Nevada City >> An Oroville man has been arrested on suspicion of murder stemming from the February shooting death of his ex-wife in Nevada City, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said it arrested Michael Kent Sturgell, 71, Tuesday morning in connection with the death of Pamela Diane DeGrio, 67, of Nevada City.
Sturgell had been in custody at the Nevada County Jail since April awaiting sentencing on an unrelated burglary charge, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said Sturgell’s arrest followed several months of investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 6 responded to the 10000 block of North Bloomfield Road in Nevada City to investigate DeGrio’s death.
Investigators found DeGrio had been shot multiple times, and her death was classified as a homicide.
Sturgell and DeGrio had been previously married, according to the Sheriff’s Office. They divorced more than 40 years ago.
The Sheriff’s Office said a firearm stolen from DeGrio’s home at the time she was killed was recently recovered in Butte County, in addition to several other firearms taken in the burglary in which Sturgell has been awaiting sentencing.
Investigators believe three additional firearms believed to have been stolen by Sturgell remain outstanding, including one rifle and two shotguns.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the firearms is asked to call the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office at 265-1263.
