Latest news with #TylerMcCain
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Husband of Nikki Cheng-Saelee McCain has been arrested for her murder
On Wednesday, August 20, Tyler McCain was arrested for the murder of his wife, Nikki Cheng-Saelee McCain. The 39-year-old vanished from Redding, California, in May 2024. Dateline first featured her story in its Missing in America series in July 2024. Nikki's sister, Kaye Ford, told Dateline in 2024 that Nikki last communicated with her sisters on the evening of May 17, via text. On May 22, after the sisters hadn't heard from Nikki for several days, she was reported missing to the Redding Police Department. Two days later, the case was transferred to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. According to court documents, as well as Nikki's family, Nikki had been due to appear in court for a settlement conference on June 3, 2024. Her husband, Tyler McCain, was facing four felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident against Nikki in December 2023. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Nikki vanished before she could appear in court. On July 5, 2024, the charges against Tyler McCain were dismissed due to Nikki's inability to appear in court. In a press conference on March 10, 2025, Tyler spoke out for the first time since Nikki's disappearance alongside her family. 'I'm just here in support, so anything that I can do, I want to do that,' he said. Days later, on Friday, March 14, 2025, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office shared a press release on their Facebook page, stating that Nikki's case was now being investigated as a homicide. The press release also stated there had been a search warrant executed at Nikki and Tyler's residence that same day. On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office held a press conference to announce an arrest in the case. 'Detectives recently obtained a murder arrest warrant for Tyler McCain, and today at about 10:15 a.m. Tyler McCain was arrested,' Sheriff Michael L. Johnson said. 'He was ultimately booked in the Shasta County Jail with no bail for the murder of Nikki.' At the press conference, Sheriff Johnson shared some details of his office's investigation after Nikki was reported missing on May 22, 2024. 'A day after taking the missing person's case, detectives served a search warrant of Nikki and Tyler's residence,' he said. 'Various items of evidentiary value were seized as evidence.' Nikki's Chevy Avalanche was found on May 25, 2024, off Highway 26 near the border of Shasta and Tehama counties. 'Detectives and crime scene investigators processed the vehicle and located physical evidence which indicated foul play,' Johnson said. 'Based on the evidence gathered, information learned from interviews, and the fact that no one in Nikki's family has seen or heard from Nikki since her disappearance, the detectives have determined that Nikki is the victim of homicide. Detectives also further concluded that Nikki's husband, Tyler Scott McCain, is responsible for Nikki's death and disappearance.' 'These cases are layered, meticulous, require months of investigation, hundreds and hundreds of personnel hours, not just from investigators, but from law enforcement, boots on the ground, from support services, from forensic evidence, all across the board,' Sheriff Johnson said. 'It is very labor-intensive, and it is crucial that all that evidence is collected, preserved, and processed accordingly to make the case.' Nikki's body has not yet been found. Finding her remains a priority for the sheriff's office. 'We've used search and rescue, we've used volunteers, friends, family, advocates within the community have all contributed and looked in drainage, ditches, properties, rural areas, waterways, trying to locate Nikki for the family, and trying to give us that next piece in this case,' Sheriff Johnson said at Wednesday's press conference. He also asked for the public's help. 'If you're watching and you have information and you know where she is, please come forward,' he urged. 'Please bring that information forward now that this case is at the point that it is, and provide some relief for Nikki's family and help end their agonizing pain and search, and let them lay her to rest.' Two of Nikki's sisters, Chloe Saelee and Kaye Ford, briefly spoke at the conclusion of Wednesday's press conference. 'We are still fighting for justice to be fully served, for my sister's memory to be honored and for the healing of our family and community,' Kaye said. 'Nothing can erase the pain of losing her, but knowing that the person responsible is being held accountable allows us to move forward with hope from the bottom of our hearts.' Dateline reached out to Tyler McCain's attorney for comment, but has not heard back. According to District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett, McCain is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit by email at MCU@ or at 530-245-6135.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Husband of missing California mother of four arrested on murder charge
More than a year after the disappearance of 39-year-old Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, her husband has been arrested and charged with her murder, Shasta County authorities announced Wednesday. Detectives arrested Tyler McCain and booked him into the county jail on one count of murder. Prosecutors said they will also seek a special circumstance allegation, accusing him of killing his wife — the mother of their four children — to stop her from testifying in a domestic violence case. He is being held without bail. Nikki was last seen on May 18, 2024. Investigators said her phone last connected to the network at her Anderson home that morning, when she was with her husband. Days later, her Chevy Avalanche was found abandoned near the Shasta-Tehama county line. Prosecutors said the vehicle's covered bed contained a strong odor of decomposition and a blood-stained sheet later confirmed to contain Nikki's DNA. According to prosecutors, a confidential informant reported that McCain admitted to killing his wife during a domestic violence incident. In March, detectives — working with the FBI and Homeland Security — reclassified the case as a homicide after searching the couple's home. Nikki's body has not been found, but prosecutors said California law does not require a body to file a murder charge. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett said her office will also refile domestic violence charges from 2023 that were previously dismissed. 'The dismissal of the domestic violence case was necessary because we would not have been able to prove the case without her testimony, without also having to prove that Tyler McCain caused Nikki's disappearance,' Bridgett said.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Husband of missing California woman Nikki Saelee-McCain arrested for murder
The husband of a California woman who went missing in 2024 has been arrested in connection with her death, authorities said on Wednesday. Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain's family reported that they had not heard from her or seen her since May 18, 2024. The Shasta County District Attorney's Office said Nikki's phone was last connected to the network at her home just after 3 a.m. on May 18, 2024. Witness statements and forensic data showed that she was at home with her husband, Tyler McCain, during the early morning hours that day. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office said it located Nikki's Chevy Avalanche near the Shasta and Tehama county line a week later. Prosecutors described "an overwhelming odor of decomposition" coming from the truck's bed, which had an enclosed covering. Prosecutors said a white sheet with apparent blood and various staining was located in the truck's bed. The blood from the sheet was later confirmed to belong to Nikki. Prosecutors added that further evidence recovered from inside the vehicle and the truck bed "provided overwhelming support that Tyler McCain was the primary source of DNA on items unrelated to blood or bodily fluids." Detectives then learned through a confidential report that Tyler admitted to killing Nikki after a domestic violence incident, prosecutors said. In March 2025, detectives, along with FBI and Homeland Security Agents, served a search warrant at Nikki's home in Anderson. After serving that search warrant, the sheriff's office ruled Nikki was the victim of a homicide. On Wednesday, the sheriff's office announced it arrested Tyler in connection with her death and disappearance. He was booked into the Shasta County Jail for murder and is being held with no bail. Shasta County prosecutors said they will file a murder charge against Tyler, along with a special circumstance that the murder was committed with the intent to prevent testimony. Prosecutors said they will also refile domestic violence charges from a December 2023 case, including charges of corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment, criminal threats and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. He will also be charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition after a criminal protective order, forgery and various traffic violations, prosecutors said. In the December 2023 case, prosecutors said Nikki filed a domestic violence charge against Tyler. They said she was contacted at a local hospital, where a deputy observed a black eye and other facial trauma. Nikki said she was physically assaulted by Tyler for about three hours just days before, and that she feared for her life, prosecutors said. The domestic violence charges were later dismissed. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett addressed concerns surrounding the dismissal of the domestic violence charges. "Second, the dismissal of the domestic violence case was necessary because we would not have been able to prove the case without her testimony, without also having to prove that Tyler McCain caused Nikki's disappearance," Bridgett said. Bridgett said the homicide investigation would have been compromised in July of 2024. In April 2025, Tyler was pulled over after he was seen unable to stay in the lanes and was seen throwing objects out the window. Detectives located his wallet. Inside his wallet was Nikki's California driver's license, which had partial burn damage to it, prosecutors said. To this day, Nikki's body has not been located. Prosecutors said California laws do not require her body to be located to prove the crime of murder, and efforts will continue to locate her body.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Husband arrested, charged in murder of Nikki McCain
The husband of Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain, who was declared dead seven months after the Shasta County woman went missing, has been charged in his wife's murder. Tyler McCain was arrested on Wednesday and is being held without bail in the Shasta County Jail and will appear in court on Friday, said Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Tyler McCain faces murder and domestic violence charges. Bridgett said it was the investigator's belief that McCain had killed his wife to prevent her from testifying in a domestic violence case. If convicted, McCain could be sentenced to life in prison without parole, Bridgett said. Read More: Nikki McCain homicide investigation began as missing person case: Here were the key events Michele Chandler covers dining, food, public safety and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@ Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Tyler McCain arrested, charged in murder of Nikki McCain
NBC News
17-03-2025
- NBC News
Nikki Cheng-Saelee McCain's missing person case now being investigated as a homicide
Thirty-nine-year-old Nikki Cheng-Saelee McCain has been missing since May 17, 2024. She last communicated with her sisters that evening by text. She was reported missing to the Redding Police Department, after no one had heard from her for several days. The case was turned over to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, and they are currently handling the case. Nikki had last told her sisters she was heading to her mother-in-law's property on Redding Rancheria, a Native American reservation in Shasta County. According to court documents, as well as Nikki's family, Nikki was due to appear in court for a settlement conference on June 3, 2024. She went missing just a few days prior to that. Her husband, Tyler McCain, was facing four felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident against Nikki in December 2023. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. On July 5, the charges against Tyler McCain were dismissed, prompting community outrage. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett addressed those concerns in an interview posted on Facebook. 'I hear the community's pleas for answers and justice for Nikki Cheng McCain,' she said. 'I share in those sentiments and frustrations.' Bridgett described the decision to drop the charges as difficult. However, 'in the United States, everyone has a constitutional right to confront the witnesses against them,' she said. 'That means the accuser — the victim — must be present in trial to testify against them. And we haven't been able to locate her.' The dismissal, she said, 'preserves our ability to re-file the case once Nikki is located or sufficient evidence is obtained to utilize her statements in her absence.' Last week, on Monday, March 10, McCain spoke to the media at a press conference, for the first time since his wife's disappearance. He told the media, 'I'm just here in support, so anything that I can do, I want to do that.' He also had a message for his wife, Nikki, saying, 'We miss you.' McCain also apologized for not speaking publicly, up to that point. 'I haven't been in the public eye, and I haven't done very well with it. I apologize to everyone, especially my children,' he said. On Friday, March 14, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office shared a press release on their Facebook page, stating that Nikki's case is now being investigated as a homicide. 'Based on evidence gathered, information learned from interviews and the fact that none of Nikki's family members have heard from Nikki since May 18th, 2024, detectives have determined Nikki is a victim of Homicide,' the press release reads. A search warrant was executed at Nikki's residence that same day. 'On Friday March 14th, 2025, Detectives with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit along with agents of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation served a search warrant at 17277 Olinda Road, Anderson,' the press release reads. 'This address is where Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain resided when she was initially reported missing by family members on May 22nd, 2024.' The sheriff's office also noted this was not the first time Nikki's residence has been searched during the investigation. 'Since the initial investigation, Detectives have worked tirelessly to locate Nikki and to determine the events leading to her disappearance,' the press release states. 'Detectives have served numerous search warrants, including a prior search warrant at Nikki's residence.' The release went on to say authorities have identified persons of interest in what they are now classifying as Nikki's homicide. 'However, their identities are being withheld due to the ongoing nature of this investigation.' The Shasta County Sheriff's Office urges anyone with information about Nikki's case to come forward, and is 'asking for the public's help with identifying a driver of a red in color 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 18th & May 25th, 2024.' The combined reward of up to $30,000 'for anyone who provides information that leads to Nikki's location' is still in effect. MCU@ or at 530-245-6135.
