The mystery surrounding the 2020 disappearance of Nicholas Patterson, a member of the Pit River Tribe, has finally seen a heartbreaking development. Five years after he vanished from his grandmother’s property in rural Lookout, California, partial remains found in Modoc County have been confirmed as Patterson’s. Though initial investigators said there was no reason to suspect foul play, Patterson’s family has long believed he was the victim of violence. The Modoc County Sheriff’s Office, which now leads the investigation, says there’s still no definitive evidence of how Patterson died, but his family continues to push for a deeper investigation.
As someone who’s covered many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) cases in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, I’ve come to recognize the familiar and frustrating patterns—families searching for answers, cases slipping through bureaucratic cracks, and a growing list of names we should never forget. Getting to cover Patterson’s story through SFGATE’s broader regional scope was something I welcomed, not just as a journalist, but as someone who believes these stories deserve light, attention, and justice. His case is a tragic reminder that the MMIP crisis isn’t just a statistic—it’s personal, ongoing, and deeply rooted in the rural communities of Northern California.
Read my coverage in SFGATE here.
Ty for doing what u do and how u do it!!! Just sorry have never felt had enuf $ (outside the basics) to subscribe! ????? ? and now it ‘too late’… No drama, just a couple seious med diagnoses.. it ok… 68 and have lived an amazing, blessed life… Glad u do what u do and how u do it (sorry if repeated self… one of the dx? is alz… ????
Kadijah Britton of Round Valley Covelo is still missing and it seems like the police have just forgotten about her. Her family will never have peace until she is found. It’s Ike they are afraid to ask questions but when a cop was killed in Round Valley Covelo they sure didn’t have a problem doing everything they had to do to get answers. The difference: white vs native american: male vs female. She didn’t slip between the cracks she was tossed aside as an after thought because she was considered as another drug addict another domestic violence victim who just keeps going back to the same situation or maybe they think, it’s just a family vs family thing so she doesn’t matter, she wasn’t offered help, of any kind, or offered other alternatives. Why doesn’t anyone care like they did gabby patito? Is it because she is Native American Indian from Round Valley? What is the difference? Isn’t it obvious?
This case is horrible….and she is in my prayers daily. Though I do believe police may have lacked in some areas I also feel the silence of many is keeping this unsolved. So many in covelo and surrounding area know what happened by being told or by being there when it occurred and still they remain silent. I am not sure where her family gets the strength to walk among them.