California man charged with killing foster mother and seizing her assets

Prosecutors in California have charged Cedric Von Ferdinand, 34, with murdering his foster mother, attorney Nadine Jett, and taking control of her assets. They allege he moved in to care for Jett during her pancreatic cancer treatment, then poisoned her with fentanyl and concealed her death.

Jett was last seen on 14 January 2024, and Von Ferdinand reportedly told relatives she had died in Mexico, but could not provide a death certificate. Her daughters reported her missing; her body was found buried near her ranch in July 2025. Prosecutors say he used documents bearing her signature to transfer two properties and withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars, and had a hole dug two days after she was last seen. He had previously faced forgery and identity theft charges.