Alturas Man Found Guilty of Murder 

February 29, 2024 - Alturas, CA - Modoc County Sheriff’s Office officials report that a jury on Tuesday convicted 52-year-old Jarrett Bleu Rucker of first-degree murder for stabbing to death 55-year-old Milton Patrick McGarva in 2020.

On March 9, 2020, Modoc County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a residence on County Road 65 in Likely California, for a reported stabbing. When they arrived, they found Milton McGarva deceased inside the residence from multiple stab wounds. Jarrett Rucker had also been stabbed and was transported to a hospital in Redding for treatment.

Retired Modoc County Sheriff's Office Sergeant, and former Solano County Sheriff's Office Homicide Detective, Ronnie Sefried was the lead investigator on the case. The investigation revealed, Rucker had murdered McGarva during a heated argument between the two men.

On Tuesday, after a week-long trial, jurors in Modoc County found Jarrett Rucker guilty of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of Milton McGarva. Rucker continues to be held without bail and is due back in court on April 3, 2024, for sentencing.

I want to thank jurors in this case for their dedicated service, the Honorable Judge Candace Beeson for presiding over this trial, and California Deputy Attorney General Barton E. Bowers for his work prosecuting the case. To say that I am pleased with the outcome of this case is an understatement. Justice has been done and my hope is that the McGarva family will have some peace with this verdict.

Source: Modoc County Sheriff’s Office