Sacramento County prosecutors are throwing their weight behind a fresh push for answers in the long unsolved killing of Nicole Smith, amplifying a $20,000 reward and putting a cold tribal case back in the public eye.
Yesterday, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office boosted a statewide counties group’s message about Smith, a member of the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo. The post highlighted an image that reads ‘justice for nicole smith reward $20,000’ and renewed attention on unsolved cases involving Indigenous victims. Advocates say Smith’s case, and others like it, have lingered for years without clear leads.
RT @CSAC_Counties: “Our families deserve closure, and our future generations deserve better.” #SacramentoCounty partners with tribe to sol…
— Sacramento County DA (@SacCountyDA) Dec 1, 2025
What the DA’s post said
As shared on X, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office reposted the California State Association of Counties and attached an image reading, ;justice for nicole smith reward $20,000.’ The post echoed CSAC’s line, “Our families deserve closure, and our future generations deserve better.” The message did not specify who is putting up the $20,000 reward.
The 2017 Manchester killing
Nicole Florencia Smith, 32, was killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 19, 2017, when a gunman sprayed bullets at a home on the Manchester Rancheria. A 15-year-old relative was wounded and treated at a hospital, as per The Press Democrat. Investigators briefly held a person of interest on unrelated charges, but no homicide charges were filed, and the case has remained unsolved.
Family and tribal advocates push for answers
Smith’s relatives and tribal leaders have publicly criticized what they describe as a slow pace of information and investigation. Local coverage has reported that advocates previously offered a $25,000 reward in hopes of generating tips. The Mendocino Voice noted that family members have repeatedly called for more transparency and more resources directed at the case.
Legal and investigative hurdles
Advocates see Smith’s killing as part of a larger pattern. Native victims face higher rates of violence, and cases can become mired in jurisdictional confusion, underreporting and data gaps. A report by the Urban Indian Health Institute, along with subsequent federal oversight, has documented how fragmented records and limited resources can undermine investigations into missing and murdered Indigenous people…