Michigan man gets 28 years for murder

SANDUSKY — A man convicted of killing a Sandusky woman in Michigan was recently sentenced. Robert Nizzardini, 59, of Kalamazoo, was found guilty of one count each of open murder, felony firearm and domestic violence, according to Michigan's 9th Circuit Court's clerk's office. Nizzardini was originally scheduled to be sentenced on June 16. That court hearing was moved to June 23. Judge Christine Morse sentenced Nizzardini to spend at least 28 years in prison and a maximum term of 50 years, according to a story by MLive.com Nizzardini was convicted in connection with the murder of Tami Nickles, a woman with ties to Sandusky, on May 5, 2023. Nickles was born Sept. 26, 1974, in Sandusky. She graduated from Sandusky High School in 1992. She had strong ties to her hometown with many of her family still residing here. She regularly attended class reunions and sporting events, supporting her community, her family members and longtime friends. The case "It is clear from the investigation that Robert had the motive, means and opportunity to murder Tami Nickles," according to an affidavit, which was provided to the Register by WWMT, the CBS News affiliate in Kalamazoo. The Register requested the incident report from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office and was denied access to the record. Nickles and Nizzardini were engaged in a contentious break-up, and Nickles reported she was afraid of Nizzardini due to him allegedly engaging in stalking behavior, according to the affidavit. A witness told police Nizzardini was in the driveway of his home while Nickles' vehicle was present. Police were called to a home in Oshtemo Township on May 5, 2023 and found Nickles dead from a single shotgun blast. Her body was located in a locked garage and Nizzardini owned the home. Cellphone records placed Nizzardini in the area at the time of the incident, according to the affidavit. He allegedly admitted to meeting Nickles at his residence on Friday so she could retrieve her dogs. Nizzardini reportedly admitted to shooting Nickles then led investigators to a swamp near Baldwin, Michigan, where he ditched the murder weapon, according to the affidavit. Defense attorney Don Sappanos told the jury during closing arguments that the gun had a hair trigger and went off accidentally, according to a story from MLive.com. Mary Ann Berdan told jurors that Nizzardini initially told police that he and Nickles struggled over the gun. Berdan is a Kalamazoo County assistant prosecutor. Investigators determined that Nickles was shot from 4 to 5 feet away, Berdan said, "So that story no longer quite held water," she said. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on all three counts. It is unclear where Nizzardini is currently incarcerated. Searches of the Kalamazoo County jail roster and Michigan's inmate locator returned zero results for Nizzardini. Scholarship In 2024, Nickles' family established a scholarship in her memory. Sandusky High School seniors who are pursuing a two-year or more degree, majoring in business, nursing or veterinary science attending Bowling Green State University or the University of Toledo are eligible, according to Dawn Nickles, Tami Nickles' sister. "In 2024, we selected two recipients, Isabella Blakely and Elli Pitcher, both of whom at the time of selection were pursuing nursing degrees through BGSU," Dawn Nickles said. Want to donate? The Nickles family plans to grow the scholarship fund so that they can offer additional awards annually. To date, they have received $675 in donations in Tami's honor. Going forward, the family looks forward to planning fundraising events in her memory to raise funds for her scholarship. Donations can be made anytime to: • Sandusky City Schools • ATTN: The Tami S. Nickles Memorial Scholarship Fund • 407 Decatur St. • Sandusky, OH 44870