Santa Rosa man accused of killing mom before setting her house on fire
(KRON) — A Santa Rosa man was found wandering around a forest while his mother’s large house went up in flames with the mother still inside, Mendocino County investigators said.
Fletcher Pinkham, 39, was detained by sheriff’s deputies while firefighters struggled to extinguish the burning four-story house on the morning of February 20. The fire was so intense that the entire house collapsed into smoldering rubble.
It took the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office three days of searching through the rubble before they found the charred remains of Pinkham’s 75-year-old mother, Linda Mercurio, investigators said. Mercurio lived her house in Little River, Calif., alone.
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Before her body was found, firefighters told sheriff’s deputies that they had found Pinkham walking through the forest near the burning house. “Fire personnel advised Mercurio’s adult son had exited the nearby wooded area in an altered state and appeared to need medical attention,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.
Deputies searched the surrounding area and found Pinkham’s personal belongings, including his clothing, firearms, and vehicle.
Investigators suspect that the son shot his mother before he intentionally set her house on fire, according MCSO.
“Based on the evidence located at the scene and nearby wooded area, investigators determined a violent interaction had occurred between Pinkham and his mother, Mercurio. It was also believed based on this evidence and statements provided by Pinkham that Mercurio was shot and killed and the fire was intentionally set to destroy evidence and conceal the violent nature of the crime committed,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.
Mercurio’s remains were found on February 23 with help from experts from the Chico State University Forensic Anthropology Department.
MCSO said it does not believe anyone else was involved or assisted Pinkham during the crimes committed. Pinkham was booked into jail on murder charges.
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