nikki attempted to call Infante.

Prosecutors say Infante again ended his relationship with Nikki — but this time, Nikki began planning to murder him.

After her phone argument with Infante, Nikki had a chilling conversation with the church pastor. According to the Reverend, Nikki vaguely asked if a Christian would be forgiven if he attempted suicide or did something "really bad." Not knowing Nikki was planning to kill her boyfriend, he apparently answered "yes" on both counts.

In her confession to police, Nikki said she planned to kill Infante in front of their classmates before the first period the next day. However, prosecutors claim, Nikki realized of a potential snag in her plan while coming home from church counseling. Her mother scheduled a meeting with the school counselor at 10 a.m., and the two would therefore leave together for school the next morning. Nikki would not be at school at 8 a.m. to carry out her murder plan before first period. Nikki told police she decided to eliminate her parents so that she would keep her scheduled time to kill her boyfriend.

Billie Jean and Nikki returned home at around 5:30 p.m. Mr. Reynolds was home to eat dinner with his wife and daughter but then left for church around 6:30 p.m. Nikki allegedly swallowed an undetermined amount of aspirin before Billie Jean went into the family room to work on the computer at 7 p.m. In the kitchen, Nikki found a 14-inch butcher knife.

Nikki then proceeded to the family room and approached her mother from behind. She swiped the blade across her mother's throat, but failed to deeply wound her mother. Billie Jean, Nikki told police, jumped up to turn toward her, and the defendant jabbed the blade at her mother again, inflicting a cut on her mother's right cheek.

Billie Jean then fled from her daughter, trying — and failing — to reach the front door. Nikki said that the two continued to run from room to room around the house. Soon, Billie Jean collapsed. In her confession Nikki says she asked her mother if she was dying. "Yes," Billie Jean replied. Nikki ultimately asked her mother for forgiveness, and a wounded Billie Jean forgave her.

Apparently wanting to end her mother's agony, Nikki thrust the knife into her mother's chest, killing her. Nikki proceeded to attempt to clean the house, awaiting her father. But realizing that she couldn't conceal the blood which had splattered throughout the house, Nikki called 911 and confessed to her mother's slaying.

She told the 911 dispatcher that she must be crazy and repeated the statement to arriving police officers. The arresting officer recorded Nikki's incriminating statements without her knowledge. In subsequent statements at the police station, she again confessed to killing her mother.

The state still believes Nikki's confessions prove that the defendant thought about the crime for several hours before the murder. However, Nikki's defense contends she was insane at the time and could not have formed the intent to commit murder. The defense attempted to prove that Nikki inherited severe depression and psychological problems from her biological mother.