Kaushal Niroula Was a Grifter Whose Scheming Ended in Murder — Where Is He Now?

When it came to grifts, few did it better than Kaushal Niroula. According to the SF Weekly, back in 2009, Niroula allegedly posed as a businessman then proceeded to con a Japanese tourist out of $508,000.

He managed to convince a Silicon Valley collector that he was an art consultant, who ended up losing $485,000.

When he got busted, Niroula stole $300,000 in jewelry from the mother of a friend to pay for his restitution plea deal.

Niroula, who was 26 at the time, was relying heavily on his boyish good looks and posh British accent. He managed to convince a Marin County judge and a U.S. immigration judge to set a shockingly low bail.

This paved the way for a trip to Palm Springs, Calif., that ended in murder. Where is Kaushal Niroula? Here's what we know.

In December 2012, Niroula was convicted of murder, conspiracy, and other charges stemming from the 2008 financially motivated killing of a Palm Springs retiree, per KESQ.

Niroula, then 31, was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole along with his co-defendant, 30-year-old Daniel Carlos Garcia.

The two fatally stabbed 74-year-old Clifford Lambert in December 2008, then buried his body in the desert outside of Palm Springs.

Niroula and Garcia were the last of six defendants to be prosecuted in this case. The other four pled guilty. David Replogle, a San Francisco attorney, and Miguel Bustamante were convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Craig McCarthy pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 25 years and four months. Russell Manning, an art dealer from San Francisco, got five years for fraud-related charges.

In September 2022, Niroula was killed by a fellow prisoner while the two were at Riverside County jail. Niroula was awaiting a retrial when 61-year-old Rodney Sanchez beat Niroula to death.

The convicted sex offender was awaiting trial for a sexual assault on a minor charge. Sanchez spoke with the Bay Area Reporter in August 2025 and told the outlet he read about Niroula in a book written by a friend of Lambert's.

Sanchez didn't reveal what his motive was, stating that it could affect an appeal he had for another case. What he did say was Niroula and Replogle were "conniving individuals" who "put up a bunch of stumbling blocks in pursuit of their freedom."

When asked if he regretted killing Niroula, Sanchez said that it was a double-edged sword. Sanchez repeated his concerns about jeopardizing his other appeal. Niroula's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County, claiming he was a transgender woman and, as such, should have never been placed in a cell with a sex offender.

Sanchez told the Bay Area Reporter that Sanchez "appeared to be a man" to him. The wrongful death trial is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025.