Nicole Kunz

Nicole Kunz was a loving and loyal friend who, in the words of one, “brought so much love and light” into the lives of others. The 39-year-old White woman from Visalia, California, was remembered for her kindness, brilliant smile, and genuine spirit. A talented artist who enjoyed painting and making jewelry, she was also a passionate advocate for animals, caring for four of her own rescue dogs. Friends said she made a huge impact on people, encouraging them to go to church, eat well, and live better lives. Her family described her as a dynamic person whose outer beauty was matched by an inner spirit of joy and deep strength.

On the afternoon of February 15, 2024, deputies from the Madera County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a possible deceased person at a home on Bailey Flats Road in the mountain community of Raymond. Inside a bedroom, they discovered Nicole’s body. Based on the initial findings at the scene, authorities immediately began investigating her death as a homicide.

The investigation, which the sheriff’s office described as complex, soon focused on Nicole’s on-and-off boyfriend of six years, Leonard “Lenny” Sciacca, a 60-year-old from Visalia. Friends of Nicole characterized the relationship as volatile, marked by jealousy and controlling behavior. On March 29, 2024, after serving search warrants at Sciacca's residence, detectives arrested him. Authorities stated they believed he was preparing to flee the area. Sciacca was charged with first-degree murder and booked into the Madera County Jail.

Prosecutors alleged that Sciacca had shot Nicole five times at his Raymond cabin, where her body was found, and waited a day to report it while presenting himself as another victim. Sciacca’s defense attorney maintained his client’s innocence from the beginning, stating that other people had been at the home at the time of the shooting and that Sciacca had cooperated with the investigation.

The case took a dramatic turn a year later. In March 2025, the Madera County District Attorney's Office dropped all murder charges against Leonard Sciacca after new evidence came to light. He was subsequently released from jail. The district attorney stated that this was not a finding of innocence and that the investigation into Nicole Kunz’s death would continue. As of March 2025, her homicide remains unsolved. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to call (559) 675-7770 or email [email protected].