The family of a mother of four who vanished 15 months ago is determined to continue their search for her remains after her husband was charged with murder.
Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, aged 39, was last observed during the early hours of May 18, 2024, as she left her in-laws’ residence in Redding, California, a city situated roughly 160 miles north of Sacramento.
A few days following the report by Nikki’s sisters of her disappearance, the mother’s 2002 Chevy Avalanche was discovered abandoned on Highway 26 close to the boundary between Shasta and Tehama counties.
Shasta County investigators indicated that foul play was suspected due to evidence gathered from the area where Nikki’s vehicle was abandoned.
Nevertheless, over a year after the discovery of the vehicle, Shasta County investigators remain no closer to uncovering the events leading to Nikki’s disappearance.
This Wednesday, Shasta County officials announced murder charges against Nikki’s husband, Tyler McCain. He is already facing four separate domestic violence charges from a December 2023 incident involving Nikki – charges that were previously dismissed but have now been reinstated.
Kaye Ford, one of Nikki’s younger sisters, expressed her family’s eagerness to witness McCain’s legal proceedings play out.
“There’s going to be more. It’s gonna look a little different than what we’ve been dealing with previously, but there is still this kind of beginning of maybe like the next chapter,” Ford told The U.S. Sun.
“We feel kind of relieved to be here. There’s still a little bit more, some questions we’ve had are being answered and we know that with anything, it’s the preliminary hearings coming up.
“Hopefully, there’ll be more answers than more questions that will be answered as some of those hearings come.”
Ford added that Nikki’s four children are going through a wave of emotions, but are also looking forward to the next steps.
“We know it’s hard to tell with them because unfortunately, they’ve been kind of used to hearing bad news,” she said.
“So, they’ve developed a little bit of a shield. But I think they’re going through the motions, on the one hand they’re closer to closure for their mom, but also now, that it’s their dad is the person responsible.
“I imagine they’re dealing with a lot of emotions. A piece of it is the yes, they are excited for this next step like we are, but they also still love their dad. That doesn’t change.”
Since Nikki’s disappearance last year, McCain, 39, and his family have been quiet and away from the public eye.
In March, McCain briefly addressed his wife’s disappearance during a joint press conference with Nikki’s family.
But despite McCain’s apparent unwillingness to assist in the investigation, Ford maintains hope of the possibility that he discloses what happened to her sister in her final moments.
“He’s been pretty quiet, he hasn’t shared thus far, so I don’t know maybe once he’s faced with the charges that maybe he will share,” Ford told The U.S. Sun.
“We are hopeful about that potential outcome.”
‘OUR FIGHT IS NOT OVER’
Before announcing the charges against McCain on Wednesday, investigators reclassified Nikki’s case from a missing person to a homicide in March.
At a press conference announcing McCain’s arrest, Ford and her other sister, Chloe Saelee, expressed their gratitude to investigators but declared that the family’s fight “is not over.”
“While this arrest is an important step, our fight is not over,” Ford said.
“We are still fighting for justice to be fully served, for my sister’s memory to be honored and for the healing for our family and community.
“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.”
Chloe praised law enforcement, adding, “Your dedication and persistence have given us a measure of peace that we have been longing for.
“To the community, thanks for standing by us. Your prayers, support and strength have reminded us that we are not alone in our journey.”
Nikki’s remains have not been located, but Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said that California law does not require a body to be recovered to prove a crime of murder.
“Despite not being able to find her body, we have been provided with overwhelming evidence to prove that not only is Nikki dead, but that Tyler McCain is responsible for her murder,” Bridgett said.
TOP PRIORITY
Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson said locating Nikki’s remains remains a priority for the department.
“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,” Johnson said.
“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.
“It is very labor-intensive, and it is crucial that all that evidence is collected, preserved, and processed accordingly to make the case.”
Sheriff Johnson urged the public to come forward with any information that could lead to Nikki’s remains.
McCain is also facing charges of forgery and illegal firearm possession, according to court records.
He is expected to be arraigned on the new charges on Friday.
