Shelly Autumn Mae Moon, a 16-year-old resident of Loleta, California, tragically lost her life on February 10, 2021. Shelly was one of three victims in a horrific triple homicide that occurred at a home on the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Reservation. The other victims were Nikki Dion Metcalf and Margarett Lee Moon, both 40 years old. The incident unfolded early in the morning when a juvenile in the home called 911 to report a shooting.
Upon arrival, deputies found two individuals deceased and a third critically injured, who later succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital. Two children, aged 11 and 13, were also present in the home but were unharmed.
The suspect, Mauricio Eduardo Johnson, an 18-year-old man from Loleta, was known to the victims and was a guest in their house at the time of the shootings. Johnson had a relationship with Shelly, although the exact nature of their relationship remained under investigation. He had been given permission to be inside the house by at least one of the residents. The motive behind the killings was not immediately clear, and detectives continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
The impact of the murders was deeply felt within the Bear River and Loleta communities. Both Shelly and Margarett Lee Moon were well-known and beloved figures at Loleta Elementary School, where they worked as aides, tutoring students and participating in the afterschool program. The Loleta Union School District expressed profound sorrow over the loss of these two individuals, highlighting their contributions and the positive influence they had on the children they worked with.
Following the incident, Mauricio Johnson was apprehended in Utah a day after the shootings while traveling with his mother and her friend. He was reportedly heading to a family member's residence in Indiana. Johnson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three special allegations of using a firearm in the killings. In October 2021, he pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 150 years to life in prison, with the possibility of a parole hearing after 25 years, as per California law for young offenders.
The case brought to light the profound grief and loss experienced by the victims' families and the broader community. The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office worked closely with the families and community members, who had differing views on whether to accept the plea deal or proceed to trial. Ultimately, the plea deal was accepted, bringing some measure of closure to a community still reeling from the senseless violence.
