Former attorney sentenced to life without parole for 2008 murder of Palm Springs socialite

A former attorney received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for the 2008 murder of Palm Springs art dealer and socialite Clifford Lambert.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Anthony Villalobos sentenced David Replogle, 76, following his conviction on eight felonies including first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, burglary, grand theft, identity theft and forgery. A jury at the Larson Justice Center in Indio convicted Replogle in August 2022 and found true a special circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain.

The 2022 conviction came after a retrial following the reversal of a 2010 conviction due to judicial misconduct. Replogle filed multiple motions for a new trial and requested numerous continuances of his sentencing date, all of which were denied over objections by the District Attorney’s Office.

Replogle participated in a six-person scheme that lured 74-year-old Lambert under false pretenses to his Palm Springs home, where he was fatally stabbed on Dec. 5, 2008. Lambert’s body was buried off a mountainside in Los Angeles, where investigators later discovered a jawbone and skull that were positively identified as belonging to the victim.

Using his legal credentials, Replogle forged power of attorney documents that allowed his co-conspirators to transfer more than $185,000 from Lambert’s accounts after the stabbing. Replogle also attempted to liquidate Lambert’s assets, including his home and art collection.

Five co-defendants were convicted for their roles in the scheme: Kaushal Niroula, Daniel Garcia, Miguel Bustamante, Craig McCarthy and Russell Manning. Niroula died in custody before resentencing.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Lisa DiMaria and Jenna Barsamian of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Homicide Unit.

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