SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Tyler McCain, the husband of a missing Redding mother, has been arrested and charged with her murder, authorities confirmed during a joint press conference held by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
McCain is facing one count of murder with a special circumstance—allegedly killing his wife, 39-year-old Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain, to prevent her from testifying in a domestic violence case. Prosecutors also announced the refiling of previous domestic violence charges from 2023, which had been dismissed due to lack of witness testimony.
Nikki was reported missing on May 22, 2024, five days after she was last seen at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Her vehicle was later found abandoned near the Shasta/Tehama County border on May 25, with evidence of decomposition and blood confirmed to be hers.
According to investigators, a confidential informant revealed that Tyler McCain confessed to killing Nikki after a domestic violence incident on May 18, 2024. Authorities say the couple had a documented history of domestic abuse dating back to 2020. While Nikki’s body has not been recovered, officials have concluded she was the victim of a homicide.
District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett addressed public criticism regarding the lack of earlier information and the dropped charges, stating that the move was necessary to protect the investigation’s integrity. She emphasized that without Nikki’s testimony, prosecutors could not pursue the case in 2023.
McCain is now in custody at the Shasta County Jail as the case proceeds.
