Last seen in Hat Creek area in 2020, rally & vigil planned for missing Pit River Tribal member Nick Patterson

January 2, 2022 Trevor Montgomery

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif., — Family, friends, and loved ones of a missing Pit River Tribal member who was last seen two years ago, in January 2020, are planning an advocacy rally and prayer vigil to bring awareness to his disappearance later this week.

The event, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, Jan. 5, at 10 a.m., will be held at the US District Courthouse located at 2986 Bechelli Lane in Redding.

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Patterson was last seen in the Hat Creek area on Jan. 5, 2020, and a $20,000 award has been offered for any information that leads to his being located or the apprehension of those responsible for his disappearance.

Wednesday’s event, which organizers say is also intended to bring better awareness to the plight of all missing and murdered indigenous persons, will be attended by Patterson’s family and friends, as well as Pit River, Redding Rancheria and Northern California Tribal leaders and members, community leaders, Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) advocates and allies, and others.

Speakers at the event will include Morning Star Gali, representing Restoring Justice For Indigenous Peoples (RJIP) and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), Pit River Tribal chairwoman Agnes Gonzales, and Redding Rancheria Tribal Chairman Jack Potter. Several family members and others are expected to speak as well.

Although a similar rally was held for Patterson last March, which was also held at the Redding District Courthouse, and brought crowds of supporters, no new information about his disappearance resulted from the well-attended event.

Family, friends, and supporters are seen during a rally for missing Pit River Tribal member Nick Patterson last March. Jesse Armstrong photo

Burney resident Renee Gemmil, Jesse Armstrong – an MMIW representative and activist from Humbolt County, and Danita Quinn, of Bieber, are helping to organize the rally, with Quinn telling SCNS today, “This January 5, 2022, makes two years Nick has been missing and still there has been no justice.”

“The family needs support in helping to find Nick and bring him home and getting answers needed to bring justice to those responsible for his disappearance,” she continued.

Quinn also said the group hopes to encourage local law enforcement agencies to work together more to bring resolution to Patterson’s disappearance as well as other missing person’s cases that have never been solved.

“From days past to every day forward we will be asking for your help in supporting and asking that Shasta County Lassen County and Modoc County come together to work on this case.

“The family is also asking that the BIA step in to work with these counties in solving this case,” she added; saying, “Come join us and bring your songs, prayers, dance, and knowledge in getting letters out to law enforcement.

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Patterson has been described as 5’10”, approximately 230 lbs., with black shaved hair and brown eyes. He also has tattoos of three salmon and the words “Pit River” on his left shoulder and arm. He was last seen wearing a maroon t-shirt, black Carhartt jacket, grey Carhartt beanie, and blue jeans.

Any donations to help support Patterson’s ongoing search can be made to Tri Counties Bank, under the name “Nick Patterson Donation Fund”.

Anyone with information about Patterson’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 245-6540 or the Modoc County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 233-4416. Callers can also submit tips to the Shasta County Tipline at (530) 243-2319. Anonymous tips are always accepted.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.