A fire on February 20, 2024 destroyed the four-story, wood-framed home of 75-year-old Linda Mercurio in Little River, California. The blaze was intense enough that the house collapsed into the basement, delaying entry by firefighters and Mendocino County deputies until the structure cooled. Human remains believed to be Mercurio’s were found in the debris on February 23 with formal identification still pending at that time.

Investigators say evidence indicated the fire was set to conceal a homicide and that Mercurio had been shot multiple times before the house was burned. Authorities arrested and charged her 39-year-old son, Fletcher Ross Pinkham of Santa Rosa, with murder and arson. Mercurio was known to live alone in her Little River home, and the allegations have deeply affected the local community.

Does anyone have information about Linda Mercurio, her life in Little River, or the days leading up to February 20, 2024?