Woman petitions parole board to keep her daughter’s killer in prison

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2000 | 9:06 a.m.

Carol Nicoletti gathered 13,150 signatures in 1997 opposing parole for Simon Macias. He comes before the parole board for a second time on Jan. 25.

"I'm not a quitter," said Carol Nicoletti, who has collected more than 10,000 signatures this time. "This is personal for me. This is No. 1 in my life."

Macias was jailed five years ago in the stabbing death of his wife, Susan Figeley Macias, 19. He wrapped her in duct tape and dumped her body in the desert near Henderson.

In a plea bargain following a bungled investigation, he pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

As part of the bargain, prosecutors dropped two charges of lewdness with girls under the age of 14 brought against Macias after investigators found film in his car with pornographic pictures of the girls.

Because he was given credit for the time served prior to his sentencing, Macias came up for parole three years after being sent to prison. His parole was rejected in 1997 because of the brutality of the crime, a parole board spokeswoman said.

Now, Nicoletti is again walking door-to-door and standing outside of shopping centers with her petition. A sign on her truck bears her daughters picture and the message: "Keep her killer in prison."

Nicoletti and her husband bought a computer and designed a Web site to help collect signatures. Her kitchen and living room tables are covered with neat stacks of petition signatures, email messages and plans of attack.

"I cannot go forward with my life when I feel justice hasn't been served," she said. "We thought we would not have to worry about seeing his face for 10 to 15 years. Who would have thought he would come up for parole in three years."