Roseville Police detectives make arrest
On February 22, Roseville Police detectives arrested Christopher Jon Michael Northam, 25, of Roseville on a Placer County Superior Court arrest warrant charging him with the murder of his father, Christopher D. Northam. The suspect's ex-wife Averill Elizabeth Easley, 34, of Roseville was arrested on a Placer County Superior Court arrest warrant charging that she was an accessory after the fact.
On the afternoon of May 30, 2011 Roseville Police officers responded to a call of an argument and shots fired inside an indoor sports business, Skim X, at 8292 Industrial Ave. Officers entered the business and found the business owner, Christopher Dale Northam, 44, of Rocklin, deceased of a gunshot wounds.
After an extensive and complex eight-and-a-half month investigation, which included interviewing numerous witnesses, serving search warrants, examining financial records and eliminating other potential suspects, detectives concluded that Northam Jr. murdered his father for financial gain. Averill Easley is suspected of giving false and misleading information to police about key facts, thereby delaying and obstructing the investigation.
Northam was arrested without incident in Roseville, and is being booked in the Placer County Jail without bail. Easley was also arrested without incident in Roseville and is being held on $25,000 bail. Their first appearance in court is tenatively scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, February 24 in Department 13, the Placer County Jail courtroom.
Law enforcement is a team effort, and our detectives drew upon a number of resources throughout the investigation. We appreciate the Placer County District Attorney's office, the FBI, the California Department of Justice, the Western States Information Network, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Forensic Lab, and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento County Dive and Rescue Team for their technical and forensic assistance.