Suspect arrested on suspicion of murdering woman last seen in Mariposa County last year

Andrew Kuhn
·2 min read

A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance of a woman who was last seen in Mariposa County.

In a video released on Facebook Tuesday, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese reported authorities have arrested suspect Justin Bolton on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance of Wendy Pullins. Briese said Bolton was located with the help of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Mendocino and Lake County regional SWAT team.

In late October, authorities announced that Bolton was wanted for questioning in connection with Pullins’ death. At that time, the sheriff’s office said it had received credible information from several sources that Bolton was involved in Pullins’ death on June 15, 2022.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office announced in late September that the disappearance of Pullins was being treated as a homicide investigation. Pullins was last seen in Mariposa County and was reported missing to authorities on June 18, 2022. The investigation began as a search and rescue operation, and after a lengthy search, the case was turned over to Mariposa County Sheriff’s detectives.

On Sept. 8, 2022, nearly three months after Pullins was reported missing, detectives located a Jeep Cherokee that Pullins was last known to be driving. Authorities said the vehicle was found down an embankment in a remote area of Mariposa County. The vehicle was processed by the California Department of Justice, and blood found inside the vehicle was determined to be a positive match to Pullins’ DNA.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office said that because of the blood in the vehicle, the amount of time Pullins had been missing and the condition of the vehicle, the investigation was being treated as a homicide.

“We are continuing to investigate; we are continuing to work on this case,” Briese said in the video. “Just because Bolton is in custody for the murder of Wendy Pullins does not mean that we’re done.”

Briese went on to say that anyone involved in the case will be held accountable and the case will be investigated until its completion.