OH - 2 bodies found at trailer park where reporter was reported missing, Wood County, 12 Nov 2018

[Elley Mae]

I wonder what prompted her to go visit her estranged uncle, after all this time?

And I wonder what triggered that violent, brutal response?

I have to put this out there....I was estranged from my uncle, by my choosing. I was a victim of his sexual abuse, but I never told anyone until I was in my 30's. Could she have wanted to discuss something, uncomfortable, with him at that time?

Same here. First thought that entered my mind.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Wondering if she confronted him over any past issues? Jmo

 

[marsyao]

They may not have thought he was a violent man---but that was a pretty violent reaction he had to her visit.

If there had been a bitter family feud, why would her mother let her go see him alone?

After so many years, maybe her mother think it no longer matters, and maybe she think the fight among adults had nothing to do with their children.
I think her uncle did not plan to kill her, it could start with an argument, such as her uncle brought up the past in their conversation and badmouth her mother, and she defended her mother and then things went out of hand

 

[holtzmann]

Cleveland local here. This has been an absolutely tragic nightmare of an event. Nikki was beloved by so many young professionals in this city. I also don't think her uncle planned to kill her, they had previously spoken at least once. Whatever caused the estrangement seems likely to be tied to this, but so far no one is talking much about that history.

 

[Razz]

Cleveland local here. This has been an absolutely tragic nightmare of an event. Nikki was beloved by so many young professionals in this city. I also don't think her uncle planned to kill her, they had previously spoken at least once. Whatever caused the estrangement seems likely to be tied to this, but so far no one is talking much about that history.

I'm thinking Dad may be able to shed some light. Is he around? I'm hoping he is.

 

[holtzmann]

I'm thinking Dad may be able to shed some light. Is he around? I'm hoping he is.

There hasn't been any information made public about Nikki's father. Public search records indicate that Robert Delamotte is listed as related to two other men, Timothy and Richard Delamotte.

One source online seems to suggest that police have stated Richard Delamotte was present at the scene, but not taken into custody — but I can find no record anywhere else to support this. I'm not even sure where they found his age listed as 65, but it's worth noting only because Robert was 67.

JoAnne is listed as a co-defendant in a few civil cases with an unnamed spouse/partner, but I don't really want to speculate. Spreading any misinformation about this young woman's father strikes me as disrespectful, though I do think his input would be helpful.

 

[katydid23]

maybe her 'uncle' was really her father?

 

[Razz]

maybe her 'uncle' was really her father?

But why then would her mom think it was okay for her to visit her uncle if Mom knew he was the father?

Mom didn't seem concerned that her daughter was seeing her ex brother in law (Nikki's uncle).

If Dad was there, that adds another level of confusion. I'm hoping information will be released soon.

 

[fullmoon]

Just with what we know, it is obvious to me that she confronted him about something very unpleasant. This has all the hallmarks of cases when someone confronts sexual abuse. Reports indicate that the mother recalled the uncle saying her daughter was the "apple of his eye." That's pretty close. I have uncles who are fond of me, but I think it would be odd to be described in that way, particularly when she stopped seeing him. If they were that close, why not see each other after the divorce? Also, victims of abuse many times keep it to themselves because of the shame they feel, that they did something to cause it. Hence, not telling anyone about it, even the closest friends, family, etc. would not surprise me. As an adult, she would want to deal with this issue in some way. Did she have a therapist? If so, that would be key to help explain this horrible tragedy. Same if she had a diary. The uncle shot her twice in the side, then a final shot in the forehead, according to reports. He wanted no chance that she would survive. Again, that screams she had information he did not want out there. She was a reporter, and she may have been preparing a column he did not want out there. This information would be very personal, not something like finances. I also found it interesting that there were plans to go to a neighborhood bar to watch an NFL game on the day this happened. That really jumps out at me. She may have wanted to confront him in a public place. I initially thought there would be the use of old family photos as a cover for when the "confrontation" was later made. And now we learn the mother said Nikki had taken some old photos of her uncle with her because they were found next to her body. I think we'll learn a lot more about this case soon. Reporters are investigating it. I don't think they will leave no stone unturned, as she was one of their own.

 

[Indy Anna]

Just with what we know, it is obvious to me that she confronted him about something very unpleasant. This has all the hallmarks of cases when someone confronts sexual abuse. Reports indicate that the mother recalled the uncle saying her daughter was the "apple of his eye." That's pretty close. I have uncles who are fond of me, but I think it would be odd to be described in that way, particularly when she stopped seeing him. If they were that close, why not see each other after the divorce? Also, victims of abuse many times keep it to themselves because of the shame they feel, that they did something to cause it. Hence, not telling anyone about it, even the closest friends, family, etc. would not surprise me. As an adult, she would want to deal with this issue in some way. Did she have a therapist? If so, that would be key to help explain this horrible tragedy. Same if she had a diary. The uncle shot her twice in the side, then a final shot in the forehead, according to reports. He wanted no chance that she would survive. Again, that screams she had information he did not want out there. She was a reporter, and she may have been preparing a column he did not want out there. This information would be very personal, not something like finances. I also found it interesting that there were plans to go to a neighborhood bar to watch an NFL game on the day this happened. That really jumps out at me. She may have wanted to confront him in a public place. I initially thought there would be the use of old family photos as a cover for when the "confrontation" was later made. And now we learn the mother said Nikki had taken some old photos of her uncle with her because they were found next to her body. I think we'll learn a lot more about this case soon. Reporters are investigating it. I don't think they will leave no stone unturned, as she was one of their own.

Interesting thought. If she'd dug up some old pictures, perhaps she'd also dug up something else about her uncle or another paternal family member. Having such an inquisitive mind, Nikki would probably want to delve into something she thought of as family history, even if a bit nefarious. Her uncle, on the other hand, may not have taken kindly to the idea of anything of the sort being made public. As you said, Nikki may have been ready to discuss the issue in a public setting, which may have been even more upsetting to her uncle. JMO

 

[cuffem]

Just with what we know, it is obvious to me that she confronted him about something very unpleasant. This has all the hallmarks of cases when someone confronts sexual abuse. Reports indicate that the mother recalled the uncle saying her daughter was the "apple of his eye." That's pretty close. I have uncles who are fond of me, but I think it would be odd to be described in that way, particularly when she stopped seeing him. If they were that close, why not see each other after the divorce? Also, victims of abuse many times keep it to themselves because of the shame they feel, that they did something to cause it. Hence, not telling anyone about it, even the closest friends, family, etc. would not surprise me. As an adult, she would want to deal with this issue in some way. Did she have a therapist? If so, that would be key to help explain this horrible tragedy. Same if she had a diary. The uncle shot her twice in the side, then a final shot in the forehead, according to reports. He wanted no chance that she would survive. Again, that screams she had information he did not want out there. She was a reporter, and she may have been preparing a column he did not want out there. This information would be very personal, not something like finances. I also found it interesting that there were plans to go to a neighborhood bar to watch an NFL game on the day this happened. That really jumps out at me. She may have wanted to confront him in a public place. I initially thought there would be the use of old family photos as a cover for when the "confrontation" was later made. And now we learn the mother said Nikki had taken some old photos of her uncle with her because they were found next to her body. I think we'll learn a lot more about this case soon. Reporters are investigating it. I don't think they will leave no stone unturned, as she was one of their own.

I think speculating like this is unfair to the family until more is known. It was said she went over Sunday to watch a football game.He could have had some stage of dementia or mental illness.

 

[Indy Anna]

I think speculating like this is unfair to the family until more is known. It was said she went over Sunday to watch a football game.He could have had some stage of dementia or mental illness.

I can see him being in the early stages of dementia as a possibility, too. Perhaps he didn't answer the door when she knocked, but the door was unlocked so she walked in. Maybe he didn't recognize Nikki, thinking she was breaking in to rob or harm him, and so he shot her. When he realized who she was and what he'd done, he shot himself. IDK; just speculative. Wonder if they'll ever have a good idea of what really happened.

 

[Betty P]

I can see him being in the early stages of dementia as a possibility, too. Perhaps he didn't answer the door when she knocked, but the door was unlocked so she walked in. Maybe he didn't recognize Nikki, thinking she was breaking in to rob or harm him, and so he shot her. When he realized who she was and what he'd done, he shot himself. IDK; just speculative. Wonder if they'll ever have a good idea of what really happened.

Was thinking this, too. Maybe he was in the early stages of some type of dementia. His neighbors also mentioned he drank to excess, perhaps he was drunk by the time she got there. The other theory is possible, too. As carbuff notes, it's being investigated so they will probably find out.

Just a horrible, sad event. I know someone who was friends with her and everything wonderful said about her is accurate. She was a fantastic, bright young woman, a gifted writer. May she RIP, but gosh, what a terrible loss to her family, friends and her community at large. She was very close to her mother and my heart goes out to her. It must be an unbearable loss.

 

[mickey2942]

So, you go to visit someone, go into the home, get into a heated conversation, he goes to get a shotgun, I would have been out of there. So, I am not sure how the scene unfolded. If he had a gun right there, and shot her within moments of her entering the home?

I agree, sounds like dementia. Sad.

 

[holtzmann]

I think speculating like this is unfair to the family until more is known. It was said she went over Sunday to watch a football game.He could have had some stage of dementia or mental illness.

I agree that this speculation makes me uncomfortable. I know that we like to examine possible motives here, but I'm really not comfortable spreading any possible misinformation or rumors about paternity; it could be extremely hurtful to her mother.

So, you go to visit someone, go into the home, get into a heated conversation, he goes to get a shotgun, I would have been out of there. So, I am not sure how the scene unfolded. If he had a gun right there, and shot her within moments of her entering the home?

I agree, sounds like dementia. Sad.

There was no shotgun involved. The only two guns in the house were a Ruger .380 and a Taurus .38 revolver. The revolver was the only gun used in the shooting. Nikki likely did not have any time to respond, and two gunshots to the side, as reported, would make it very difficult to attempt an escape afterward.

If Robert had dementia, I would expect an autopsy to uncover some injury or degeneration of the brain, but as far as all reports indicate at the moment, nothing suggests that he was necessarily mentally ill.

EDIT: Thinking a little further and wanting to add that if the pictures and materials she brought with her were found obviously around her, to me that would indicate that she had time to bring them out.

It seems odd that she would leave her phone in the car if she intended on an extended visit; I think the theory mentioned earlier in the thread that she had all intentions of going with him to watch the game at a bar is fairly on point. The photos seem like they could be just a nice gesture, sharing memories with someone she hadn't seen in years.

 

[holtzmann]

Memorial service announced for cleveland.com reporter Nikki Delamotte

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A public memorial service for cleveland.com reporter Nikki Delamotte will be held Saturday at her alma mater, Cleveland State University.

The memorial is scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday on the third floor of the university’s Student Center Grand Ballroom, located at 2121 Euclid Ave., Busch Funeral and Crematory Services announced Monday.

Friends are invited to gather in the ballroom after the service.​