“Today a Siskiyou County jury found Timothy Chase McDonald, 26, of Yreka, guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Spencer Hodgson, 31, five years ago.
On the morning of April 8th, 2019, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a possible dead body near Yreka Walker Road in the Klamath River area. Investigators identified the victim as Spencer Hodgson, and the Sheriff’s Forensic Pathology team determined Hodgson died from multiple gunshot wounds by manner of homicide.
By January of the following year, Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Timothy McDonald for the murder, after new information emerged that McDonald had confided in an acquaintance that he ambushed Hodgson following the discovery of flirtatious texts on his girlfriend’s phone. At the time of the murder it is believed that the victim did not know McDonald.
In light of this verdict, we would like to express thanks to our detectives and forensic team for their efforts, and to the District Attorneys’ Office for their diligence and dedication. Furthermore, we would like to thank the witnesses who provided critical information to our detectives during the investigation, as they were essential to the pursuit of justice for Spencer Hodgson.
Lastly, we offer our sincerest condolences to the family of Spencer Hodgson and to all those affected by this senseless and tragic crime. While we cannot erase the pain inflicted from his loss, we hope the findings of this jury can provide some semblance of closure for all those who cared for him.”
