Shirley Nelson murdered her estranged husband, five years her junior, in the Peanuts headquarters in 1995. This week, Oxygen’s true crime series tells her narrative, leaving viewers glued to their seats.
‘Snapped’ returns to Oxygen for its 31st season, promising even more thrilling and suspense-filled real crime stories from throughout the United States. Its debut episode aired on July 3, 2022.
Snapped: Who Is Charles Schulz?
Charles Schulz was an American cartoonist who created the Peanuts comic strip. It features the characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy, among many others.
He is widely considered one of the most influential cartoonists of all time, mentioned as such by numerous cartoonists, including Jim Davis, Bill Watterson, Matt Groening, and Dav Pilkey.
Peanuts were published daily in 2,600 periodicals in 75 countries and 21 languages at their peak. Schulz produced 17,897 published Peanuts strips in nearly 50 years.
The strips, together with merchandising and corporate endorsements, generated more than $1 billion in income every year, with Schulz earning an estimated $30 million to $40 million per year.
Schulz took only one vacation during the strip’s history, a five-week hiatus in late 1997 to commemorate his 75th birthday. The repeats of the strip aired during his vacation, the only time this happened during Schulz’s life.
Schulz was raised by his father, a barber, and mother, a homemaker.
Schulz died of colon cancer in his sleep on February 12, 2000, at the age of 77, at his home in Santa Rosa, California. However, he is recently in the news after Shirley Nelson shot her husband Ron Nelson for having an affair with Schulz’s secretary.
Ron Nelson’s Affair With Eileen Christensen
Ron Nelson was having an affair with Eileen Christensen when he started working as a business manager for Schulz.
The Detectives met with Ron’s boss, legendary artist Charles M. Schulz, who stated he knew what was the reason behind the shooting.
“He indicated Ron had an affair with his secretary and kept it covered for a long,” private investigator Chris Reynolds told “Snapped.”
Eileen Christensen, the secretary, was in her early 40s, while Ron was 53. Schulz threatened to fire the pair if they did not terminate their connection, fearing a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Shirley, on the other hand, had discovered the romance a month before the shooting. Her sense of self-worth was dependent on being the vibrant and gorgeous wife of an entertainment business executive.
So Ron cheating on her with a younger woman was a blow to her ego.
Friends reported the Nelsons’ marriage had been strained since Shirley suffered a stroke in 1991. Though she suffered no long-term bodily consequences, it served as a striking reminder of their age disparity.
Shirley slaved over her looks in an attempt to please her husband, realizing that something had changed in her marriage.
“She tried dressing nicer, she was very well-dressed and very put together. She tried to lose weight, to tone her muscles, her goal was just to win him back,” said Vandenheuvel.
In 1997, Ron and Shirley Nelson got divorced. Ron later married Eileen Christensen. Shirley, 78, died of colon cancer in 2008, according to the Press Democrat.
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Shirley Nelson Shot Her Husband Ron Nelson To Death
Most people thought Ron and Shirley Nelson had the perfect marriage, but after nearly 30 years together, it was shattered in a shower of gunshots.
Shirley and Ron fell in love despite their 12-year age gap and married in 1967. The Nelsons celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary in May 1995.
However, on July 5, 1995, less than two months later, Santa Rosa police got a 911 call alleging a gunshot at 1 Snoopy Place, the location of Schulz’s production headquarters.
Officers arrived on the scene and discovered Ronald Nelson, 53, face down on the pavement. He’d been shot in the back twice. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they discovered Shirley Nelson, 65, inside the building with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
The .357 revolver used in the shooting was discovered nearby. The Nelsons were escorted to the hospital, where authorities inquired about what had occurred.
“She said, ‘I shot him.'” I killed my spouse. Is a bitch’s son dead?'” Amanda Pehlke, a Santa Rosa police officer, told “Snapped.” “She was upset and outraged, and she kept saying, ‘Did I murder him?'” ‘I hope he’s gone.'”
Both Ron and Shirley Nelson would have surgery to treat their severe gunshot wounds. Doctors were unsure if either would live.
Shirley came in a new black automobile, according to Ron’s coworkers, on the morning of the shooting.
“‘Is he in there?’ she asked the receptionist.” She then walked inside his office. He stepped up, and she shot him twice in the back, as well as presumably firing at least two more shots that missed him,” prosecutor David Dunn told “Snapped.”
Despite damage to his kidneys, lungs, intestines, and main arteries, Ron also lived. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Shirley was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
However, due to her injuries, she remained in the hospital to recover and obtain a psychiatric examination. Shirley went on trial for attempted murder in April 1996, claiming not guilty by reason of insanity.
Shirley pled guilty to attempted murder in 1997 rather than risk another trial. Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported, that she was sentenced to a year in jail, five years probation, and 3,000 hours of community service.