Missing California mom’s family digs for homicide ‘cover-up or cleanup’ as police eye persons of interest

The sisters of a Northern California parent of 4 are seeking answers aft her disappearance was precocious ruled a homicide.

Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain was a 39-year-old parent of 4 from Shasta County who vanished connected May 17, 2024. Her disappearance has since been reclassified arsenic a homicide by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. 

In an affectional interview, Kaye Ford and Chloe Saelee opened up to Fox News Digital astir the heartbreaking disappearance of their older sister.

"When we initially archetypal had a feeling that she was missing, I conscionable knew close distant successful my bosom thing wasn't right, and I knew thing atrocious had happened to her," Saelee said. 

CALIFORNIA MOM'S DISAPPEARANCE NOW A HOMICIDE CASE AS DETECTIVE EYE PERSONS OF INTEREST

Nikki Cheng-Saelee McCain, 39, has been missing since May 17, 2024. (Via Family)

Ford said that the Northern California household is highly close, calling and texting each different connected a astir regular basis. After their sister failed to enactment successful the family's progressive radical chats, they knew thing was awry.

"We, arsenic a family, knew it wasn't her moving disconnected oregon her conscionable not communicating with the family," Ford said. "We decidedly knew that thing astir apt truly atrocious had happened to her. And we decidedly knew that clip was successful the essence arsenic acold arsenic grounds and clues arsenic to what whitethorn person happened to her."

Saelee-McCain's past interaction with her household was connected May 18, 2024, erstwhile she sent a substance connection to her household astir 12:35 a.m. After the message, she was not heard from again. Her vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, was recovered abandoned connected May 25, 2024, successful occidental Tehama County. ​

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Chloe Saelee and Kaye Ford emphasized their determination to find the information astir what happened to their sister. They asked for the public’s assistance and thanked the assemblage for rallying astir them. (Via Family)

On March 25, 2025, the family's worst nightmare became a world erstwhile the sheriff's bureau announced that they had identified "persons of interest" successful Saelee-McCain's homicide investigation.

"I'm hopeful that the radical who person accusation volition measurement up," Ford said. "They whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium progressive successful the existent homicide. They whitethorn beryllium progressive successful a cover-up oregon the cleanup, immoderate other it mightiness be."

MISSING WISCONSIN TEEN FOUND MORE THAN 2 MONTHS AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

The sisters said that they privation immoderate progressive parties to travel guardant truthful they "have a cleanable conscience."

"We're moving truly hard to use the pressure," Ford said. "Law enforcement has been precise diligently moving connected the case. We don't spot astir of their enactment since a batch of their enactment is down the scenes."

Nikki's husband, Tyler McCain, was charged successful December 2023 with aggregate felony counts. (Via Family)

Husband breaks silence

Nearly 10 months aft his woman disappeared, Tyler McCain spoke publically during a property league connected March 10, 2025. 

At the event, which was organized by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, McCain expressed remorse for anterior home maltreatment allegations and his deficiency of nationalist engagement successful the hunt for his missing wife.

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"I apologize to everyone, particularly my children, my wife's family, excavation arsenic well," helium said. "I'm conscionable present successful support, truthful thing that I tin do, I privation to bash that."

Tyler McCain apologized during a March 11 property league for not being successful the "public eye." (Facebook)

McCain was charged successful December 2023 with aggregate felony counts, including corporal wounded to a spouse, mendacious imprisonment, transgression threats and assault. The lawsuit was dropped successful July past twelvemonth owed to Saelee-McCain's disappearance and the information that she could not attest against her husband, according to KRCR.

Authorities person not accused McCain of immoderate wrongdoing successful his wife’s disappearance.

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Authorities are seeking accusation from the nationalist to lick the homicide probe into the disappearance of Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain. (Via Family)

Authorities are seeking accusation astir a reddish motortruck whose operator whitethorn person picked up a antheral successful the country of Highway 36 successful occidental Tehama County adjacent the R Wild Horse Ranch oregon the Beegum Gorge Bridge betwixt May 18 and May 25, 2024. 

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A combined reward of up to $30,000 is offered for accusation starring to Saelee-McCain's location.

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Fox News Digital has reached retired to McCain's attorney, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) for comment.