Frontier Justice

DANIEL MARK DRIVER, 35, HAD JUST TAKEN HIS SEAT in a rural California courtroom for a hearing on charges that he had sexually molested four boys when Ellie Nesler, the 40-year-old mother of one of the victims, quietly walked up behind him. According to police, she pulled out a small-caliber pistol and fired five shots into his head.

The fatal shooting quickly plunged the tiny gold-mining town of Jamestown into turmoil. Reporters poured in, tabloid-TV shows pressed for details, and local supporters took up a collection for Nesler's defense. Donna Brewer, who runs a cafe next to the courthouse, said Driver "deserved what he got. That's the worst crime there is." And Nesler's sister claimed that Driver, who had a previous conviction for child molestation, had "smirked" when he entered the courtroom. Almost lost in the hubbub was the district attorney, who called the shooting "reprehensible." Nesler, who was freed on $500,000 bond, will enter a plea this week.