Latest news with #Saelee-McCain
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nikki Saelee-McCain vanished ahead of a domestic violence trial
Go behind the headlines as NewsNation's 'Missing' investigates missing person cases from across the country, from cold cases to the latest developing stories. Tune into our latest case's digital show each Friday where we speak to loved ones and examine the case. Subscribe to our newsletter here. (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. Officers find missing girl, arrest human trafficking suspect in Los Angeles '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. Missing Wisconsin woman found after more than 60 years 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. Missing teen found under blanket in car during Arizona traffic stop 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. Tabitha Tuders' family describes heartbreak as they wait for answers '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. Bossier City Police search for missing child 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. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Missing California mom's family digs for homicide ‘cover-up or cleanup' as police eye persons of interest
The sisters of a Northern California mother of four are seeking answers after her disappearance was recently ruled a homicide. Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain was a 39-year-old mother of four from Shasta County who vanished on May 17, 2024. Her disappearance has since been reclassified as a homicide by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. In an emotional interview, Kaye Ford and Chloe Saelee opened up to Fox News Digital about the heartbreaking disappearance of their older sister. "When we initially first had a feeling that she was missing, I just knew right away in my heart something wasn't right, and I knew something bad had happened to her," Saelee said. California Mom's Disappearance Now A Homicide Case As Detective Eye Persons Of Interest Ford said that the Northern California family is extremely close, calling and texting each other on a nearly daily basis. After their sister failed to participate in the family's active group chats, they knew something was awry. Read On The Fox News App "We, as a family, knew it wasn't her running off or her just not communicating with the family," Ford said. "We definitely knew that something probably really bad had happened to her. And we definitely knew that time was in the essence as far as evidence and clues as to what may have happened to her." Saelee-McCain's last contact with her family was on May 18, 2024, when she sent a text message to her family around 12:35 a.m. After the message, she was not heard from again. Her vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, was found abandoned on May 25, 2024, in western Tehama County. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter On March 25, 2025, the family's worst nightmare became a reality when the sheriff's office announced that they had identified "persons of interest" in Saelee-McCain's homicide investigation. "I'm hopeful that the people who have information will step up," Ford said. "They may or may not be involved in the actual homicide. They may be involved in a cover-up or the cleanup, whatever else it might be." Missing Wisconsin Teen Found More Than 2 Months After Disappearance The sisters said that they want any involved parties to come forward so they "have a clean conscience." "We're working really hard to apply the pressure," Ford said. "Law enforcement has been very diligently working on the case. We don't see most of their work since a lot of their work is behind the scenes." Nearly 10 months after his wife disappeared, Tyler McCain spoke publicly during a press conference on March 10, 2025. At the event, which was organized by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, McCain expressed remorse for prior domestic abuse allegations and his lack of public involvement in the search for his missing wife. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X "I apologize to everyone, especially my children, my wife's family, mine as well," he said. "I'm just here in support, so anything that I can do, I want to do that." McCain was charged in December 2023 with multiple felony counts, including corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment, criminal threats and assault. The case was dropped in July last year due to Saelee-McCain's disappearance and the fact that she could not testify against her husband, according to KRCR. Authorities have not accused McCain of any wrongdoing in his wife's disappearance. Have A News Tip? Click Here Authorities are seeking information about a red truck whose driver may have picked up a man in the area of Highway 36 in western Tehama County near the R Wild Horse Ranch or the Beegum Gorge Bridge between May 18 and May 25, 2024. A combined reward of up to $30,000 is offered for information leading to Saelee-McCain's location. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Fox News Digital has reached out to McCain's attorney, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) for article source: Missing California mom's family digs for homicide 'cover-up or cleanup' as police eye persons of interest
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Fox News
Missing California mom's family digs for homicide ‘cover-up or cleanup' as police eye persons of interest
The sisters of a Northern California mother of four are seeking answers after her disappearance was recently ruled a homicide. Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain was a 39-year-old mother of four from Shasta County who vanished on May 17, 2024. Her disappearance has since been reclassified as a homicide by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. In an emotional interview, Kaye Ford and Chloe Saelee opened up to Fox News Digital about the heartbreaking disappearance of their older sister. "When we initially first had a feeling that she was missing, I just knew right away in my heart something wasn't right, and I knew something bad had happened to her," Saelee said. Ford said that the Northern California family is extremely close, calling and texting each other on a nearly daily basis. After their sister failed to participate in the family's active group chats, they knew something was awry. "We, as a family, knew it wasn't her running off or her just not communicating with the family," Ford said. "We definitely knew that something probably really bad had happened to her. And we definitely knew that time was in the essence as far as evidence and clues as to what may have happened to her." Saelee-McCain's last contact with her family was on May 18, 2024, when she sent a text message to her family around 12:35 a.m. After the message, she was not heard from again. Her vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, was found abandoned on May 25, 2024, in western Tehama County. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER On March 25, 2025, the family's worst nightmare became a reality when the sheriff's office announced that they had identified "persons of interest" in Saelee-McCain's homicide investigation. "I'm hopeful that the people who have information will step up," Ford said. "They may or may not be involved in the actual homicide. They may be involved in a cover-up or the cleanup, whatever else it might be." The sisters said that they want any involved parties to come forward so they "have a clean conscience." "We're working really hard to apply the pressure," Ford said. "Law enforcement has been very diligently working on the case. We don't see most of their work since a lot of their work is behind the scenes." Nearly 10 months after his wife disappeared, Tyler McCain spoke publicly during a press conference on March 10, 2025. At the event, which was organized by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, McCain expressed remorse for prior domestic abuse allegations and his lack of public involvement in the search for his missing wife. "I apologize to everyone, especially my children, my wife's family, mine as well," he said. "I'm just here in support, so anything that I can do, I want to do that." McCain was charged in December 2023 with multiple felony counts, including corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment, criminal threats and assault. The case was dropped in July last year due to Saelee-McCain's disappearance and the fact that she could not testify against her husband, according to KRCR. Authorities have not accused McCain of any wrongdoing in his wife's disappearance. Authorities are seeking information about a red truck whose driver may have picked up a man in the area of Highway 36 in western Tehama County near the R Wild Horse Ranch or the Beegum Gorge Bridge between May 18 and May 25, 2024. A combined reward of up to $30,000 is offered for information leading to Saelee-McCain's location. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Fox News Digital has reached out to McCain's attorney, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) for comment.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
California mom's disappearance now a homicide case as detectives eye persons of interest
The 2024 disappearance of a California mom of four is now being investigated as a homicide, according to authorities. Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain's family reported her missing from her home in Anderson on May 22, 2024, after they last heard from her on May 18 of that year. "Since the initial investigation, Detectives have worked tirelessly to locate Nikki and to determine the events leading to her disappearance," the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said in a March 14 press release. "Detectives have served numerous search warrants, including a prior search warrant at Nikki's residence. Furthermore, Detectives have interviewed family members, friends and acquaintances of Nikki, including citizens who have reported information about her disappearance." On March 14, detectives and agents with the Department of Homeland Security (HSI) and FBI served a warrant at Saelee-McCain's Anderson home. Missing Connecticut Girl Found Alive 25 Years After Kidnapping With Help From Dna Testing Based on evidence gathered from the search and from interviews, and the fact that McCain's family has not heard from her since May 18, 2024, detectives determined Saelee-McCain's disappearance and presumed death to be a homicide. Read On The Fox News App The sheriff's office has identified persons of interest in her homicide but said their "identities are being withheld due to the ongoing nature of this investigation." Key Witness In American College Student's Disappearance Tells Police How They Met, What Happened On Beach Authorities are asking for the public's assistance in identifying the driver of a red truck who "may have picked up a male adult in the area of Highway 36 in the western portion of Tehama County near the R Wild Horse Ranch or the Beegum Gorge bridge between" May 18 and May 25, 2024. Saelee-McCan's husband, Tyler McCain, was on trial for felony domestic abuse charges when his wife disappeared. The case was dropped in July of last year due to Saelee-McCain's disappearance and the fact that she could not testify against her husband, according to KRCR. Florida Teen Tortured, Killed By Couple After Dating App Meetup: Police Tyler McCain spoke out for the first time since his wife vanished at a March 11 press conference. "We miss you," he said, according to KRCR. "I don't really know what to say." Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter He went on to apologize for not being "in the public eye" since his wife's disappearance and "not doing very well with it." "I apologize to everyone, especially my children. My wife's family, mine as well," he said, as KRCR reported. "I'm just here in support, so anything that I can do, I want to do that." Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Fox News Digital reached out to McCain's attorney, Michael Borges, for comment. A $30,000 reward is being offered for anyone who provides information to authorities that may lead to Saelee-McCain's location. The FBI is assisting local agencies in the investigation into the missing mom's death. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Officials are asking anyone with information about Saelee-McCain's disappearance and death to contact the Major Crimes Unit by email at MCU@ or at article source: California mom's disappearance now a homicide case as detectives eye persons of interest
