Mendocino County Sheriff urges public to share information on Khadijah Britton’s disappearance

Kendall: ‘Someone in the Round Valley area has information’

Nearly three years after the disappearance of Khadijah Britton, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation held a virtual press conference Friday to urge residents of the Covelo area to come forward with any information regarding her possible kidnapping.

“We’re here today to reach out to 100 percent of the Round Valley community, hoping that you’ll continue to support the family and support us,” said Sheriff Matt Kendall Friday during a Facebook Live video Feb. 5. “It is the belief of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office that someone in the Round Valley area has information regarding this crime … and that eventually, someone is going to come forward with this information. And we want to be able to work together, to provide support, in order to make sure that this investigation comes to an end, so we can support the family.”

“I want to express my condolences to Khadijah’s family, who have been suffering the past three years without answers, or justice for her — I cannot imagine the pain that you are going through,” said Scott Schelble, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Violent Crime in the San Francisco Division of the FBI. Standing next to him at the podium was Khadijah’s mother, Connie, and he turned to her to say, “I am truly sorry.”

Since March of 2018, Schelble said that the FBI “has been working with the MCSO to follow leads, process evidence and search for Khadijah. We will continue to dedicate these resources until Khadijah is found.”

Schelble also announced that the “FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Khadijah’s disappearance. We are encouraging members of the community to come forward — somebody knows.”

Schelble said that tips can be called into the FBI at 415-553-7400, or entered online at tips.FBI.gov.

“Our goal, with the MCSO, is to find Khadijah, and uncover the truth about her disappearance, and to bring justice to those who are responsible,” Schelble said.

Kendall said that on Jan. 30, 2018, a deputy responded to a domestic violence incident between Khadijah Britton and Negie Fallis and took a report. Shortly thereafter, on Feb. 10, a deputy was contacted about Khadijah going missing.

“On Feb. 12, we learned that she had not been in contact with her family, or anyone, since Feb. 7, and at that point we began to look at this as a kidnapping,” Kendall said. “Detectives began interviewing people and completing searches, and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We have put literally thousands of hours of investigative time into this, we have hundreds of documented interviews, thousands of hours of searches. We have searched so much that we began looking at the maps where we’ve searched to find locations where we haven’t (searched).”

Britton, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, was 23 when she disappeared three years ago in Covelo. According to the MCSO, an investigation by deputies into her disappearance “revealed that Khadijah was possibly kidnapped (Feb. 7, 2018) from a friend’s house. Deputies spoke to witnesses who advised that Negie Fallis arrived at the location, armed with what appeared to be a small derringer pistol, and demanded his girlfriend, Khadijah Britton, exit the residence and speak with him. Witnesses indicated Khadijah exited the residence where a physical altercation occurred between them before they both entered a black Mercedes sedan and left the location. Khadijah has not been in contact with anyone since that time.”

No charges have been filed against Fallis related to her disappearance. However, the MCSO said that Fallis was sentenced on Dec. 4, 2018, to four years in state prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.