California Governor Newsom announces $300,000 in rewards for unsolved murders

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a total of $300,000 in rewards to assist law enforcement in solving six unsolved homicide cases across the state. Each case is eligible for a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The cases span several counties, including San Mateo, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Ventura, and Los Angeles. Notable victims include Estevan Mejia, 34, who was fatally shot in the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in Los Angeles County; Darnell Smith, 20, killed in 2008 in San Diego; and Michelle Matteucci, 13, who was killed in Daly City in 1987.

Other cases involve the 2011 shootings of Gurmej Atwal and Surinder Singh in Elk Grove, and the 2017 death of John Graves in Fresno. Under state law, the governor may offer rewards in specific unsolved cases once investigators have exhausted all available leads.