Ep. 85-Thanksgiving Ribs and The Shocking Story of Omaima Nelson

What starts with mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole takes a sharp turn into one of Orange County’s most disturbing true crime cases. We open the holiday table, then unpack the whirlwind marriage of Omaima Nelson and William Nelson, the shocking events of Thanksgiving weekend 1991, and the courtroom narratives that battled for the jury’s attention. Between claims of long-term abuse and a blackout, and a prosecution case built on forensic detail and concealment, we examine how jurors ended up at second-degree murder—no notebook, no clear premeditation, but a night of methodical dismemberment and alleged cannibalism that left investigators searching for missing remains.

We go beyond headlines to weigh trauma against evidence. You’ll hear how Nelson’s reported history of abuse and the trauma of female genital mutilation shaped her account of the relationship and the fatal encounter, and why the prosecution pressed a pattern theory using a prior assault case. We explore the grisly details—bondage, the running garbage disposal, boiled hands, and the infamous “ribs” quote—contrasted with the defense’s assertion of a snap response and dissociation. Along the way, we break down why the parole board has repeatedly denied release, citing lack of remorse and responsibility, and we include a timely update on Daniel Callahan’s consecutive life sentences to highlight how planning and multi-state crimes drive harsher outcomes.

Come for the sides and gallows humor, stay for a careful, critical walk through motive, evidence, and legal nuance. If you’re full and scrolling, pull up a chair, press play, and tell us your favorite Thanksgiving side—and your read on the case. Subscribe, share with a true crime friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners find the show.

Source Material:

Update source: Williams, Angela, November 19,2025, Daniel Callahan pleads guilty in Mississippi murder, https://www.wapt.com/article/daniel-callihan-federal-sentence/69488246

ABC NEWS, October 11, 2011, Woman who killed husband and cooked body denied parole, https://abcnews.go.com/US/omaima-nelson-california-woman-convicted-grisly-murder-husband/story?id=14675780

Lynch, Renee, January 13, 1993, Second-degree verdict for wife in grisly murder, https://abcnews.go.com/US/omaima-nelson-california-woman-convicted-grisly-murder-husband/story?id=14675780

Chapters

• 0:00 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:39 Overeating, Naps, And A Quick Walk PSA
• 2:39 Thanksgiving Banter And Side Dishes
• 2:42 Case Update: Daniel Callahan Sentencing
• 6:50 Jailhouse Jesus And True Crime TV Mixup
• 8:00 Introducing The Omaima Nelson Case
• 11:30 Marriage, Motive Claims, And Charges
• 15:20 Gruesome Evidence And Cannibalism Allegations
• 20:45 Prior Assault, Patterns, And Prosecution Theory
• 26:30 Blackout Claim, Ritual Details, Missing Remains
• 32:10 Abuse History, FGM, And Relationship Dynamics