Tyler Scott McCain arrested for the alleged 2024 murder of Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain
Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain went missing in May 2024 and is believed dead. During a press conference today the Sheriff’s Office announced that her husband, Tyler McCain was just arrested for murder. New details of the investigation were made public today.
Tyler Scott McCain was arrested at 10 a.m. today, Aug. 20, and is being held without bail in the Shasta County jail. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office says he’s been arrested on a murder charge for allegedly killing his wife, Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, who has been missing since May 2024.
The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office participated in a press briefing this afternoon sharing a plan to file criminal charges tomorrow, Aug. 21. The DA intends to file a charge of murder with an added special circumstance charge, indicating the alleged murder was committed to prevent the victim from testifying in a domestic violence case. The DA’s Office will also refile the felony domestic violence charges that were dropped in July 2024 after Saelee-McCain went missing.
“It is our belief,” DA Stephanie Bridget said, “that Tyler McCain murdered his wife Nikki McCain to prevent her from testifying in the domestic violence case. This enhancement elevates the murder charge from a sentence of 25 [years] to life without the possibility of parole.”
In addition to murder and felony domestic violence charges, the DA’s Office also plans to file additional charges that have arisen in the course of the investigation including weapons charges related to a firearm he allegedly possessed and a forgery charge related to an alleged effort to cash a check made out to both him and his wife.
McCain’s lawyer, Michael Borges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Officials said it’s the first time the Shasta County’s DA will file charges in a case in which the body remains missing. Under California law, they said, murder cases can be filed without the body being found.
Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett spoke to the press Wednesday, noting the community’s frustration with an apparent lack of progress in the case over the past year.
“Providing limited information to the public was necessary,” Bridgett said, “to ensure that a complete and thorough investigation could be conducted and that the integrity of the investigation and prosecution would be protected.”
“I hope the filing of these charges brings some measure of closure to Nikki’s family,” Bridgett continued, “and to our community who have tirelessly advocated for answers.”
New investigation details emerge
The Sheriff’s Office released a statement Wednesday alleging new details related to Saelee-McCain’s disappearance that have not been publicly shared before.
They say Saelee-McCain’s Chevrolet Avalanche, which was located off the roadway near the Shasta Tehama border six days after she was last seen, had an “overwhelming odor of decomposition” emitting from the enclosed truck bed. “A white sheet with apparent blood and various staining was located in the truck bed,” The Sheriff’s Office stated, noting that forensics matched the blood to Saelee-McCain.
She has not been seen or heard from since May 18 of last year. Information shared by the Sheriff’s Office today indicates that a confidential informant provided information alleging that McCain admitted killing Saelee-McCain after a domestic violence incident on the same day she went missing.
At the time, McCain was already facing domestic violence charges stemming from an alleged incident on Dec. 1, 2023. Saelee-McCain’s account of that incident, according to court filings, indicates she experienced a severe assault and feared for her life.
McCain was charged with four felonies in the case and pleaded not guilty to all of them. Charges were dropped after Saelee-McCain’s disappearance because the evidence being presented relied on her testimony, according to a statement by the District Attorney at the time.
McCain has been blamed for her death by some in the community who rallied outside the courthouse last July as he made an appearance for a court hearing in his felony domestic violence charges. Protesters that day shouted at McCain and chased his car as he left the courthouse.
During today’s press briefing, Sheriff Michael Johnson thanked a collaboration of justice agencies for their role in the investigation. Those agencies included the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, Redding Police Department, Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit, California Highway Patrol Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team as well as the California Department of Justice and CalFire.
“All instrumental and all contributing to today’s arrest of Tyler McCain,” Johnson said.
Like Bridgett, Johnson addressed the public scrutiny his office received over the course of the last year’s investigation, saying he wanted to provide perspective on the complexity, longevity and intense investigation that go into a case like this.
“These detectives and the law enforcement agencies involved continue to work tirelessly on the case. I can tell you that probably every day, with the exception of maybe a few, somebody from some agency involved in this investigation was working on the Nikki McCain case.”
Johnson addressed rumors that the Redding Rancheria was somehow involved in a cover-up related to Saelee-McCain’s disappearance, saying they are patently false and thanking the Redding Rancheria for their participation and cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
He also called upon members of the public who might know where her body is located to share that information. “Nikki is still not home,” Johnson emphasized. “Nikki is still out there somewhere, and we want her back. And if you’re watching and you have information and you know where she is, please come forward.”
Speaking to Saelee-McCain’s family, Johnson pledged continued efforts.
“Our hearts go out to you, and I promise you that we will not give up. We are not done looking for Nikki. We are going to work hard to bring Nikki home.”
Words from Nikki’s family
Saelee-McCain’s two sisters also spoke briefly to those gathered at a press conference at the DA’s Office thanking law enforcement for their efforts to bring justice.
“Your dedication and persistence have given us a measure of peace that we have we’ve been longing for,” Chloe Saelee said. “To the community, thank you for standing by us. Your prayers, support and strength have reminded us that we are not alone in our journey.”
Her other sister, Kaye Saelee Ford, said while this is an important step the fight is not over.
“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,” she 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.”
McCain is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 in Shasta County’s Superior Court.
You can see the written press releases shared by the DA and Sheriff here.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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Thank you Homeland Security.
What leaps out isn’t just the horror of what Tyler McCain is accused of doing, it’s the fact that the District Attorney’s Office dropped the domestic violence charges after Nikki went missing. Think about that. The DA now stands before cameras and says she was murdered to silence her testimony, but when Nikki disappeared — under suspicious, violent circumstances, prosecutors didn’t double down to protect her, they abandoned the case entirely. That decision is indefensible. Dropping felony domestic violence charges after the alleged victim vanishes sends a chilling message: if you silence your accuser, the system will reward you by collapsing the case. Evidence didn’t disappear with Nikki, there were police reports, photos, medical documentation, and prior statements that could have been used. Other jurisdictions prosecute domestic violence cases without a cooperative victim all the time, precisely because it’s common for victims to be too terrified (or, in this case, unable) to testify. Shasta County prosecutors had that option. They chose not to use it. Now the DA’s Office wants credit for refiling the charges they themselves dismissed, wrapping it in a “special circumstance” enhancement as though that erases the failure. It doesn’t. By letting those charges die in July, they gave McCain cover, leverage, and time, exactly what he was hoping for. So while Sheriff Johnson and DA Bridgett pat themselves on the back for this belated murder filing, the public should be asking one hard question: Would Nikki still have had a chance if the DA’s Office had fought to hold McCain accountable when she was still alive and reaching for help?
I know it takes time to put the solid case together. There’s plenty of evidence we haven’t seen. This family, Haywards, McCain’s Edwards are all such scum. They are done of the most disgusting families. When they pulled all the crap to die right ll the Foreman’s with DNA proof you saw that they are liars, frauds and greedy gopher guts. This entire family that covered for him should be charged too.
Thank you for the extremely detailed reporting and thank God he is caught!
Also prayers to the family! And prayers that her body is found. I also would like to share the dangers of DV are real and especially during the time when the person being abused is trying to leave. I’m also a survivor of DV and know how hard it is to get out of that situation it took me 6 years to leave my abuser.
MK: Thank you for sharing and I honor your courage.
Why the gloating. Innocent until proven guilty.
Who’s gloating??
Maybe you should go back and read the comment that you are responding to.
This is welcome news. For too long this has cast a shadow over our community. It engendered a feeling that the justice system is unwilling or unable to act on what the public already knows. It created a climate of fear for women to doubt if they were safe. At last we can finally begin to heal.
I’m glad to see the cover-up allegations addressed. While it’s unlikely that RR formally acted to obstruct justice, their initial silence and zealous about-face raised suspicious. I wonder if they’ll ever escape the question of whether they were pressured to trade some measure of tribal sovereignty for continued approval of their new casino.