A Madera County jury has found Oakhurst resident John Alan Kingcade guilty of first-degree murder in the 2022 death of his wife, Reetta Lynn Pyburn, bringing a nearly four-year-old homicide case to a close.  (Article from August 2022: Homicide Investigation In Oakhurst)

The guilty verdict was returned Thursday following a seven-week jury trial in Madera County Superior Court before Judge Katherine Rigby, according to the Madera County District Attorney’s Office.

The conviction stems from the death of Pyburn on Aug. 23, 2022, at the couple’s residence in the Oakhurst area.

The case began when Kingcade contacted law enforcement and reported finding his wife deceased inside their home on Highway 49. Deputies with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence and discovered the body of 50-year-old Pyburn. Following interviews and the processing of evidence at the scene, investigators determined the death was a homicide.

Kingcade was subsequently arrested and booked into the Madera County Jail on murder charges. The case has remained active in the court system since his arrest in August 2022.

According to prosecutors, the jury’s verdict followed weeks of testimony and evidence presented during the lengthy trial. The conviction carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.

Kingcade is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 21 of Madera County Superior Court.

In a statement following the verdict, the Madera County District Attorney’s Office thanked members of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the investigation and expressed condolences to Pyburn’s family.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pyburn family,” the District Attorney’s Office said. “While the grief from this unimaginable loss will always remain, we hope this verdict provides some measure of closure.”

Sierra News Online will continue to follow the case and provide updates following Kingcade’s sentencing hearing later this month.