Nolen Buchanan murder trial in South Lake Tahoe nearing end

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - At 10:00 a.m. on September 13, 2015, Garden Valley Fire Department personnel responded to a wildland fire in the community of Greenwood in western El Dorado County, on Highway 193 between Cool and Georgetown. Upon arrival they found a residence still smoldering, but burned to the ground.

In the ashes were found the charred remains of Adam Buchanan, 38, his fiancée Molly McAffe, 37, and their 8-year-old son Gavin Buchanan. All three were shot before the cabin was burned down.

On October 1, 2015, Nolen Buchanan, who was 16-years-old at the time, was arrested his school, Benicia (CA) High School for the murders of his father, his dad's fiancée and his half-brother. He has been incarcerated since then, most of the time in South Lake Tahoe.

On May 17, 2018, opening statements were presented to the jurors in Judge Suzanne Kingsbury's El Dorado county courtroom in South Lake Tahoe. Deputy District Attorney Jamie Pesce presented the prosecution's statement, local attorney Lori London, the defense's side.

Pesce took jurors through a timeline of what she says happened during the days leading up to September 13. Investigators traced the family's steps starting with a stop at a Taco Bell on Friday, September 11 as they headed to the Greenwood home, a rustic cabin they'd purchased about a year prior that sat on 19 acres and was without electricity, water, sewer and gas as they remodeled it.

The elder Buchanan and McAffe went to a bar, the Valencia Club, in the town of Penryn about 20 miles away on the night they arrived at the cabin. They left the bar at 1:15 a.m. and arrived at the cabin at 1:45 a.m. By 3:00 a.m. they were dead, killed by a 22 caliber rifle kept at the home for hunting.

Pesce continued through the occurrences of September 13, telling of Nolen using his dad's debit card early that morning. He hung out with friends that day and used the debit card again for shopping.

Investigators from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department showed up at the Buchanan home before the identities of the bodies had been confirmed, to tell Nolen about the cabin fire. Upon arrival they said the teen was holding a beer and told them he stayed home for the weekend and did not go to the cabin with the family.

Days later, the rifle used in the murders and McAffe's purse were found in a field near Adam Buchanan's construction business. They were hidden under a chest of drawers and found by a group of citizens cleaning up the field. Pesce said Nolen's fingerprints were found on that rifle.

She said she will prove that the murders of Adam, Molly and Gavin were deliberate and premeditated by Nolen.

London then dramatically took the podium in her opening argument.

She said Nolen and Gavin were asleep with just the light of a camp light illuminating the cabin. She said Nolen awoke to screaming, then heard gunshots (hitting the podium firmly with her hand, simulating the sound of the shots). London said Nolen didn't know who it was that was shooting. He then saw a figure come into his sleeping area and shoot at his brother (again banging on the podium).

London said Nolen wrestled the gun from the intruder and shot him, not knowing at the time it was his father.

Nolen panicked and set fire to the cabin.

"Just like it never happened," said London.

She said she was going to show the jury that it was self defense and Adam was the one who shot young Gavin and Molly.

The trial of Nolen Buchanan heads into its sixth week on June 12. The District Attorney's office said the defense could wrap up their case by Thursday, or next Tuesday, June 19. It will then be turned over to the jury.