'Evil' nurse killed private detective husband with insulin

Truth-seeking investigator Jim Cappello was building a custody case against the mother of his child when he mysteriously vanished

- GAIL SHORTLAND

With so many iconic TV sleuths entertaining us over the years, it’s no wonder we see private investigators as exciting and mysterious. But away from his detective work, 37-year-old James Cappello, known as Jim, was just a regular husband and dad.

Jim owned the Cappello Investigative Agency in Huntsville, Alabama, and put in long hours trying to help people. He’d been married to Marjorie Nicole Cappello, known as Nikki and a nurse at a local healthcare facility, for eight years and they had a four-year-old daughter. The couple had recently bought a new home that they planned on renovating.

But while they seemed happy, cracks were starting to show in their marriage. Jim confided in family that he believed Cappello had developed an addiction to narcotics after taking painkillers for a back injury. Others had witnessed her falling asleep at odd times, even during meals.

It was in Jim’s nature to seek out the truth and he admitted to relatives that he’d started to investigate his own wife. If he could prove that she was an addict, he believed he could build a case to get custody of their daughter if they split up.

He even spoke to his sister, Jamie, about putting a tracker on Cappello’s car and was going through her bags to find evidence.

Then, when Jim didn’t turn up for work on 21 September 2018, he was reported missing. As the police got involved, they discovered he was having an affair with a colleague.

Had Jim left his life with Cappello to be with her? It seemed unlikely. He’d never have walked away from the daughter he adored and there was no evidence that was his plan. And, worryingly,  he'd spoken to his sister on 19 September and sounded unwell.