SHASTA COUNTY, Cal. – One man is dead after a fishing trip turned into a murder scene in Northern California.
An Oregon man has pled guilty to first degree murder after killing his cousin on a fishing trip in Shasta County. According to the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, Clayton Allen Stearns will receive a sentence of 25 years to life for murder.
The DA says Stearns reached out to his cousin to go fishing. The victim and Stearns planned to meet in a remote part of Shasta County. When the victim didn’t return home, family called the police. The sheriff’s office found the victim’s truck and were able to find the body down an embankment. An autopsy showed he was assaulted with a knife-like object and died from his injuries.
Deputies say Stearns went back to his home in Oregon after the murder. DNA showed traces of blood from both Stearns and the victim in the vehicle leading to his conviction.
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