The true story behind Nistasha Tate's brutal crime ahead of Snapped

Snapped Season 35, Episode 21, brings to viewers the true story of Nistasha Tate's brutal murder of Milwaukie businessman Jimmy Alan Pearson. The episode premieres today, September 14, 2025, on Oxygen.

In March 2021, Milwaukie businessman Jimmy Alan Pearson was found shot to death inside his riverfront home. Pearson, 63, was known in the Portland area as the owner of the A-1 Hawk pawn shop chain. His murder set off a multi-state search for the suspect, 23-year-old Nistasha Rose Tate, whose case is now the subject of an upcoming episode of Snapped.

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The murder of Jimmy Pearson and Nistasha Tate as the primary suspect

Jimmy Pearson's death explored on Snapped (Image via Getty)

On March 1, 2021, surveillance footage from Pearson’s Ring home security system showed Nistasha Tate arriving at Pearson's house shortly after midnight, with an empty duffel bag.

After more than two hours, she was recorded leaving with the same bag, now full, as well as a small container and a plastic bin, as per Oregon Live. Investigators also noted that she appeared to be wearing gloves she did not have on when she first entered.

Jimmy Pearson was later found in his bedroom, dead, face down, killed by a single gunshot to the back of the head. The Clackamas County medical examiner ruled his death a case of homicide.

Not long after Tate left Pearson’s home, she was pulled over by a Milwaukie police officer. In her car, police found a handgun with three spent cartridges and three live rounds, as well as bags containing jewelry and coins. At that point, officers were unaware that Pearson had been killed and that Tate was the perpetrator.

According to Oregon Live, Pearson's body was discovered two days later, on March 3, 2021, after an employee from his work went to check on him as he had not shown up.

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Nistasha Tate's arrest and trial

When investigations began into Pearson's murder, detectives quickly identified Nistasha Tate as a suspect based on the home security footage, items found in her car, and phone records. By then, she had already left Oregon, travelled to North Carolina, and then to Florida.

On April 12, 2021, U.S. Marshals and Tampa police arrested Tate at a Greyhound bus station in Hillsborough County, Florida. She was extradited soon after to face charges of murder and robbery.

In September 2021, Nistasha Tate pleaded guilty in Clackamas County Circuit Court to Pearson’s murder and robbery, as reported by The Chronicle. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years by Judge Jeffrey Jones.

During the sentencing, Pearson’s daughters, Sarah and Tawnya, described the impact of their father’s death on their family and his four grandchildren. Tate also addressed the family, expressing remorse for her actions.

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The Pearson estate dispute

Alongside the ongoing case of Pearson's death, there was also a legal battle going on over Pearson’s estate, which had become the focus of a probate dispute. In 2020, Pearson signed a new will removing his daughters as beneficiaries and leaving most of his assets to two retired federal prosecutors who had been longtime acquaintances.

His daughters contested the will, which led to a court case that was resolved in October 2021. Under the settlement, Pearson’s daughters received ownership of the pawn shops. Most of his estate went into a trust for his grandchildren, and the two former prosecutors, who were named in his will, each received $75,000.

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Pearson's murder case is explored on tonight's episode of Snapped.

Edited by Sneha Haldar