Nikki Orvin case on Mother, May I Murder? - A complete timeline of events

On January 18, 2008, Nikki Orvin Bamberg, a 28-year-old pharmacy technician and a parent of two boys aged three and five, was chased down on a highway and shot twice in the head. The alleged perpetrators were her ex-husband, Damon Bamberg, and his mother, Sonya Bamberg, driven by a bitter custody dispute and deep family tensions.

The story is explored in depth in Mother, May I Murder?, an Investigation Discovery series that examines deadly family bonds. Season 2 episode 4 aired on November 11, 2025.

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Early life and marriage of Nikki Orvin (1979–2007)

Nikki Orvin was shot twice in her car (Image via Unsplash/@Campbell Jensen)

Allison Nicole "Nikki" Orvin was born on May 24, 1979, in Bacon County, Georgia, to parents Rita and Gary Orvin, as per her memorial on the online database Find a Grave. She grew up with her brother, Rick, and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nikki Orvin attended Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia, Georgia, studying to become a pharmacy technician.

Nikki met Damon Bamberg in December 2002. The fast-developing relationship led to marriage, and they had two sons: Gabriel Mark Bamberg and Elijah Scott Bamberg. Sonya Bamberg, Damon's mother, soon relocated into their household, taking over much of the daily life and decision-making. By 2006, cracks began to appear when Nikki Orvin filed for divorce, citing marital problems.

Around October or November in 2007, while they were separated, Sonya allegedly approached a witness and asked him to murder Nikki for $25,000. Damon was present. Damon had also taken out a $50,000 life insurance policy on Nikki, naming Sonya as beneficiary, adding a $150,000 accidental death rider, according to the BAMBERG v. STATE court file.

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Deterioration and divorce (2006–January 14, 2008)

Damon and Nikki Orvin got divorced in 2008 (Image via Unsplash/@Annika Wischnewsky)

As the couple's marital issues worsened, Nikki Orvin had to endure Damon's domineering behavior and Sonya's intense meddling. Domestic violence, including physical abuse of Nikki, was reported. According to the State, Sonya expressed severe custody concerns when she told a friend,

"I will see you dead before I let you have those boys," threatening Nikki.

After the breakup, Nikki planned to rebuild her life through work and education while concentrating on her sons' welfare. Due to continuous disagreements over child support and visitation, the divorce process continued into early 2008. Damon and Sonya remained in Montgomery County, while Nikki Orvin lived in an apartment in Jeff Davis County in Hazlehurst, Georgia.

Tensions increased after the divorce was finalized on January 14, 2008, which granted joint custody. The note "hell begins," which indicated planned unrest, was written on a family calendar in the Bambergs' home for January 18, 2008, the day of the upcoming visitation. The deadly encounter was predicated on a pattern of growing animosity that emerged during these months.

Later, in line with the planned crime weapon, investigators discovered buried gun parts and ammunition behind Sonya's home, according to the State.

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The murder: January 18, 2008

The day began routinely but turned deadly during a child visitation exchange. Around 6 pm, Nikki Orvin drove her silver car to a Uvalda convenience store in Montgomery County to drop off Gabriel, aged 3, and Elijah, aged 5, with Damon and Sonya. An argument erupted over custody details, captured on store surveillance.

Nikki Orvin left at 6:01 pm, but Damon and Sonya followed in their 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, identifiable by its skull and crossbones license plate. At 6:05 pm, while driving north on Highway 221 in Jeff Davis County, Nikki Orvin called her father, Gary Orvin, reporting her rear window cracking and fearing gunfire. The call ended abruptly with a bumping sound.

To get away, she stopped near a natural gas substation. Damon allegedly shot Nikki Orvin twice in the head and neck at close range from outside her driver's side window between 6:08 and 6:10 pm while the boys were still in the backseat. A driver observed the Chevelle traveling north at speeds of 80 to 90 mph. The area was covered in shell casings and pieces of a.45 ACP pistol bullet, according to the BAMBERG v. STATE court file.

Later, Damon and Sonya drove to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, where they concocted a story about Damon being attacked elsewhere.

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Immediate aftermath and investigation (January 18–February 12, 2008)

Nikki Orvin was killed over custody of her son(Image via Unsplash/@Markus Winkler)

Gary Orvin called 911 immediately after the dropped call to alert the authorities about the chase. Jeff Davis County Sheriff Preston Bohannon and EMT Roger Ogilvie arrived at the scene around 6:20 pm, finding Nikki Orvin slumped dead in her car from the gunshot wounds. The boys, unharmed but traumatized, were safely removed and placed with family.

The GBI led the investigation, reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance footage, cell phone records of the defendants, as well as physical evidence, including tire impressions and a footprint near the vehicle. Witnesses confirmed Sonya's prior threats and solicitation.

Jail informants came forward: Damon told inmate Don Ellis that he had pursued and shot Nikki Orvin and then made up the assault story; he told inmate Burtis Taylor,

"Mama said it’s elimination time."

It is alleged that Sonya directed Taylor to plant evidence on someone else. A Hi-Point .45 pistol, matching casings, was reported stolen from Damon's brother's truck after the murder.

A search of the Bambergs' residence revealed Nikki's hair, in a Ziploc bag, and the menacing calendar notation. On February 12, 2008, Damon and Sonya were indicted by a grand jury on several counts, including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, damage to property, and cruelty to children, as per the BAMBERG v. STATE court file.

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Indictment and trial (February 2008–September 2009)

Following the indictments, Damon and Sonya remained in custody as evidence mounted. A four-day joint trial commenced on August 31, 2009, at the Jeff Davis County Superior Court, featuring 38 witnesses. Prosecutors presented timelines from video and phones, physical matches to the weapon, and confessions.

Gary Orvin testified about the frantic call, while GBI Agent Brian Hargett detailed impressions, and 911 dispatcher Sheryl Foskey described the emergency response. The defense attorneys questioned the sufficiency of evidence and timelines, citing impossibilities in the pursuit. The court directed the verdict of acquittal for child cruelty for lack of proof of intent.

On September 3, 2009, the jury convicted both of malice murder, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, and second-degree property damage. Felony murder counts were vacated. Key testimony included Sonya's jailhouse map-drawing, which disclosed the hiding of evidence. The trial revealed that the close mother-son dynamic was one of the factors contributing to the commission, according to the BAMBERG v. STATE court file.

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Sentencing and appeals (October 2009–February 2020)

Damon and Sonya were sentenced to life in prison (Image via Unsplash/@Tingey Injury Law Firm)

On October 22, 2009, the trial court sentenced Damon and Sonya to life in prison for murder, plus 30 consecutive years for the remaining charges, one aggravated assault having merged into murder per defendant. Both defendants filed motions for new trials, asserting, inter alia, that a transcript of the first day of their joint trial was unavailable due to equipment failure.

Reconstruction hearings came in July and November 2017, with five witnesses and court staff testifying that the proceedings occurred. Motions to amend continued well into 2018. On December 27, 2018, after a joint hearing, the court denied the requests. Appeals eventually reached the Georgia Supreme Court on issues of sufficiency of the evidence, accuracy of the transcript, and evidentiary rulings, as per the BAMBERG v. STATE court file.

On February 28, 2020, the court upheld the convictions, finding sufficient evidence under the legal standard and no reversible error in procedure or remarks. Damon is serving at Long State Prison in Ludowici, Georgia; Sonya at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville.

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Edited by Toshali Kritika