YREKA, Calif. – A man accused of killing his adoptive parents over six years ago is now heading to prison.
The Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office said on July 5, 2016, dispatchers got a 911 hang up call from the home of John and Carol Doyle in the Big Springs area of Siskiyou County.
When first responders arrived, they found the couple dead from gunshot wounds.
A few hours after John and Carol were found, their son — Damion Nicoll Doyle of Weed— arrived at the home and spoke with investigators.
According to the D.A.’s office, numerous pieces of physical and circumstantial evidence tied Doyle to the homicides. He was also set to inherit his parents’ home, four rental properties, and well over $1 million, prosecutors said.
On July 26, 2016, Damion was arrested for the murder of his parents.
Prosecutors said for a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Damion’s trial was delayed until he finally pled “no contest” on July 11, 2022.
On December 15, 2022, Damion was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison for the murders.
Siskiyou County District Attorney Kirk Andrus said, “This was an incredibly long process that we always expected would end with a jury trial. His change of plea was a surprise, and Damion’s denials at sentencing were his last attempt to escape some sort of responsibility even though his plea refutes that completely. We will probably never fully know what led to the violent end to this family, but John and Carol Doyle will be remembered by friends and loved ones as industrious, intelligent and caring people who did nothing to deserve the violence that ended their lives.”
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.