Ring camera video evidence caps second week of McCain hearing

Tyler McCain’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to end on Tuesday, September 23. McCain is facing charges related to the disappearance of his wife, Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, who went missing in May 2024. He’s accused of killing her to prevent her from testifying against him on felony domestic violence charges. 

So far, the prosecution has presented evidence found in the couple’s shared home and vehicle and heard from witnesses who lived or stayed on the property, as well as McCain’s mother and many members of law enforcement who worked on the case in some way.  

Earlier this week, the prosecution also brought to the stand Franz “Albert” Nelson, a confidential informant in the case who testified that his previous statements to law enforcement indicating that he’d heard McCain confessing to the crime of killing his wife were a lie he came up with to get out of jail. On Thursday, September 18, after six hours of questioning the day before, Nelson returned to the stand where he tolerated the prosecution’s repeated questions for only a few minutes.

Turning to Judge Thomas L. Bender, Nelson stated he was willing to be charged for contempt of court rather than continue to respond to prosecutor Toby Powell’s repetitive line of questioning contrasting his previous statements to police with his recent statements on the stand, referring to Powell’s approach crudely as a “circle jerk.”

Nelson’s sister Felicia Nelson and her former boyfriend Justin “Too Tall” Karren also returned to the stand on Thursday along with three members of law enforcement. 

Ring camera footage

During the last testimony of the day, an interview with Shasta’s lead detective in the case, Kilee Holroyd, the prosecution presented footage from a Ring camera mounted at the front door of the home of Saelee-McCain’s sister, Chloe Saelee. 

The footage, which was not dated, depicts a man identified as Tyler McCain approaching Saelee’s front door and knocking before shouting, “Open the door. Open the fucking door.” Inside the house, a woman’s voice can be heard faintly, appearing to plead with the man.

He says, “If you don’t open this fucking door I swear to God I’ll fucking kill you.” Inside, the woman can be heard speaking again, at one time begging, “Tyler, stop.” Moments later, he tells her through the door, “I swear to God if the cops show up I’ll send six people here and kill everyone in this house… I swear on my kids’ lives,” he emphasizes, referencing the couple’s four minor children. “You’re scaring me,” the woman’s voice responds.

Shortly after the video was played, testimony ended for the day. In the elevator afterwards, those who’d been attending the hearing stood in somber silence as one woman struggled to contain her tears.

McCain’s preliminary hearing will continue on Tuesday, September 23, and is scheduled to end that day. Along with the murder charge, he’s also facing felony domestic violence charges.

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