A California man has been charged with murdering his foster mother, who was battling pancreatic cancer, after prosecutors alleged he poisoned her with fentanyl and tried to seize her fortune.
Cedric Von Ferdinand, 34, is accused of killing Nadine Jett, 65, after moving into her Valley Center ranch to care for her during chemotherapy. He allegedly sought control of her 20-acre property and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Jett was diagnosed with cancer in August 2023. Prosecutors said she was last seen leaving for a chemotherapy appointment on January 14, 2024, after which Von Ferdinand told relatives she had died in Mexico.
Family members became suspicious when he could not produce a death certificate. They later reported Jett missing in June 2024, prosecutors said.
An autopsy found a large amount of fentanyl in Jett’s system, and a medical examiner ruled that she had died from acute fentanyl toxicity.
Prosecutors allege plan to take control of estate
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan described the case as one of “deadly greed” when announcing the murder charge.
Prosecutors allege that, soon after Jett disappeared, Von Ferdinand obtained power of attorney over her estate using documents bearing her signature and initials. He then allegedly transferred two of her properties into his own name and emptied her bank accounts.
He is also accused of using Jett’s money to buy two homes in Los Angeles. In another alleged scheme, prosecutors said he recruited a woman to pose as Jett so he could “marry” his foster mother and gain further control of her assets.
Authorities allege that Von Ferdinand arranged for a six-foot-by-six-foot hole to be dug on the ranch on January 16, 2024, two days after Jett was last seen alive.
Sheriff’s deputies found Jett’s body wrapped in a bedsheet and buried near her home in July 2025.
“What happened here is a deadly tragedy and it’s time for accountability,” Ms Stephan said. “His deadly greed led to this horrific homicide.”
She added: “He preyed on her in her time of need when she was suffering from cancer. It is quite despicable.”
Von Ferdinand had previously faced felony charges of forgery and identity theft linked to Jett’s disappearance. Prosecutors also charged Raymond Joseph Alto, a 46-year-old notary public from Escondido, with allegedly helping to falsify the marriage licence and other documents.
Two of Jett’s foster daughters, Tiffany and Bianca Lucci, attended the press conference. Bianca said: “She was that mom we needed. She gave us a fair chance at life.”
She added: “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.”
Von Ferdinand is due to be arraigned on the murder charges in San Diego County on November 5. He has not yet entered a plea.
His lawyer, Ashley Mangold, said he “maintains his innocence and, most importantly, his love for his mother.”
