A California mom's husband pleaded for her safe return, and now he faces charges months after her disappearance.

Nikki Saelee-McCain, 39, vanishes in May 2024; after texting family members she was heading home, she never arrives and has not been heard from since, and her husband, Tyler McCain, is arrested as a suspect in her murder.

Nikki's Chevy Avalanche is located near the Shasta and Tehama County line a week after she vanishes. The truck's bed enclosed cover was opened and had an overwhelming odor of decomposition. Inside the vehicle, more evidence is recovered, providing strong evidence her husband, Tyler McCain, is the primary source of the DNA on the items.

McCain previously faced felony domestic violence charges, but the case was dismissed when Nikki disappeared because she couldn’t testify.

Based on the evidence gathered, information learned from interviews, and the fact no one in Nikki's family has seen or heard from Nikki since her disappearance, the detectives determined Nikki is a victim of homicide. Detectives also further conclude Nikki's husband, Tyler Scott McCain, is responsible for Nikki's death and disappearance. Detectives recently obtained a murder arrest warrant for McCain.

McCain was booked into Shasta County Jail, and prosecutors allege he killed Nikki to prevent her from testifying in the domestic violence case.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Kaye Ford - Nikki's sister
Chloe Saelee - Nikki's sister
Franz Borghardt - Criminal Defense Attorney, Founder of Borghardt Law Firm, Former Prosecutor, Adjust Professor at Louisiana State University teaching Criminal Litigation; Instagram and Facebook: BorghardtLawFirm
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive
Brian Fitzgibbons - VP of Operations for USPA Nationwide Security; Instagram: @uspa_nationwide_security, Kingsman Philanthropic's 2022 rescue missions of women and children in Ukraine, Iraq War Veteranide_security
Matthew Mangino - Attorney, Former District Attorney (Lawrence County); Author: "The Executioner's Toll: The Crimes, Arrests, Trials, Appeals, Last Meals, Final Words and Executions of 46 Persons in the United States"
Lauren Conlin - Investigative Journalist, Host of The Outlier Podcast, and also Host of "Corruption: What Happened to Grant Solomon; X- @Conlin_Lauren/ Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin/YouTube- @LaurenConlin4

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikki Missing: 'Smoking Gun' Cracks Case Of Missing Mom Wide Open