CHP – Golden Gate Division Press Release Re: Nathanuel McCowan Arrest
CHP DETECTIVES ARREST OAKLAND MAN FOR 2023 MURDER OF WIFE
OAKLAND, Calif. – Detectives with the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Golden Gate Division Special Investigations Unit (SIU) arrested Nathanuel McCowan, 49, of Oakland, on Jan. 2 for the 2023 murder of his wife, Laketha McCowan.
The investigation began on Feb. 26, 2023, when officers from the CHP’s Oakland Area office responded to a report of an assault in progress at approximately 1:30 a.m. on the Edwards Avenue off ramp from eastbound Interstate 580 in Oakland. Officers discovered a woman on the shoulder with a gunshot wound. Paramedics arrived and pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
Detectives with the CHP Golden Gate Division SIU took over the investigation and identified Nathanuel McCowan as the primary suspect in his wife’s murder. After nearly two years of investigation, CHP detectives, in collaboration with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, filed charges against McCowan. The Alameda Superior Court formally charged him on Jan. 2, 2025, and issued an arrest warrant the same day.
At approximately 11:50 p.m. on Jan. 2, SIU detectives, along with officers from the CHP’s South Sacramento and Stockton Area offices and the Elk Grove Police Department, located McCowan at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove. With assistance from casino security, authorities identified McCowan’s location inside the casino and arrested him without incident.
McCowan was transported to Alameda County and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
“I want to thank our incredible investigative team for their dedication and relentless pursuit of justice for the victim,” said CHP Golden Gate Division Chief Don Goodbrand. “This arrest is a great example of the teamwork necessary between law enforcement and prosecutors to hold suspects to answer for their crimes.”
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service and Security.