Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Devastated Sisters Hear Grisly Facts in Missing Nikki Cheng Case

Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Guests: Chloe Seeley & Kay Ford (Nikki’s sisters), Philip Dube (Defense Attorney), Dr. Bethany Marshall (Psychoanalyst), Dave Mack (Investigative Reporter), Brian FitzGibbons (Security Investigator), Jeffrey Gentry (Forensic Analyst)

Overview

In this intense and emotional episode, Nancy Grace explores the preliminary hearing in the case of missing mother Nikki Chang Salee McCain. The case has recently been upgraded from a missing person to a murder investigation, despite Nikki’s body remaining unfound—a so-called “no body” homicide. Grace is joined by Nikki’s devastated sisters, Kay Ford and Chloe Seeley, who discuss the excruciating ordeal of sitting through the hearing and coming face-to-face with the grisly realities of Nikki’s presumed murder at the hands of her husband, Tyler McCain.
The episode features a breakdown of the evidence, witness testimonies, domestic violence details, and forensic findings, while sharply scrutinizing the responses and tactics of both the prosecution and the defense.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. The Case Background and Transition to Homicide ([02:09])

• Nancy Grace lays out the context: Nikki’s Chevy found abandoned; her case upgraded to homicide due to evidence of a brutal assault prior to her disappearance.
• Central Question: Where is Nikki’s body? Nancy highlights the emotional devastation for the family.

2. Tyler McCain’s Behavior and Domestic Violence History ([03:16], [07:54])

• Husband’s public plea examined: Tyler’s awkward, unemotional apology is scrutinized.
  • Nancy (04:09): “You don’t know what to say? Your wife, the mother of your children, has disappeared, and you don’t know what to say? What a crock of steaming BS, Dube.”
  • Philip Dube (defense attorney) counters: Asserts nervousness is normal, not proof of guilt.
• History of Violence:
  • Dr. Bethany Marshall (06:14): Describes Tyler as a classic abuser, comfortable terrorizing Nikki in private, but crumbling under scrutiny.
  • Detailed testimony of a prior domestic incident: Three hours of assault, restraint, and threats to kill Nikki. Nikki escaped and documented injuries at the hospital ([07:54–09:36]).
  • Nancy (09:13): “What a psycho. He jumps on her car to stop her from leaving after he’s been beating her and terrorizing her and waterboarding her for hours.”

3. The Legal Process: Preliminary Hearing & "No Body" Murder ([11:09–13:05])

• Nancy critiques the legal hurdles: Expresses frustration at the necessity of a preliminary hearing, giving the defense an early opportunity to challenge state evidence.
• Trial Stakes: This would be the first no-body murder trial in Shasta County if it moves forward.

4. The Sisters’ Ordeal

Enduring Grisly Testimony ([13:13–14:14], [17:58])

• Coping mechanisms: Support from spouses and a focus on children help, but nights are hardest for Kay and Chloe.
• Most painful moments:
  • Chloe (17:58): “One was when the sheriffs played a recording of Nikki’s voice…because we weren’t able to hear her voice for such a long time. And then also just the evidence about how much blood was in the back of that truck bed…when you think of blood, you automatically think a murder and that they’re never coming back again.”
  • Kay (18:58): Struggled listening to evidence technician describe decomposition: “Just thinking of our sister in that state was difficult…”

Tyler’s Demeanor in Court ([21:07–21:43])

• Neither sister has had Tyler meet their gaze. He keeps his head down, except briefly when house photos are shown.
  • Kay: “He for the most part has his head down in his hands and he, he hardly looks up even at the witnesses.”

5. Forensic and Physical Evidence

Truck and Garage Findings ([15:24–22:48], [39:10])

• Truck bed: Strong odor of decomposition, blood stains, Nikki’s hair, and a blood-soaked sheet with knotted corners.
  • Jeffrey Gentry, Forensics (25:47): “You don’t expect large quantities of blood to be saturated into sheets, especially sheets that are tied up in knots…That is very bad when you’re looking at a person being missing and then you’re finding blood in the bed sheets and then also the quantity of blood that’s being poured out of the truck bed.”
  • Blood pooled even on top of the fuel tank, and blood dripped down from it. Plastic bag with a whiskey bottle found nearby.
• Garage Floor: Evidence of cleaning and blood detected with Bluestar; Kay notes Tyler had no reason to clean there before ([19:52–20:44]).
• Burned items & note: Burned comforter and sweater found in Tyler’s mother’s garage, plus a cryptic post-it note possibly in Tyler’s handwriting ([39:10–40:13]).
  • Note reads: “Remember that feeling when you could be Jesus for a day on drugs?”

6. Witness Testimonies: Web of Complicity and Fear

• Luis Baraha (32:43): Had an ongoing, possibly emotional relationship with Nikki in the year before her disappearance.
• Justin Corrin (33:43, 35:02): Lived on property, dependent on Tyler; testified about being asked to help dispose of the truck/contents, but broke down in court.
  • Found Nikki’s driver’s license and credit cards undamaged and gave them to Tyler; later, her burned license is found in Tyler’s wallet.
• Felicia Nelson (36:20): Heard movement and a thud in the truck area the night Nikki disappeared while inside her boyfriend Justin’s trailer.

7. Defense Strategies & Cross-Examination ([11:09], [37:48])

• Defense attorney Dube’s approach: Suggests Tyler’s erratic behavior may be drug-fueled, questions credibility of witnesses, and tries to introduce third-party culpability based on other DNA found.
  • Critiques: “That points immediately to third party culpability...if you have biological evidence at the scene where the death reportedly occurred, that is enough…” ([42:52])
• Dr. Bethany Marshall counters the defense’s theory that Nikki was having an affair and died incidentally:
  • (44:00): “Abuse victims do not have affairs. They are terrified to even smile at somebody in public if the abuser is looking at them...Abusers are pathologically jealous.”

8. The DNA Puzzle ([31:07–32:37], [50:18])

• Three corners of the bloodied sheet had different DNA profiles, suggesting multiple people may have helped move the body.
  • Jeffrey Gentry (32:37): “If you have a knot on every single corner, that would absolutely suggest that there were multiple people involved…”
  • The presence of Tyler’s DNA, plus others—including possible friends or property residents—becomes a focal point for both the prosecution and defense.

9. Tyler McCain’s Outburst in Court ([27:08–30:22])

• Loses composure, stands up, and curses after hearing police testimony comparing the messy state of the home after Nikki went missing vs. its suddenly spotless, staged appearance on a later search. Judge calls a recess.
  • Kay (29:32): “That outburst is pretty telling…if he would act like that in open court…what would he do when he is alone with Nikki?”

10. Emotional Toll on the Sisters ([40:34, 52:43])

• Chloe (52:43): “It’s definitely difficult. I just remember I have to do this. I have to be strong for Nikki’s kids because I want to know what happened and I want to know what they did to her.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nancy Grace (04:09): “You don’t know what to say? Your wife, the mother of your children, has disappeared, and you don’t know what to say? What a crock of steaming BS…”
• Kay Ford (18:58): “The hearing has been about decomposition of her body potentially. Thinking that it’s…we’re describing our sister. That was pretty grisly for me.”
• Jeffrey Gentry (25:47): “Blood on bed sheets, that’s always a bad thing...you shouldn’t have blood in the back of a truck bed and you should absolutely not have blood in sufficient quantities to pour out a truck.”
• Dr. Bethany Marshall (44:00): “Abuse victims do not have affairs. They are terrified to even smile at somebody in public if the abuser is looking at them.”
• Chloe Seeley (17:58): “When you think of blood, you automatically think a murder and that they’re never coming back again.”
• Kay Ford (21:13): “He for the most part has his head down in his hands…no eye contact with us whatsoever.”
• Brian FitzGibbons (30:39): “With so many people looking for Nikki, combined with all the blood found in that truck, she’s dead.”
• Chloe Seeley (52:43): “It’s definitely difficult. I just remember I have to do this…to be strong for Nikki’s kids…”

Key Timestamps

• 02:09: Case update and opening statements.
• 03:16–07:54: Tyler McCain’s initial public statements and history of domestic violence; Dr. Bethany Marshall’s psychological analysis.
• 07:54–09:36: Detailed narrative of a prior assault against Nikki, her escape, and reporting the violence.
• 11:09–13:05: The legal hurdles and meaning of a preliminary hearing.
• 13:13–14:14: The sisters’ ordeal; how they cope.
• 15:24–17:07: Detective testimony and forensic findings in the truck.
• 17:58–18:47: Sisters recount the hardest moments of the hearing.
• 19:52–20:44: Discussion of the garage forensic evidence.
• 21:07–21:43: Sisters discuss Tyler’s demeanor in court.
• 25:47–27:08: Forensic analysis of the blood evidence.
• 27:08–30:22: Tyler’s outburst in court after police point out suspicious staging of his home.
• 31:07–32:37: Discussion of DNA evidence in the knotted sheet.
• 32:43–36:20: Testimony from key witnesses: Luis Baraha, Justin Corrin, Felicia Nelson.
• 39:10–40:13: Burned clothing and cryptic note found in Tyler’s mother’s garage.
• 42:52–44:00: DNA explanations; defense tries to introduce third-party culpability.
• 52:43: Chloe on the emotional toll of sitting through the hearing.

Conclusion

Nancy Grace’s episode is a raw, thorough dive into the Nikki Chang case and its impact on those left behind. It reinforced just how punishing the legal process and search for truth can be for families of the missing, especially as grisly forensic details and courtroom drama unfold. As the case moves toward trial, the mounting evidence, harrowing testimony, and the collapse of Tyler McCain’s composure all point towards a narrative of domestic violence escalating to murder—a conclusion the family fears but must face head-on in pursuit of justice.

This summary captures the most important facts, emotional moments, and legal intricacies as they unfolded on air, serving as a detailed guide for listeners and those following Nikki Chang’s story.