Homicide suspect Tyler McCain bends over to take a seat during his previous appearance in Shasta County Superior Court for his trial readiness conference on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. McCain has pleaded not guilty in the murder of his wife, Nikki Saelee-McCain. Further court proceedings are set for this week. Photo by Mike Chapman for A News Cafe ©.
The homicide case against Tyler McCain, accused in the death of his wife, Nikki Saelee-McCain, continues to take twists and turns.
In Shasta County Superior Court on Tuesday morning, visiting Judge Thomas Bender took up a motion from the District Attorney’s Office asking that McCain’s defense attorney, Michael Borges, be disqualified from the case.
The reason was not discussed publicly in the courtroom.
Bender, a retired judge from Madera County, noted the DA’s motion was rare and a first for him. Often when those types of motions are filed, it’s a defendant who asks to be relieved of his attorney for one reason or another.
Another motion on the table is a request to close the preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to start Thursday.
The DA’s office has previously said the preliminary hearing is expected to last five to seven court days.
Bender scheduled the next hearing for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Department 63 to discuss the motions, which could be held in private in the judge’s chambers.
McCain appeared in court wearing blue jail clothes and sat next to Borges while the DA’s office was represented by Chief Deputy District Attorney Sarah Murphy and Senior Deputy District Attorney Toby Powell.
Shasta County Sheriff’s Office detective Kilee Holroyd leads Tyler McCain away in handcuffs following his Aug. 20 arrest. Photo source: Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Also present in court was Detective Kilee Holroyd of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, who was shown last month in a sheriff’s office photo leading McCain away in handcuffs when he was arrested Aug. 20. He’s being held in Shasta County Jail without bail.
McCain has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and a special circumstance that the murder was committed with the intent to prevent testimony. He also faces domestic violence charges involving Saelee-McCain as the victim.
Saelee-McCain was reported missing in mid-May 2024 and her body has not been found. Her abandoned truck was located near the border with Shasta and Tehama counties a short time later.
About two dozen people attended Tuesday morning’s proceedings.
On a side note, the judge revoked A News Cafe’s previously-granted permission to take photos of Tuesday’s hearing without an explanation. At least one other news media’s request to film also was denied.
