Suspect arrested in Sutter couple's deaths

A Loomis man was arrested early Saturday in connection with the murder of two Sutter residents found dead in their burned-out home Friday, a Sutter County Sheriff's Department official said.

Joseph Hayden Simlick, 21, of the 1700 block of Rancho Verde Lane, Loomis, was arrested by the department at 12:33 a.m. Saturday at his residence on suspicion of burglary and false imprisonment, said Capt. Lewis McElfresh. He is being held without bail in the Sutter County Jail.

Simlick reportedly had dated one of the couple's daughters, according to friends of the Martin family.

Simlick was known to the family of victims Jack and Susan Martin, but the department is not releasing any other details on his connection to the deaths or possible motive to prevent compromising the investigation, McElfresh said.

"We are continuing our investigation," he said. "We're working on leads today, tomorrow, the next day."

Members of Simlick's family reached by phone Saturday said they did not want to comment.

A day after the Martins' deaths, as investigators continued removing items from their charred home, neighbors described the loss of their small-town sense of safety — and disbelief that the couple could be anyone's target.

"They were very conservative, respectful people who kept to themselves," said Tony Licari, a Yuba City native who moved to the neighborhood five years ago.

"This is a one-horse town; everyone will definitely be sleeping with one eye open. And everyone out here has a gun and a dog," he said.

Mulberry Street resident Nathan Underwood recalled the younger of the Martins' two daughters, who went to college in Colorado, periodically had young men visit the family home at night, but said no disturbances came of the visits.

"It's one of those things," said Underwood, a 50-year Sutter resident, but quickly adding: "I'm locking my door at night now, though."

The fire at 2255 Mulberry St. was reported as shots fired and glass breaking, although the sound of breaking glass may have been mistaken for shots.

Firefighters arrived four minutes after a 911 call at 12:43 a.m. and discovered the garage engulfed in flames that were spreading to the rest of the house. After the fire was extinguished, a woman's body was found on the floor of the garage and her husband's body was found nearby on a floor in the house.

An autopsy has confirmed Jack Martin as the man found in the home, but positive identification has not yet been made on the woman, McElfresh said. The department believes the autopsy will identify her as Susan Martin.

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.

Appeal-Democrat reporter Howard Yune contributed to this report.