Update August 15th:
A Suspect in a Reno Homicide and Kings Beach Missing Person Case has been Arrested; a Body Believed to be the Missing Woman Found
A man linked to a Reno homicide and the disappearance of a Kings Beach woman has been arrested after being located in Portola yesterday around 4 p.m. Authorities now believe they have found the body of the missing woman.
Patricia Portella-Wright was last seen on the morning of Sunday, August 4th, and was reported missing on Friday, August 9th. Her boyfriend, 55-year-old Brent Clifford, was identified as a person of interest in both her disappearance and the Reno homicide.
This afternoon, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced the discovery of a body believed to be Portella-Wright’s off Mt. Rose Highway. The body was found using a drone down a steep embankment. The Washoe County Coroner’s Office is working to confirm the identity.
Clifford’s arrest came after investigators tracked a red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer, belonging to the Reno homicide victim, traveling along SR70 into Portola. He has since been booked into the Placer County Jail on a murder charge.
Recovery efforts for the body were extensive closing down the highway for several hours.
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A man linked to a Reno homicide and a missing person case in Kings Beach has been arrested in Portola by the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, of Kings Beach, was last seen on the morning of Sunday, August 4th. She was reported missing on Friday, August 9th after not returning to work. Portella-Wright lives with her boyfriend, 55-year-old Brent Clifford, who was believed to have been the last person seen with her, making him a person of interest in her disappearance.
Meanwhile, the Reno Police Department identified Clifford as a person of interest in a separate case—a homicide in Reno. The male victim in that case was discovered on Sunday, August 11th at a home on Keystone Ave. with a gunshot wound to the head. It was believed Clifford and Patricia were traveling in the victim’s red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer, which was spotted traveling West on HWY 70 from 395 at Hallelujah Junction.
Yesterday just before 4 p.m., investigators located the vehicle and Clifford in Portola. With the help of the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, Clifford was taken into custody and is now being held on an active warrant.
As the investigation continues, Patricia Portella-Wright remains missing. She is described as a white female with blonde hair and brown eyes, approximately 5’9″ and 125 lbs.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 889-7830.
