06/17/2026
Our thought and prayers go out to the victim and co-victims in this horrible crime.Thank you Placer County District Attorney's Office and Placer County Sheriff's Office for your unwavering pursuit of Justice. ๐๐
[๐ฝ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐] ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ง ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐
๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐ง. ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ 34-๐ฎ๐๐๐ง-๐ค๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐
ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- On June 16, 2026, James Lawhead Jr. entered a plea of guilty to the murder and kidnapping of a local woman and admitted the special circumstance allegations that the murder occurred during the commission of a kidnapping and a r**e. As part of the resolution, Lawhead also admitted an independent count of kidnapping, agreed to waive his appellate rights, and accepted a term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The conviction brings a measure of accountability to one of the most notorious cold cases in Placer County history.
On Nov. 25, 1991, the victim was abducted from a Granite Bay residence while caring for her 11-month-old. Her child was left behind in a highchair, while the victim was forcibly taken from the home. Three weeks later, her body was discovered in a remote area near Foresthill. The case remained unsolved for more than three decades despite extensive investigative efforts.
This swift conviction is the result of dedicated investigative work by the Placer County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit, a partnership that includes a dedicated investigator from the Placer County District Attorneyโs Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 14 in Department 20 at 8:30 a.m.
