Divorce lawyer found buried as quadruplet daughters devastated and foster son faces trial

A man is set to face trial on dozens of charges after his foster mother’s remains were found buried on a ranch where the two lived together.

Cedric Von Ferdinand faces charges including fraudand forgery, a judge has ruled, following the discovery of his foster mother’s body in July, after she had not been seen since December 2023. Investigators searching Jett's Valley Center, Calif. Ranch unearthed skeletal remains identified as those of 65-year-old Nadine Jett.

Her foster son, Von Ferdinand, who was caring for her while she was suffering from pancreatic cancer, has been hit with dozens of fraud charges for allegedly assigning himself her power of attorney and forging signatures, according to a criminal complaint. Von Ferdinand is not under arrest, and he has not been charged in connection with Ms Jett's murder.

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Ms Jett’s foster daughters, identical quadruplets, were alarmed after their mother disappeared in 2023 but said Von Ferdinand told them she had died in Mexico. “Charles was keeping us away from Nadine,” Tiffany Lucci previously told FOX 5. “He was just secluding us from her.”

She added: "It was just really sad. It was our last Christmas with her, and then after that you know, we were just shut out."

While it remains unclear when authorities began investigating Jett’s disappearance, her daughters reportedly undertook their own investigation, speaking with neighbors and going to the property - only to find it had been cleared out, Tiffany told local media.

An estate agent working with Von Ferdinand grew suspicious of him while trying to sell the ranch, FOX 5 reported. Von Ferdinand is claimed to have told Noel Lawton: “All I ask is that whoever purchases the property plants a rose garden in memory of her.”

Mr Lawton claimed Von Ferdinand pointed to a spot on the property, which Tiffany says she believes is where investigators found Ms Jett's remains. Mr Lawton added: "I'm sad for the girls because there was obviously a hope that like you want her found for them, but you also don't want it to be true."

Tiffany and her sisters are hanging onto their memories as they process the loss of their mother. She said: "She was just the best person to be around. She made us feel loved, and we gave her love."

Von Ferdinand and Raymond Joseph Alto, identified by FOX 5 as a public notary, face more than 40 charges including forgery of name, using another person's identity, perjury and grand theft of personal property, according to a criminal complaint seen by People.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges, the Valley Road Runner reported, however a judge has ruled they are to stand trial, People reports.