Suspect arrested in Linda slaying

The Yuba County Sheriff's Department has arrested a Marysville man on suspicion of homicide in the case of a man found dead in his Linda apartment in July.

Todd Allen Cole, 25, was already in custody at the Yuba County Jail on an unrelated parole hold when he was arrested this morning on suspicion of killing Scott Malmstrom, 47.

Department spokeswoman Melanie Oakes said there was evidence linking Cole to the case, but she could not say what it was or whether Cole knew Malmstrom, a registered sex offender whose body was found stabbed to death on July 25 at Malmstrom's Beale Star Apartments home on North Beale Road.

Investigators believe Malmstrom had been dead for some time when his body was discovered, which happened when neighbors noticed a foul odor coming from his apartment.

Oakes said Cole would be arraigned either Friday or Monday.

"There's not a lot I'm at liberty to say in this case at this time," she said.

According to Appeal-Democrat archives, Cole was arrested by the Yuba City Police Department in April on suspicion of violating parole, possessing false identification and vandalism, and was booked into Sutter County Jail. He was listed as a Yuba City resident in that arrest.

Oakes said she did not know what charges originally led to Cole being on parole.