Santa Rosa man allegedly killed his mother and burned down her home to hide evidence

MENDOCINO Co., 2/26/24 — Fletcher Ross Pinkham, 39, was arrested on suspicion of murdering his mother and burning down her home east of Little River on Tuesday morning. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies allege he fatally shot her before intentionally setting the fire to destroy evidence.

Around 7:40 a.m., firefighters requested assistance from deputies at a residential structure fire in the 39000 block of Little River Airport Road, roughly six miles in from the coast along Comptche-Ukiah Road. The presumed victim — 75-year-old Linda Mercurio — was believed to be trapped inside.

The building eventually collapsed into its basement due to fire damage. Human remains were located in the rubble three days later, after the burnt material cooled down enough to be searched. Investigators suspect they belong to Mercurio, but additional testing will be needed to confirm the identity of the deceased.

At the time of the fire, firefighters found Pinkham in a wooded area near the scene — and apparently in an altered state of mind. He was detained by sheriff’s deputies, who later found firearms, ammunition and a vehicle nearby. Investigators suspect that a violent interaction occurred between the Santa Rosa man and his mother before the fire.