Tyler McCain’s jury trial is set to begin Nov. 18. He’s facing multiple charges, including murder.

Tyler McCain pled not guilty to all charges during a hearing Tuesday, Oct. 7. His wife, Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, disappeared in May 2024 shortly before she was scheduled to testify against her spouse on felony domestic violence charges.

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Community members surround Tyler McCain’s car as he leaves court on July 28, two months after his wife disappeared. Photo by Annelise Pierce.

After weeks of preliminary hearings in September – during which the Honorable Judge Thomas L. Bender, county prosecutors and Tyler McCain’s defense team reviewed evidence and interviewed witnesses – the courts determined there is enough plausibility for McCain to stand trial before a jury. Today, after McCain pled not guilty to all charges, the judge scheduled the trial to begin Nov. 18.

Saelee McCain’s body has never been recovered, making the investigation and preliminary prosecution unique and more difficult. But ultimately the District Attorney was able to convince the judge to move forward with the case. 

McCain is facing several charges, including murder, with a special allegation that he killed his 39-year-old wife, Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, to prevent her from testifying in court against him on charges of domestic violence. Saelee-McCain disappeared in May of last year, just 10 days after her husband was arraigned for felony abuse he allegedly committed in December 2023. He is currently being held without bail at the Shasta County Jail.

The fate of Saelee-McCain has rocked the local community, with her family, friends, victim advocates and organizers within the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples movement all coming together to demand justice. 

Before the trial begins, McCain will undergo a review hearing at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 27 and appear at a settlement conference Nov. 3 as well as a trial readiness conference Nov. 12. A judge for the trial has yet to be assigned.


Do you have information or a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.

Author

Annelise Pierce is Shasta Scout’s Editor and a Community Reporter covering government accountability, civic engagement, and local religious and political movements.

Comments (5)
  1. #JusticeForNikki #TeamNikki

  2. Let’s get this conviction, and find Nikki.

  3. I pray every nite that her family find peace. This is SO AWFUL.MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM ALL SHE’S A BEAUTIFUL LADY .

  4. I’m concerned because I’ve followed every aspect of this case due to myself having 2girls whom Iwould die if harmed. Nevertheless less I feel that after hearing the medium her sisters had do a reading . In the reading she describes win River casino area . Anc to my knowledge no search has been done along the creek back there and I really think there are answers back there and who’s the friend that helped him hide stuff.

    • There has been a search done on the entire perimeter of the Rancheria grounds, and all residential properties behind it. Unfortunately a year had passed by before the permission was given. Aside from random debris in places, and what was most likely transient trash, or something left by one of the tweakers that is/was staying at Glenn Murphy’s residence, nothing relevant to Nikki’s disappearance was found.

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