San Jose 1978 Teacher Murder Case Closed

Nearly 50 years after Diane Peterson, a Branham High School teacher in San Jose, was stabbed to death in 1978, authorities have officially closed the case by identifying Harry "Nicky" Nickerson, then a 16-year-old student, as her killer. The breakthrough came from a recent confession to a family member, with Nickerson admitting to the crime minutes after it occurred. Earlier attempts to prosecute Nickerson, who was an initial suspect and matched eyewitness sketches, failed due to witness recantations and lack of physical evidence, despite reports of him carrying a knife engraved with 'Teacher Dear' and confessing in the context of a drug deal. Recent DNA testing provided no forensic link, but the family confession corroborated longstanding suspicions. Nickerson died by suicide in 1993 after a life marked by violent crimes. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and Peterson's family expressed relief at the resolution, though justice cannot be served in court.