Nikki Saelee-McCain vanished ahead of a domestic violence trial
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(NewsNation) — A mother of four disappeared just weeks before she was supposed to testify against her husband in a domestic violence case, and her family is trying to hold out hope as authorities say the case is now being considered a homicide.
Nikki Saelee-McCain said she was helping her in-laws with a family emergency in May of 2024 and was never seen again.
Nikki Saelee-McCain's family suspicious about her disappearance
Her family, including sister Chloe Saelee, told NewsNation they are frustrated with a lack of answers and suspicious that Saelee-McCain's husband had something to do with her disappearance.
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'My gut feeling is that something bad happened to her, but I try to stay hopeful,' Saelee said.
For her siblings, memories of 39-year-old Saelee-McCain include silly moments full of gossip and laughter amid an investigation that has taken a turn for the worse.
Saelee-McCain vanished on May 18, 2024, just weeks before she was scheduled to testify against her husband in a domestic violence case.
The charges stemmed from an incident in December 2023. Saelee remembers being shocked when she saw her sister in the hospital.
'I didn't even recognize her,' Saelee said. 'She said basically, 'I think he tried to kill me.''
Nikki Saelee-McCain's domestic violence case
The police report details visible trauma to Saelee-McCain's face from a three-hour ordeal in which Saelee-McCain said her husband bound her wrists and ankles and put tape over her mouth.
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Tyler McCain was charged with four felony counts and pleaded not guilty.
Saelee said he tried to get the charges dropped, but after attempting a reconciliation, Saelee-McCain refused.
'She was ready to start new and get her own place and move on with her life, with her and the children,' Saelee said.
Nikki Saelee-McCain disappears
On May 17, Saelee-McCain texted saying there was a medical emergency in her husband's family and she was at the ER.
Her last message came just after midnight May 18.
'She tells me that she has her mother-in-law's car and that she was going to take it back to her mother-in-law's house,' Saelee said.
That house was part of the Redding Rancheria, tribal lands connected to the Win-River Casino in Northern California.
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Volunteers searched surrounding areas, and days later, Saelee-McCain's gray Chevy Avalanche was found abandoned in the next county over.
Now her family wonders about those texts.
'Was that really her texting me, telling me she was at the hospital?' Saelee said. 'Or was that just somebody who could throw us off, like maybe something did happen to her before?'
Nikki Saelee-McCain disappeared in May 2024. (Chloe Saelee)
Nikki Saelee-McCain's sisters fear her husband was involved in her disappearance. (Chloe Saelee)
Nikki Saelee-Mccain disappeared before she could testify against her husband in a domestic violence case. (Chloe Saelee)
Nikki Saelee-McCain's family is still hoping she will be found. (Chloe Saelee)
Volunteers seached the area where Nikki Saelee-McCain was believe to be last. (Chloe Saelee)
Nikki Saelee-McCain's last message said there was an emergency with her in-laws. (Chloe Saelee)
The Saelee family personally looked for clues among abandoned cars on the Saelee-McCain property.
Then, firefighters were called to the same location weeks later to contain a wildfire allegedly ignited as McCain worked on a vehicle.
Tyler McCain's charges dropped
Angry protesters confronted McCain outside the courthouse when he arrived for his hearing, and the trial was delayed.
But ultimately, without Saelee-McCain's testimony, the district attorney said she had no choice but to drop the charges.
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'We simply couldn't go forward at that time. By dismissing it, it does preserve our ability to refile that case,' said Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett.
Tyler McCain speaks for the first time
In March, McCain spoke publicly for the first time, joining the Saelee family for a press conference where he spoke about efforts to bring his wife home and explained his silence.
'I haven't been in the public eye and haven't done very well with it,' McCain said. 'I apologize to everyone, especially my children, my wife's family as well as mine.'
Four days later, local and federal agents executed a search warrant at McCain's home.
Nikki McCain's case classified as a homicide
The sheriff's office refused NewsNation's request for an interview but issued a statement saying that, based on evidence gathered and the fact that nobody has heard from Saelee-McCain since she disappeared, detectives now consider her a victim of homicide.
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The department said it has identified persons of interest but is not releasing the names of those people at this time.
Despite the news, Saelee-McCain's family is not giving up on finding her.
'I just want her to know that we won't stop looking for her and we're going to find her, and we can't wait for her to come home,' Saelee said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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