VALLEY CENTER, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The skeletal remains of a 65-year-old Valley Center woman who was once a prominent family attorney and devoted foster mother were found last month on her 20-acre property in Valley Center, authorities said.
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On July 16, around 5 a.m., a search warrant was served at a residence in the 14800 block of Oak Creek Road, which was connected to the investigation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.
Authorities discovered the remains of the body, confirmed as 65-year-old Nadine Jett.
Jett, who was missing since December 2023, had been battling pancreatic cancer prior to her disappearance.
In mid-July, investigators searched Jett’s rural property, using heavy equipment to look for human remains.
Her family believes her estate was stolen by a former foster son, Cedric Von Ferdinand, who also goes by Charles.
“Charles was keeping us away from Nadine,” said Tiffany Lucci, one of Jett’s daughters. “He was just secluding us from her.”
In April 2024, Jett’s daughters say Charles told them that she had died and was cremated in Mexico. However, he could not provide a death certificate or any official documentation.
Tiffany said she discovered forged documents, fake signatures and pre-notarized forms that had not been filled out.
Von Ferdinand and a notary public, Raymond Joseph Alto, have been charged with a dozen counts, including forgery and grand theft of personal property.
Jett was well known in Los Angeles County legal circles for her work in family law and for fostering multiple children, including the Lucci sisters, who are quadruplets.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 5.
FOX 5/KUSI’s Tony Shin contributed to this report.
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