Guilty On All Counts In Moorpark Cold Cast Murder Trial

Monday March 17, 2025

     Update--A Ventura County jury Monday found a Victorville man guilty on all counts in the cold case murder of a Moorpark man more than two decades ago.

     The panel spent less than two days in deliberations before finding 73-year-old Antoine Nehme guilty of First Degree Murder, Conspiracy, and Solicitation of Murder.

     They also found true a Special Circumstance Allegation of Murder for Financial Gain.

     The DA's office did not seek the death penalty against Nehme so he faces Life In Prison With No Chance of Parole when he is sentenced on May 20th.

     Nehme was 52-years-old when 71-year-old Dennis Leroy Wood of Moorpark was killed.

     It was April of 2004 and Wood was found shot to death in his home in the 12500 block of Mountain Trail Street.

     Prosecutors say that Nehme, who owned an Ojai gas station at the time, had owed Wood more than $28,000 for an unknown business venture.

     Instead of repaying the debt, Nehme hired someone to kill Wood.

     The case went unsolved for several years until the person he hired, Alex Bracamonte, told the authorities that Nehme had hired him to kill Wood.

     At the time Bracamonte was facing charges in an unrelated Los Angeles murder case.

     Bracamonte has since been convicted in the Los Angeles murder and is serving time in prison for that crime.

     He has has pleaded guilty to Wood's murder and will be sentenced for that on April 30th.

     Bracamonte testified during Nehme's trial.

     Nehme remains in the Ventura County Jail and is being held without bail.