Suspect in Oakland killing extradited from prison to face charges

OAKLAND — A man who was serving a prison sentence for a police chase and car theft has been extradited to the Bay Area to face a new charge: murdering a 38-year-old man inside the victim’s own home.

A criminal complaint filed in July 2023 charges 29-year-old Donald Marler with one count of murder in the death of 38-year-old Nicholas Lord, and another felony charge for allegedly possessing the gun used to kill Lord. Though the complaint was filed last summer, Marler was not brought to court to face the charge until Feb. 14, 2024, according to court and jail records.

An email sent by an Alameda County prosecutor and filed in court indicates it was Marler who initiated the court process. The email says that Marler made a recent demand for a speedy trial to “take care of this matter” and was scheduled to be picked up from prison in Kings County and taken to Alameda County.

Marler was identified as a suspect in the June 7, 2022 homicide by “witnesses,” and was arrested with the suspected murder weapon two days after the killing, investigators said in court filings. Police at the time said that Lord was heard arguing with his killer before being shot inside his home on the 1100 block of Novelda Drive in East Oakland.

In January 2023, Marler was convicted in Sacramento County of two felonies: evading police causing injury and vehicle theft, court records show. He was sentenced to prison with a parole eligibility in 2025, and transferred to Avenal State Prison, records show. Marler also has 2014 convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy charges in Contra Costa County, according to the criminal complaint.

He is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail and is next due in court on Feb. 23 to enter a plea, records show.