Recent Missing Persons Cases: North America and Australia in 2025

In early 2025, gripping missing persons cases across North America and Australia have captured public attention, revealing tales of mystery, loss, and relentless searches for truth. This consolidation explores three unfolding stories—a California mother’s disappearance turned homicide, a Queensland woman’s remains identified after months of uncertainty, and an Ottawa man vanishing without a trace.

Mother’s Disappearance in California Reclassified as Homicide

On April 7th, 2025 (Monday), Fox News reported that Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain, a 39-year-old mother of four from Shasta County, California, missing since May 17th, 2024 (Friday), is now the subject of a homicide investigation. Her sisters, Kaye Ford and Chloe Saelee, expressed their anguish to Fox News Digital, suspecting a cover-up after her last text on May 18th, 2024 (Saturday), and the discovery of her abandoned light pewter metallic 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche (California disabled plate DP154UT) on May 25th, 2024 (Saturday) in Tehama County.

Source: Fox News Coverage of Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain’s Case

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office identified "persons of interest" by March 25th, 2025 (Tuesday), while her husband, Tyler McCain, previously charged with domestic violence in December 2023, spoke publicly on March 10th, 2025 (Monday), denying involvement. Her NamUs profile, created on July 4th, 2024 (Thursday), details her last contact—mentioning a hospital visit and driving her mother-in-law’s vehicle near Redding’s Win-River Casino—though this link will likely expire soon as NamUs is for missing persons, and her death is now confirmed. 

Nikki, at the time of writing, still had an active profile at NamUs.

Queensland Police Confirm Remains Belong to Missing Mother Tayla Spies

ABC Southern Queensland announced on April 7th, 2025 (Monday), that forensic testing confirmed remains found on April 4th, 2025 (Friday), in Noorindoo, 450 kilometers west of Brisbane, were those of Tayla Spies, last seen on February 2nd, 2025 (Sunday). Her white Toyota Hilux was located on April 3rd, 2025 (Thursday), prompting a search that ended with her remains discovered a kilometer away the following day.

A two-month effort involving police, community members, and State Emergency Service volunteers spanned 9,000 square kilometers after she was last spotted driving through Surat. Her sister Rebecca paid tribute online, noting Tayla was “loved more than she would ever know,” as police continue a post-mortem to determine her cause of death.

Source: ABC News Report on Tayla Spies’ Remains Discovery

Ottawa Police Search for Man Missing Since Saturday

The Ottawa Citizen reported on April 6th, 2025 (Sunday), that Ottawa police are seeking Waleed Amareen, a 49-year-old man last seen at 8 p.m. on April 5th, 2025 (Saturday), near Prince Albert Street in Ottawa’s east end. Described as bald, five feet eleven inches tall, and 180 pounds, he was wearing a black rain jacket, black toque, and grey slip-on shoes. The brief article underscores some urgency of the situation, though no further context about his disappearance was provided as of the last update on April 6th, 2025 (Sunday).

Source: Ottawa Citizen Alert on Waleed Amareen’s Disappearance

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