People v. Strickland CA3

BACKGROUND

I. In June 2023, Strickland filed a police report with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department after he received a message claiming a woman with whom he had an online relationship had been kidnapped. Strickland had not met the woman in person. El

1 Dorado Sheriff’s Deputy Cade Miller called Strickland to follow up on the case. During the phone call, Deputy Miller discussed with Strickland the possibility that his online relationship was a catfishing scam. The alleged kidnappers had demanded a $500 ransom, payable in online gift cards. Strickland explained that he paid the ransom with gift cards, but the alleged kidnappers demanded more money and refused to release the woman. After the phone call, Deputy Miller filed a report and was off work for the next three to four days. Upon his return, Deputy Miller found numerous text messages from Strickland on his work phone. Strickland was upset and felt that Deputy Miller was not properly investigating the alleged kidnapping. One text message said something like, “something is going to burn tonight.” Another said, “whatever happens tonight is on you.” The following day, Deputy Miller and his partner Deputy Steven Fulton…