The mother was killed outside a Marlow Road shopping center in the city’s first homicide of 2026.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — The father of a woman fatally shot outside a northwest Santa Rosa shopping center is remembering his daughter as a devoted mother with a deep interest in bumblebees while two Lake County residents face allegations connected to her death.
The family’s public comments have given the community a fuller picture of the woman at the center of a case first described largely through police reports, surveillance footage and arrest records. Her killing on June 8 became Santa Rosa’s first reported homicide of 2026 and led investigators from a shopping center on Marlow Road to a traffic stop and a search in Clearlake.
The shooting was reported at about 9:15 p.m. June 8 in the 3000 block of Marlow Road. Police said the woman was standing near the northwest driveway of a retail center when a man wearing dark clothing and a face covering approached her on foot. The gunman shot her several times and then walked south on Marlow Road, according to the department’s account. Several people called 911 after hearing gunfire. Bystanders found the woman and began CPR before police arrived. An officer reached the scene less than five minutes after the first emergency call and continued the effort until medical personnel took over. The woman was pronounced dead a short time later. Her father later spoke publicly about the loss and described interests that included protecting and studying bumblebees. The family also emphasized her role as a mother, shifting attention from the circumstances of her death to the life she had built.
Police identified Dwight Kestler, 56, of Clearlake as the suspected shooter. Investigators said they reviewed video from homes and businesses throughout the night and identified a vehicle believed to be connected to the killing by about 11 a.m. June 9. They entered its license plate into an automated reader system. Roughly 26 minutes later, a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy spotted the vehicle near Chanate Road and Mendocino Avenue, less than 3 miles from the shooting scene. Deputies and officers detained three people during the stop. Police said investigators found a revolver and other items they believed were linked to the shooting. Jill Bynum, 57, also of Clearlake, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact and on unrelated warrants. A third person was released after detectives concluded that person was not involved. Authorities have not publicly explained what the third occupant knew about the case.
Detectives later obtained a warrant and searched a residence associated with Kestler in the 3200 block of Eighth Street in Clearlake. Police said they recovered additional evidence that connected him to the homicide, though they did not provide a complete list of the items or explain how each one was tied to the shooting. Investigators also did not immediately disclose a motive or describe any relationship between Kestler and the woman. Those unanswered questions remain central to the case. The shooting took place beside a commercial area rather than inside a home, and the police account indicated that the gunman approached on foot before leaving the same way. Officials have not said whether the encounter was planned, whether the victim had been followed or whether she expected to meet anyone at the shopping center that evening.
The case marked Santa Rosa’s first homicide of the year, a fact police included in their initial announcement of the arrests. That designation gave the shooting added public attention, but the family’s later remarks placed the victim’s personal life at the center of the story. Her reported passion for bumblebees reflected an interest in animals and the natural world that relatives wanted preserved in memories of her. Bumblebees play an important role in pollinating wild plants and crops across Northern California, including the agricultural areas surrounding Santa Rosa. Family members did not present that interest as a passing hobby. They described it as a meaningful part of who she was. The account also identified her as a mother, adding children and relatives to the group of people affected by a case that police initially discussed without releasing her name while notifications were underway.
Kestler was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of murder and a probation violation. Bynum was booked on the accessory allegation and outstanding warrants. Both were initially reported as being held without bail before scheduled court proceedings in Sonoma County Superior Court. An arrest does not establish guilt, and prosecutors must present evidence supporting any criminal charges pursued in court. The allegations against the two defendants are different. Police accuse Kestler of carrying out the shooting, while Bynum’s alleged role concerns actions after the killing. Authorities have not publicly described what conduct formed the basis of the accessory allegation. Court filings and later hearings are expected to clarify the formal charges, defense positions, custody status and schedule for future proceedings. Investigators may also submit the firearm and other recovered evidence for forensic testing.
The rapid arrests followed a night of work by patrol officers, homicide detectives, dispatchers, medical crews, bystanders and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. The first callers reported hearing shots rather than seeing the full encounter, leaving investigators to piece together the gunman’s movements through witness accounts and recorded images. Video from nearby homes and stores became an early focus. Police said the footage helped them identify the vehicle that led to the arrests. The people who attempted CPR also became part of the timeline, providing aid during the few minutes before officers and paramedics arrived. Their efforts could not save the woman, but they helped establish when she was found and what occurred immediately after the gunfire. The father’s later remarks added a different kind of record, preserving memories of his daughter beyond the evidence collected at Marlow Road.
The investigation remains active as detectives examine the suspected weapon, video, vehicle evidence and material recovered in Clearlake. The next major developments are expected in Sonoma County Superior Court, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will address the allegations and the evidence supporting them.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.