Charged: Nicolas Holzer has been indicted on felony charges for killing his parents, sons and dogs . A man who told sheriff's deputies he had stabbed his elderly parents, his two sons and the family dog with kitchen knives because it was 'his destiny' has been charged with murder and animal cruelty. When authorities asked Nicolas Holzer, 45, why he had murdered his family in Goleta, California in August, he responded: 'I had to.' On Tuesday, Santa Barbara County prosecutors announced that a grand jury indicted Holzer on felony charges that include special allegations. Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty and Holzer remains jailed without bail. Prosecutors say he grabbed knives from the kitchen on August 11 and killed his father William, a 73-year-old well-respected scientist, in the den. He then stabbed his two sons, 13-year-old Sebastian and 10-year-old Vincent, while they slept in their room, authorities said. Then he attacked his mother, Sheila, 74, in the doorway of the boys' bedroom before finally murdering the family pet, an Australian Shepherd-type dog, in the  hallway. Afterwards, he called 911 to calmly admit to what he had done, police said. 'Holzer subsequently told detectives he had killed his family to fulfill what he believed was his destiny,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said at the time. Murdered: Holzer stabbed his sons, 13-year-old Sebastian and 10-year-old Vincent, multiple times in August . 'I had to,' he told deputies, the Lompoc Record reported. The victims were all dead from multiple stab wounds when deputies arrived at the home about 11pm. They also found two large kitchen knives. Holzer was taken into custody without incident. Before the killings, Nicolas Holzer, who has no criminal history, had repeatedly called and visited the Sheriff's Office to make a series of bizarre claims, a source said, the Santa Barbara Independent reported last month. Loss: He also stabbed his father, prominent scientist Dr Bill Holzer, left, and his mother Sheila in their home . He told officers that he knew the location of the missing Malaysia airliner, that he was responsible for the Deltopia party riots in April and was the ghostwriter of Elliot Rodger's manifesto, the source said. Last month, Holzer's defense attorney Christine Voss entered a plea of 'not guilty' on behalf of her client but said there is a possibility it might change in the future. 'I entered the not guilty plea on his behalf and then we'll address whether or not we're going to enter a not guilty by reason of insanity plea down the road,' Voss told KEYT - but added she was not comfortable addressing his current state of mind. The unemployed dad-of-two had lived in his parents' home for about seven years with his two sons. He had been awarded full custody of the boys after divorcing their mother nine years earlier, the Record reported. Crime scene: A body is removed from the family's home after the grisly killings on August 11 . William Charles Holzer, who had a PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, was a respected scientist who had previously worked with Raytheon, an aerospace defense company. A neighbor described Dr and Mrs Holzer as active members of the community, but said the home never seemed happy - and that Dr Holzer still had to work part-time to provide for his grandsons. The neighbor told the Santa Barbara Independent that the incident was 'not unexpected' and that he had told the doctor to come and get him if there was ever a confrontation in the house. 'It's sad and tragic,' the neighbor said. 'I know [the Holzers] wanted the best for their son and did what they could to help him... You just never know what happens behind closed doors.'
Nicolas Holzer 'grabbed two kitchen knives and stabbed his 73-year-old father William, a well-respected scientist, to death in their den in August'
He 'then stabbed his two sons, aged 10 and 13, while they slept before attacking his 74-year-old mother, Sheila, and dog in the hallway'
Holzer then calmly called 911 to say what he had done, adding: 'I had to'
On Tuesday, he was charged with murder and animal cruelty .
Last month, his attorney said he may plead not guilty by reason of insanity .
Charged: Nicolas Holzer has been indicted on felony charges for killing his parents, sons and dogs . A man who told sheriff's deputies he had stabbed his elderly parents, his two sons and the family dog with kitchen knives because it was 'his destiny' has been charged with murder and animal cruelty. When authorities asked Nicolas Holzer, 45, why he had murdered his family in Goleta, California in August, he responded: 'I had to.' On Tuesday, Santa Barbara County prosecutors announced that a grand jury indicted Holzer on felony charges that include special allegations. Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty and Holzer remains jailed without bail. Prosecutors say he grabbed knives from the kitchen on August 11 and killed his father William, a 73-year-old well-respected scientist, in the den. He then stabbed his two sons, 13-year-old Sebastian and 10-year-old Vincent, while they slept in their room, authorities said. Then he attacked his mother, Sheila, 74, in the doorway of the boys' bedroom before finally murdering the family pet, an Australian Shepherd-type dog, in the  hallway. Afterwards, he called 911 to calmly admit to what he had done, police said. 'Holzer subsequently told detectives he had killed his family to fulfill what he believed was his destiny,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said at the time. Murdered: Holzer stabbed his sons, 13-year-old Sebastian and 10-year-old Vincent, multiple times in August . 'I had to,' he told deputies, the Lompoc Record reported. The victims were all dead from multiple stab wounds when deputies arrived at the home about 11pm. They also found two large kitchen knives. Holzer was taken into custody without incident. Before the killings, Nicolas Holzer, who has no criminal history, had repeatedly called and visited the Sheriff's Office to make a series of bizarre claims, a source said, the Santa Barbara Independent reported last month. Loss: He also stabbed his father, prominent scientist Dr Bill Holzer, left, and his mother Sheila in their home . He told officers that he knew the location of the missing Malaysia airliner, that he was responsible for the Deltopia party riots in April and was the ghostwriter of Elliot Rodger's manifesto, the source said. Last month, Holzer's defense attorney Christine Voss entered a plea of 'not guilty' on behalf of her client but said there is a possibility it might change in the future. 'I entered the not guilty plea on his behalf and then we'll address whether or not we're going to enter a not guilty by reason of insanity plea down the road,' Voss told KEYT - but added she was not comfortable addressing his current state of mind. The unemployed dad-of-two had lived in his parents' home for about seven years with his two sons. He had been awarded full custody of the boys after divorcing their mother nine years earlier, the Record reported. Crime scene: A body is removed from the family's home after the grisly killings on August 11 . William Charles Holzer, who had a PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, was a respected scientist who had previously worked with Raytheon, an aerospace defense company. A neighbor described Dr and Mrs Holzer as active members of the community, but said the home never seemed happy - and that Dr Holzer still had to work part-time to provide for his grandsons. The neighbor told the Santa Barbara Independent that the incident was 'not unexpected' and that he had told the doctor to come and get him if there was ever a confrontation in the house. 'It's sad and tragic,' the neighbor said. 'I know [the Holzers] wanted the best for their son and did what they could to help him... You just never know what happens behind closed doors.'
family dog with kitchen knives because it was 'his destiny' has been charged with murder and animal cruelty. When authorities asked Nicolas had to.' On Tuesday, Santa Barbara County his father William, a 73-year-old well-respected scientist, in the den. He then stabbed his two Vincent, while they slept in their room, Australian Shepherd-type dog, in the  hallway. Afterwards, he called 911 to calmly admit to what he had done, police said. 'Holzer subsequently Vincent, multiple times in August . 'I had to,' Holzer, left, and his mother Sheila in their home we're going to enter a not guilty by reason of