Caretaker charged in man with cerebral palsy’s death almost weeks after disappearance
By Jaiden Singh, Peyton Headlee
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Richard McClintic, a 59-year-old man who has been missing since Oct. 25, has been found dead in his apartment, according to the family. His caretaker was arrested in connection with his death that is being investigated as suspicious.
On Thursday night, police executed a search warrant in the 2000 block of San Juan Road, between Interstate 80 and Truxel Road, where a body was discovered, the Sacramento Police Department said.
One person was initially detained and questioned; they have since been arrested on welfare fraud charges with a no-bail enhancement, police said.
The police department identified the person arrested as 41-year-old Christina Cowens of Sacramento. She faces charges of unlawful disposal of human remains, grand theft, and concealment/ attempt to conceal a death. Charges may change as the cause and manner of death are determined.
While the coroner has not positively identified the body, the family has confirmed with KCRA 3 that the man is McClintic. Police also identified Cowens as McClintic’s caretaker.
McClintic’s friends and family gathered to honor him at a vigil on Friday night.
“He was a very fiery guy, full of energy. Very strong guy, 59 years old, with cerebral palsy and pushed through his entire life with that condition and never complained,” said his nephew, Ryan Klagenberg.
Klagenberg said that after nearly two weeks of searching, the discovery of McClintic’s body offers some closure but also leaves his family with a lot of unanswered questions.
“I’m not sure how a wellness check can be done, and a body was not recovered or at least seen on the first arrival of the police. Outside of that, we can only, you know, fantasize about what might have happened,” he said.
A spokesperson for Sacramento police said that officers initially searched McClintic’s apartment when he was first reported missing, but did not find anything concerning.
With Cowens now in custody, Klagenberg said his family is not surprised.
“All the stuff that she was telling us just didn’t make any sense at all,” Klagenberg said.
Jail records show that Cowens is in the Sacramento County Jail. She has a court appearance Monday afternoon and is ineligible for bail.
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