Community Corner

Wildomar Teen Pleads Guilty To Being Accessory To Murder In Case Of Murrieta Grandmother's Death

Neil Michael Erickson, who just turned 18 in late May, entered his plea to a Riverside County Judge this morning.

Today a Wildomar teenager pleaded guilty to being an accessory in the murder of a Murrieta woman.

Neil Michael Erickson, who just turned 18 in late May, entered his plea to a Riverside County Judge this morning.

“This was not a plea agreement with the DA’s office,” according to John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

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Erickson is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6 by Judge Mark Mandio at the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley, according to Hall.

Along with the guilty plea to being an accessory, Erickson also entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor vandalism in a separate case.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The vandalism involved the spray painting of a wall on July 11, 2013, at the Murrieta home of the murder victim 71-year-old Catherine Sutton, Hall said.

Erickson faces a sentence of up to three years for the accessory to a felony count and another year for the vandalism count, according to Hall.

Sutton’s grandson, Kyle Roger McLean, 21, has been charged with her murder. He appeared at a felony settlement conference today, but that hearing was continued to Aug. 27, Hall continued.

Sutton has been missing since July 11, 2013. Her daughter reported her missing to Murrieta police the evening of July 14, 2013.

At the time of this press report, Sutton’s body has not been found.

McLean is being held at Southwest Detention Center near Murrieta in lieu of $1 million bail.

A two-page statement —condensed below—filed by Murrieta police Detective Danny Martin, reveals some of the events that may have allegedly transpired in connection with Sutton's death.

During questioning, Erickson allegedly told detectives that McLean phoned him the night of July 11 and said he needed to talk to him.

Erickson met McLean at a gas station. McLean was driving his grandmother’s car and told Erickson he had something to show him.

They drove separate vehicles to a dirt road in the Winchester area, where McLean opened the trunk of his grandmother’s car and showed Erickson a dead body, believed to be that of Sutton, Martin wrote.

The head of the deceased was face down and she had a belt wrapped around her neck. McLean hit the face of the deceased twice.

“McLean told Erickson he killed his grandmother (Sutton) and didn’t know what to do,” Martin wrote.

The two then went back to a residence in the 27000 block of Graystone Lane in Murrieta where McLean lived with his grandmother, and discussed what to do with the body.

The next day, Friday, July 12, the two regrouped.

Video surveillance from Walmart in Murrieta allegedly shows the men purchased two machetes, gloves, bleach and beer that same day, Martin wrote.

At 10:17 p.m. Sunday, July 14, Murrieta police responded to the Graystone Lane home after Sutton’s daughter called police and stated she had not heard from her mother since July 10 which was unlike her.

She told police the house on Graystone Lane smelled like bleach and that there were fans running, Martin wrote.

Responding officers proceeded to search the house, as McLean was on probation for  previous drug-related offenses. His probation terms permitted the search of the residence.

Officers smelled the odor of bleach, noticed fans were running and there were recently cleaned surfaces.

In McLean’s bedroom, police allegedly found Sutton’s debit card and a sunglasses case containing methamphetamine and a pipe.

McLean was immediately arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and transported to the Murrieta Police Department.

A few hours later, a patrol officer recognized Erickson’s vehicle driving near Graystone Lane because the two suspects had been previously arrested on suspicion of vandalism charges July 11 while in the same car.

The officer stopped Erickson on suspicion of a vehicle violation. The 18-year-old was subsequently questioned about the missing person case which resulted in him being transported to the police station for further interrogation.

Erickson told officers he had recently been “kicked out” of his Wildomar home, and that he had been living with friends and in his car.


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