Suspects May Be Headed North Towards Humboldt

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Today at at 2:44 in the morning,  the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center received a 911 call from a person who resided in a residence located in the 10000 block of East Road in Redwood Valley.

The caller reported that two unknown individuals had entered the residence with firearms and two of the caller’s family members had been shot.

Patrol Deputies responded to the residence where they located a deceased adult male with gunshot wounds.

Deputies also located another adult male who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds during the incident.  This adult male was transported to an out-of-county hospital for treatment of his injuries.

During an initial interview of family members, deputies learned one of the suspects was described as wearing a red hoody sweatshirt and black bandanna covering a portion of their face.

Both suspects were last seen leaving the residence Northbound on East Road in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.

Sheriff’s Detectives were called to the scene and are conducting further investigations into the circumstances of the shooting.

Anyone having information in regards to this incident is urged to call the Mendocino Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line at 707-234-2100.

UPDATE:

During the morning today Sheriff’s detectives identified 23-year-old Celso Madueno and 19-year-old Abel Madueno, both of Redwood Valley, as being the victims of this reported shooting incident.

At this time Abel Madueno is recovering from a non-lethal gunshot wound; Celso Madueno was pronounced dead at the shooting scene.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Decomposed Skeleton and Shoes Poking Through the Dirt

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

The report by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office of human remains found in Piercy was pretty basic and grim:

On 10-30-2012 at 0659 hours, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person wanting to report a suspicious situation.

The caller had located a shoe protruding from the earth near the shore of the Eel River in the 83000 block of Highway 271.  Upon closer examination the caller believed the shoe was attached to a human body.

A Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office patrol Sergeant and Sheriff’s Detective responded to the scene and located what the caller had reported.

During this time it was discovered that the shoe was associated with a shallow grave that contained the skeletal remains of a human body.

Sheriff’s Detectives have requested the assistance of the Department of Anthropology at California State University, Chico in recovering the remains from the grave.

Anyone with information in regards to this case is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.

Fair enough.  It was an ugly discovery and the release is short on details.

More about the gruesome find is found here– if you have to know more.

We’ll warn you it isn’t pretty.   These things never are.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Homeless Victim Stabbed Multiple Times

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Yesterday, November 1, 2012, at 5:21 a.m., paramedics received a report from passing joggers that someone was lying in the driveway of a business in the 1200 block of 4th Street in Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Police
Department reported.

Paramedics were dispatched to the scene and found the person, a female in her mid-20′s, was deceased. They also noticed she had injuries consistent with stab wounds to her torso.

The victim, Michela Wooldridge, a 24-year-old woman from Humboldt County, had recently moved to the area and was possibly homeless.

Police believe the assault occurred in the early morning hours.  Wooldridge was stabbed multiple times before she succumbed to her wounds.

Although the investigation is continuing, police have not yet identified the killer.  The motive for the assault is not known at this time.  There was nothing to indicate the crime was a robbery or sexual assault.

The County Alliance “Take Back Our Community Program” has offered up to $2,500 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in this case.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who may be able to identify  the suspect is encouraged to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Violent Crime Investigations Team at 543-3590.

* * * * * * * * *

Michela Wooldridge is believed to have arrived in Santa Rosa about a month ago from Humboldt County and had been homeless.

“We’re still tracking things down,” Santa Rosa Police Sgt. David Linscomb said Friday morning.

She had no identification when a jogger found her dead on the sidewalk in front of Bertalone Realty and The Lamp and Shade Shop near the junction of College Avenue and Fourth Street.  Linscomb said authorities used fingerprints to identify her remains.  She was fully clothed when found.

Police had one minor contact with her in recent weeks, but nothing that rose to the level of an arrest, he said.

Linscomb said it was unclear where Wooldridge had been staying, but there were some people in the homeless community who knew the woman.

This is the second stabbing occurring in or near Santa Rosa early Friday morning.  At this time, there is no indication the two incidents are related.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Jason Warren Never Should Have Been Released

Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel

Rose nailed it in her column today.

Drawing from this morning’s Times-Standard, she wrote:

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna released Warren from custody in late August on a Cruz waiver, part of a plea agreement that had him facing six years in prison with the stipulation that an assault change would be dropped if he showed up for his Sept. 7 (court date).

A Cruz waiver is part of a plea deal, usually requested by a defendant in custody or a defense attorney, that releases the defendant prior to sentencing.  A prosecutor can oppose the waiver, but the decision to release a defendant is ultimately up to a judge.

Jason Anthony Warren, 28, was arrested on a warrant related to his failure to appear for sentencing hours after the Sept. 27 hit-and-run that killed Humboldt State University geography instructor Suzanne Seemann — the mother of two young children and wife of Humboldt County official Hank Seemann.  She died at the scene.  Her running partners, Eureka residents Jessica Hunt, 41, and Terri Vroman-Little, 50, were severely injured.

An investigation into the hit-and-run led to the discovery of 47-year-old Dorothy Ulrich’s body in her Hoopa home.

”It was the right decision for that time,” Gallegos told the Times-Standard last month.  “With the benefit of hindsight, I wish to God we had opposed it, and I wish the judge hadn’t released him.”

Well, uh, yeah.  Except that it wasn’t the right decision at the time.  In fact, it was clearly the wrong one.

Mr. Gallegos’ office didn’t oppose Mr. Warren’s release one bit.  Not so much as a single word or whisper.  Judge Cissna waited for the prosecuting attorney’s response– and hearing none– made his ill-fated ruling.

If the District Attorney’s Office had objected to Warren’s Cruz waiver release as they should have done, three citizens of our community would still be alive today.

It was an epic fail that lacked a whole boatload of common sense at the lowest level.

Jason Warren, a parolee, never should have been released.  Period.  And everyone knew that.  Even Dorothy Ulrich’s mother said those very same words after learning her daughter had been brutally killed.

Mr. Warren wasn’t a mystery.  Having a long antisocial and violent history stretching back to his juvenile days and into adulthood, he was well known to the Courts, the District Attorney’s Office, Defense Counsel, Law Enforcement, the Jail, Probation and Parole Officers, and the rest of the players on the block.

His behavior and crimes were well documented over a lengthy period of time.  Everyone knew exactly who he was and what he was capable of.  Bordering on sociopathy with no feelings of remorse, guilt, responsibility, or having a wit of conscience towards his crimes or victims, and with a serious substance abuse problem to boot, Warren was one dangerous cat.

Granted his unnopposed Cruz waiver and released– without so much as supervision or monitoring–  Warren was more or less allowed to run amok.  He likely murdered three people as a result of his newly found and unexpected freedom.  Not that he cared.

Not only did the Superior Court and the District Attorney’s Office act irresponsibly in his case and the interests of public safety, their complacent and indecisive error turned out to have deadly consequences.

Warren’s predictable wrath– coupled with a lack of judicial oversight and prevailing common sense– resulted in the deaths of three individuals.  Those deaths could have been prevented.

Simply put, our public servants just weren’t paying attention to what they were doing.  They dropped the ball.  Too little, too late is aptly correct.

It never, ever should have happened.  It was a terrible and tragic mistake.  The public should be made aware of it, and they should be duly concerned and outraged so it doesn’t happen again.

You can read more here:

Rose’s Watchpaul piece, ”Too Little, Too Late“.

Scott Grant Go-Forth’s Times-Standard article, “ District Attorney’s Office Opposing Cruz Waivers Following Hit-and-Run Homicide” is here.

And Allie Hostler’s excellent Two Rivers Tribune story– with the background of Jason Warren– can be found here.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Santa Rosa Police Look for Killer of Michela Wooldridge

–Reward Offered–

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Police are still searching for the killer of a homeless mother
who was found by joggers in downtown Santa Rosa the morning
after Halloween, as reported by the Humboldt Sentinel.

They don’t have any suspects yet but do have some leads that are being followed up on.  So far, no witnesses have come forward.

Police said 24-year-old Michela Wooldridge had recently become homeless after dropping out of a drug recovery program.  She was killed off Fourth Street just outside downtown Santa Rosa, near a lamp shop.  She was a former Humboldt County resident.

Investigators said Wooldridge was stabbed several times with a knife or blade- edged instrument.  They believe she was most likely was killed where she was found.

Wooldridge leaves behind a 2-year-old son.  Investigators said she came to Santa Rosa from at the beginning of October.  Growing up largely in Cloverdale, she had recently been living in Humboldt County. 

Friends said she had a rough childhood.  She was wrestling with repressed memories of childhood molestation and more recent sexual trauma, as well as episodes of drug use, family members said.

She came to Santa Rosa to take part in a one-year recovery program at the Victory Outreach Women’s Christian Recovery Home.  But she left the program Oct. 11, apparently with a man she met in Santa Rosa, according to her former boyfriend, Clearlake resident Nick Azbill, the father of Wooldridge’s 2-year-old son.

Wooldridge’s mother, Elizabeth Vawter, and her husband, Kevin Wilson, have recovered her daughter’s remains and taken them back to Humboldt County to bury her alongside her
grandparents in Fortuna.

People at Santa Rosa’s The Living Room and the nearby Interlink Self Help Center saw her more recently after she left her recovery home including up to the day before her body was found, said Celeste Austin, program coordinator for The Living Room Day Shelter at Church of the Incarnation.

Wooldridge was a sweet, approachable woman who made friends easily and whose naivete and vulnerability makes her violent death all the more difficult to bear, Austin said.

Women in the Santa Rosa homeless community are worried after one of their own was violently killed in an alley off of busy Fourth Street, Austin said.

“Our women were impacted at The Living Room in a pretty deep way because it was a woman; it was someone who some of them knew, and she was murdered brutally,” Austin said.  “And so our women are feeling unsafe because they haven’t apprehended the individual.”

Staff and volunteers at the day shelter have offered counseling and support, but there were others “in a lot of pain around this death,” she said.

After a week of investigation, detectives are without a suspect, though they are continuing to conduct interviews and developing leads through family members scattered around the North Coast and members of the local homeless community, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. David Linscomb said.

“We’re going in a lot of directions with this,” Linscomb said. “We haven’t ruled anything out.  People in the homeless community, my advice — stay vigilant, and stay careful.”

A memorial fund has been established at Wells Fargo Bank to help cover expenses.  Donors can contribute to Michela’s Memorial Fund, account No. 2919021044, at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.

The Sonoma County Alliance is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the case through its “Take Back Our Community” program.

Santa Rosa Police have a special tip line at (707) 975-1106.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

MCSO and CSU-Chico Working on Identifying Long Buried Corpse

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Mendocino County Sheriff Lt. Greg Van Patten said a team from the California State University Department of Anthropology at Chico has recovered the full skeleton from
a shallow grave that was discovered along the shore of the
Eel River on October 30, as reported in the Humboldt Sentinel.

Lt. Van Patten said the team exhumed the skeleton after two kayakers made the grisly discovery of a tennis-shoe clad foot protruding from the soil near Piercy.  He said the skeletal remains were taken to the CSU-Chico lab and estimates the analysis will take four to six weeks to complete due to their caseload.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s investigators say it’s still too early to determine if the human bones located in the shallow grave of the riverbank are related to any missing persons from coastal Mendocino County. 

When Sheriff’s investigators found the bones based on the kayakers’ tip and location, they secured the area and called in CSU investigators.

Van Patten said investigators believe the bones are that of an adult, but at this time the gender is still unknown.  Remnants of clothing were also found with the remains and being examined by the lab’s forensic investigators.

Asked if the bones showed evidence of bullet scarring or intrusion, Van Patten said it’s too premature to tell at this point.

He also added that forensically it’s too early to narrow down the possible origin or identity of the decedent.  However, a botanist is working with the team to look at the growth of roots and vines over the grave in order to better determine when it was placed there.

“We’ll know a lot more when the results come back,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Department has dozens of unsolved missing persons cases dating back to the 1970s, including several from coastal areas.

Anyone with information in regards to this case is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100. More information on local missing persons cases can be found on the Sheriff’s Department website, the MCSO said in their release.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Former Humboldt Woman Found Murdered in Santa Rosa

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Michela Wooldridge will be laid to rest in a burial and memorial service set for next Tuesday in Fortuna and Hydesville.

The young, 24-year-old mother was brutally stabbed to death in Santa Rosa on November 1, as reported in the Humboldt Sentinel.

She lived in Humboldt County for about 5 years where her mother was raised, and had moved to Sonoma County before entering a Christian rehabilitation program there.  She leaves behind a two year son.

Michela will be buried next to her grandfather on Tuesday, November 20, at 10 a.m.  It will be at the Catholic Cemetery at 1715 Main Street in Fortuna, her stepfather, Kevin Wilson, said.

A noon memorial service will follow at the Hydesville Community Church, located at 3296 Highway 36 in Hydesville.

Michela’s family is accepting donations to help pay for her burial.

Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo bank branch to account number 2919021044.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Warren Responsible for Death of Dorothy Ulrich, HCSO Reports

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office release issued moments ago:

September 27, 2012: 

A California Highway Patrol Officer conducting a follow up investigation discovered a deceased female in a residence on Little Moon Lane, Hoopa.  The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Hoopa Tribal Police responded to and took custody of the scene.

Sheriff’s detectives were notified and also responded to the residence.

A search warrant was issued by the Humboldt County Superior Court and detectives entered the residence for an investigation.

Today, November 20, 2012: 

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has concluded a majority of the Death Investigation of Dorothy Evelyn Ulrich, 47-years-old of Hoopa.

Investigators determined that Ulrich was the victim of a homicide, and suspect Jason Anthony Warren, 28-years-old and a transient, is responsible for her death.

Based upon their investigation, Sheriff’s Detectives believe Ulrich was killed during the early morning hours of September 27, 2012.

A silver Kia Spectra was stolen from Hoopa shortly after Ulrich’s death.  Subsequently, the Silver Kia Spectra was recovered by the Eureka Police Department in the City of Eureka on September 27th, 2012.

The Sheriff’s Office has submitted its case to the Humboldt County District Attorneys Office today, along with a Declaration in Support of an Arrest Warrant, requesting charges of homicide and auto theft be filed against Warren.

Jason Warren is currently in custody at San Quentin State Prison on
an unrelated charge.

* * * * * * * *

Mr. Warren, you remember, is also believed to be responsible for the death and serious injuries of the three Bayside joggers on September 27.

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Mother of Victim Details Deadly Mistakes to State Attorney General

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Dorothy Ulrich was brutally murdered in her home in Hoopa by alleged suspect Jason Warren, a parolee awaiting sentencing on another matter.

After killing Ms. Ulrich, Warren stole her vehicle and drove to Eureka where it’s believed he ran down three joggers killing one of them, Suzanne Seemann, a professor at California State University Humboldt.

Last week, the Two Rivers Tribune published a letter written by the mother of victim Dorothy Ulrich to Kamala Harris, the Attorney General of California.  In the letter, Ulrich’s mother details the mistakes that were made granting the release of Warren allowing him to embark on his murderous spree.

In her letter, Dorothy’s mother asks:

• Why was Jason Warren released on a Cruz waiver when the Court and District Attorney very well knew of his previous violent charges and history?
• Why did the Deputy District Attorney, Zach Curtis, utter ‘No Objection’ to Warren’s release?
• Why was Warren released when he had no address and was reportedly ‘homeless’ at the time?
• Did the Judge and DA really expect Warren, free for two weeks after being granted his temporary waiver release, to return to Court and be sent to prison
  for his 4-year sentence?  Why wasn’t he simply remanded to
  custody until his prison transfer?
• Why wasn’t his parole agent notified of his release?  Why was Warren released without any supervision whatsoever?

And the most important point of all:  Dorothy Ulrich, one of Warren’s previous victims, was never notified of Warren’s release.

Dorothy Ulrich had no idea Warren was released from custody.  And Warren consequently killed her.  Had she been notified as a victim– as required under the Victim’s Bill of Rights and Marcy’s Law– she would have been aware of the extreme danger she was in.  Ulrich would have been able to protect herself, flee, or otherwise remove herself from the life-threatening danger that the Court and District Attorney erringly imposed upon her.

Dorothy Ulrich died because of their failure to notify her as a victim.

Adding further insult to injury, Dorothy’s mother concluded in her letter:

(Deputy District Attorney) Zack Curtis wasn’t the final decision maker.  Judge Timothy Cissna was the judge that issued the order.

It seems now that everyone involved in Warren’s case have closed ranks and refuse to offer any further explanation to me, the other victims and their families, or the citizens of Humboldt County.

We feel an explanation is clearly in order.  Bluntly put, Judge Cissna and Deputy District Attorney Zach Curtis dropped the ball allowing Warren’s release.  Dorothy Ulrich’s mother even asked if either party– the Court or the District Attorney’s Office–  had even bothered or taken the time to read Warren’s court file containing information addressing the above concerns.

The letter in the Two Rivers Tribune is a very knowledgeable, detailed, and well-written piece.

We’d like to bring the matter to your attention before it’s shamelessly swept under the rug and down the memory hole as if it never had happened.  It is a travesty– and the community should be duly outraged.

We encourage you to read the full letter here and make up your own mind as to whether there was a critical and deadly breakdown of justice allowing Dorothy Ulrich and Suzanne Seeman to be murdered in cold blood by a felon with a violent past who never should have been released in the first place.

We hope Attorney General Kamala Harris orders a complete review of this case to ensure it never, ever, happens again– and that our public safety servants perform their jobs that they’re appointed to do.

* * * * * * * * * * *

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Circumstances of Death Remain a Mystery

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

A man was found dead at the South Jetty around 7:30 a.m. yesterday.

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office says the adult male
was found by a passerby on a quad vehicle, just above the
surf-line near the parking lot area.  They believe the body
is someone who’s been filed with police as missing out of
Rio Dell since December 1.

Deputy Coroner Roy Horton responded to the scene Tuesday and has positively identified the man.

“There are no injuries that appear to have caused the man’s death,” Horton said.

Horton said the man was discovered by a citizen on an ATV, who was gathering firewood on the beach.  The driver of the ATV reported seeing the man alive last night, according to Horton.

The Coroner’s Office is investigating how the body got there.
 
Investigating officials say there is a question of how the body got to this location on the South Jetty.  They report there was no vehicle associated with him at the scene.

They also indicate the condition of his body is not reflective of having been in the water for any long period of time, considering how long he’s been missing.  The body had some unexplained minor lacerations.

A witness told the Coroner’s office he was at the same Jetty location on Monday and the body wasn’t there;  it appeared within 24 hours later, he said.

Horton said the identity of the deceased man will be released after the next of kin are contacted.

The KIEM-TV news report is here.

UPDATE:  The Coroner has identified the man as Judson Isaiah Nolan, 41, of Rio Dell.  There were no injuries found for his death.  The Coroner added it’s likely Nolan hitchhiked or got a ride to the area.

 (Posted by Skippy Massey)

Jacob Allen Green, 24, Suspected in Slaying of 16-Year Old Oregon Girl

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Multiple law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, and the Tillamook County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the death of a female found late Friday along
an Oregon highway about 18 miles east of Tillamook. 
They have confirmed the woman’s death was a homicide.

Criminal investigators from the Tillamook County Major Crime Team, with the assistance of State and Tillamook County medical examiner offices, identified the victim as Kayla Ann Hendrickson, 16, from Beaverton, Oregon.  An autopsy done yesterday at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her death was caused from gunshot wounds.

Officials also confirmed a person of interest related to this investigation died Saturday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound along the northern California coast. 

The only suspect involved in her death, Jacob Allen Green, 24, of Newport, Oregon, reportedly shot himself in his parked car in Humboldt County the following day and died at a local hospital.  He had worked for a Newport area logging company.

According to police, Hendrickson and Green knew each other.  The circumstances leading to Hendrickson’s slaying in Oregon and Green’s self-inflicted suicide in Humboldt County remain murky at best.

Investigators were contacted Saturday by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office regarding a death investigation they were conducting involving a male subject in a vehicle matching the description of the of one connected with the death investigation.

Here is what the Oregon State Police reported:

On Friday, January 18, at approximately 10:14 p.m., a vehicle described as a late 1980s to early 1990s full-size pickup was observed by a witness stopped on the north side shoulder of the westbound lane on Highway 6 between milepost 18 and 19.

Two people, a man and woman, were seen along the highway near the stopped pickup.

About 25 minutes later, the witness contacted a Tillamook police officer advising of the suspicious circumstances along Highway 6 near milepost 18 about two miles east of Jordan Creek Road.  An OSP trooper
responded and found the dead woman along the highway.

Investigators are asking for the public’s help to develop additional information.  Hendrickson is described as:

•  White female estimated 18 – 25 years of age
•  Approximately 5’8″ and weighing 135 – 145 lbs
•  Long bleach-blonde hair with a layer of dark hair underneath the lighter top layer
•  Wearing a pink buttoned down blouse underneath a camouflage long sleeve fleece woman’s full zipper front sweat jacket, short “hot pink” shorts, and tan cowboy boots with an approximate 2 inch heel

 Anyone with information regarding this investigation, including anyone who was traveling in the vicinity around the times mentioned, is asked to call Oregon State Police Northern Command Center dispatch at (800) 452-7888.

* * * * * * *

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Strange Event Just Got Stranger

–Updated Below–

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

First we have the HCSO report today:

 
On January 20 at approximately 8 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office was called by a citizen who reported a male possibly deceased located at Centerville Beach near Ferndale.

A deputy and medical was dispatched to the scene approximately 1/2 mile south of the parking lot.  When the deputy arrived he saw a male located in the area described between the cliffs and the water line.  Medical and the deputy determined the male was deceased.

Sheriff’s Detectives and the Coroners Office were summoned to the scene to investigate the death.  The death is determined suspicious at this time.  The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed.  Sheriff’s Detectives are requesting the public’s help with this case.

The vehicle described:  Blue with Tan Trim, Eddie Bauer 2000 Ford Explorer, with California Plates.

Deceased male described: White male, late 40’s , wearing sweat pants, a sweat shirt, two scarf’s, a beanie and a hoodie.

Anyone who may have seen this man at Centerville Beach or has any information regarding this case is requested to call Detective Rich Schlesiger at 1-707-268-3642 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

The investigation is ongoing and further information may be released in the future.

 So who was this individual whose body was found just below the steep cliffs of the now-defunct Centerville Naval Facility?  Did he commit suicide or was he murdered?  

This is where it takes a turn for the truly strange.

Kym Kemp fills us in on the rest of the bizarre story with her link here:  “Centerville Beach Body Identified as Man Outed for Pretending to be Navy Seal”

And the Times-Standard link by Luke Ramseth:  “Man Found Dead at Centerville Beach was Navy SEAL Impostor; Officials say Densmore Likely in Humboldt for Several Days”

UPDATE, JANUARY 29, 2013:  The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported the following brief information today:

On 01-29-2013 an autopsy was conducted on Ike Densmore.  The medical examiner concluded that Densmores death was self inflicted by a gunshot wound.

* * * * * * * * * *

(Posted by Skippy Massey)

Delbert Miller, 69, Pronounced Dead

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

CORCORAN – Investigators at Corcoran State Prison and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office said yesterday they are investigating the death of inmate Delbert
Miller, 69-years-old, as a homicide.

It is believed the former Humboldt County man serving time for murder was killed in his own cell at the hands of his much younger 20-year-old cellmate.

Miller was found unresponsive in his prison cell and was pronounced dead Thursday morning, January 24, according to the press release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Miller was serving an 81-year-to-life sentence beginning in May of 2008 for the first-degree murder of
38-year-old Lori Ann Jones, whose decomposing body was found in Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park in 2004.  Prosecutors convinced jurors during his trial that Miller murdered Jones because he believed she was stealing from him and had accused him of rape, the Times-Standard reported.

Miller had a prior 1988 conviction from Humboldt County for rape and forced oral copulation of a child.  He had been housed at Corcoran State Prison since last July.

Miller’s cellmate, Kyle Alexander Osborn, has been identified as the only suspect.  Osborn has since been removed and placed into an Administrative Segregation Unit.  Details of the alleged killing have not been released.

Osborn, 20, was admitted to state prison from San Bernardino County in June of 2009 with a 26-year sentence for lewd and lascivious acts on a child with force and violence, and burglary and first-degree robbery.  It is unknown how long he has been at Corcoran, or sharing the same cell with the older Miller.

The Kings County Coroner will perform an autopsy.  The Office of Inspector General’s Bureau of Independent Review was notified, the CDCR said.

A small city in and of itself, California State Prison-Corcoran opened in 1988 and houses 4,595 minimum to maximum high-security level inmates.  It employs 2,300 people and is one of 32 adult facilities located throughout California.

Ms. Connie Gipson is the current warden of the all-male prison which has had as many problems as notorious inmates over the years.

“Dude, that Guy was Fucking Kooked Out!  Smash, Smash, Smash!”

(VIRAL VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Kai is a homeless hitchhiker.  He’s being hailed as a hero
after saving a woman several days ago from the clutches of
the man who was giving him a ride — who suddenly crashed
his car into a utility worker, began spouting racist invectives,
and claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus.

Kai was hitching a ride with 54-year-old Jett Simmons McBride, of Tacoma, Wash., when McBride decided to run his car into a black Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) worker in West Fresno.  With the worker was pinned against his utility truck, McBride hopped out of his vehicle and began physically pulling on the injured worker.

A local woman, Tanya Baker, witnessed the crash and tried to stop McBride from continuing his assault or leaving the scene.  That’s when McBride reportedly grabbed her in a bear hug her while claiming to be Jesus Christ and uttering racist epithets.

“The guy just went crazy and was trying to pull the guy from underneath the car and the truck.  Then he gets in his car and tries to move the car… and we weren’t going to let him do it,” Baker told local Fox News affiliate KMPH.

Kai, the hitchhiker who was sitting in the car, saw McBride assault Baker– and sprang into action.

“Like, a guy that big can snap a woman’s neck like a pencil stick,” he told KMPH.   Kai grabbed his hatchet and battered the six-foot, 300-plus pound McBride with the blunt end, reportedly saving Baker’s life.

“I fucking ran up behind him with a hatchet — smash, smash, smash!” Kai said afterwards.

When first responders arrived on the scene, the PG&E worker was rushed to the hospital with two broken legs.  McBride was also removed from the scene with non-life-threatening injuries and is now in police custody and booked into jail on suspicion of attempted murder.

Kai has become a minor internet folk hero of sorts; a person who didn’t have to get invoved– but did so only because it was the immediate and right thing to do.

Kai said he wants to spread the love:

“Before I say anything else, I want to say no matter what you’ve done, you deserve respect, even if you make mistakes.   You’re lovable and it doesn’t matter your looks, skills, or age, or size or anything.  You’re worthwhile—no one can take that away from you.”

Since his interview with Fox affiliate KMPH went viral (below), there has been next to no news about Kai’s current whereabouts.

A year-old video of the homefree celebrity strumming his ukulele on a British Columbia beach and in a music store surfaced, but that hardly provided any insight into the man behind the myth.

“He’s kind of like a superhero,” reporter Jessob Reisbeck said.   ”He’s impossible to get ahold of because he has no phone and he’s this mysterious guy, but he has this hero status.”

But Kai is still out there.  He recently said in a Facebook post:  “I’m sleeping in a hay field across I-99 from the chevron/days inn in Lathrope CA.  Do any, uh, new friends feel like sharing couchspace?”

Reisbeck managed to track Kai down yesterday not far from the site of the incident that made him a digital star.

“Shock and awe,” Kai responded when Reisbeck asked him for his thoughts on his overnight fame.

But besides feeling a bit more loved by the Universe than before, Kai remains unchanged.

“He’s just doing the exact same thing he’s always done,” Reisbeck said.  “Living a homefree
life, as he calls it.”

* * * * * * * * *

Identifying with Humboldt, Kai has spent time wandering through and living in Eureka and in Arcata.

The interesting and must-see viral KMPH interview of Kai describing the incident is here.

The original KMPH newscast is here.

UPDATE May 16, 2013:  Kai is arrested for murder.

Asks for Public’s Help in Identifying Victim Through Items Discovered

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

On October 30, 2012 at 0659 hours, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person wanting to report a suspicious situation.

The caller had located a shoe protruding from the earth near the shore of the Eel River in the 83000 block of Highway 271.  Upon closer examination the caller believed the shoe was attached to a human body.

A Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Sergeant and a Sheriff’s Detective responded to the scene and located what the caller had
reported.

During this time it was discovered that the shoe was associated with a shallow grave that contained the skeletal remains of a human body.  Sheriff’s Detectives requested the assistance of the Department of Anthropology at California State University, Chico in recovering the remains from the grave.

On March 11, 2013, Sheriff’s Detectives received a report from the CSU-Chico Human Identification Laboratory in regards to the analysis of the human remains.

The results of the analysis showed that the human remains are believed to be that of a white male adult, approximately 25-45 years of age with a height between 5 feet 11 inches and 6 feet 5 inches tall.

Sheriff’s Detectives have enlisted the assistance of the California Department of Justice in recovering DNA from a bone to help establish a DNA profile for the remains.

Sheriff’s Detectives hope to enter this DNA profile into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and use the DNA profile to compare against Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office active missing persons cases.

Pictures of items and clothing of the skeletal remains are pictured here.  Clicking on the images will slightly enlarge them.

Anyone with information in regards to this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.

* * * * * * * * *

The Sentinel’s previous articles of the Piercy skeleton discovery can be found here
and here.

County Sheriff Asks for Public’s Help in Identifying Victims and Leads

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office makes their Missing Persons and Cold Cases page available to the public.

We wish the HCSO would do the same.

They ask that if you can offer any details on the cases below, please call them at (707) 234-2100.

JOHN AND JANE DOE:  TWO YOUNG VICTIMS FOUND DEAD TOGETHER

On July 08, 1979 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person reporting the discovery of human remains in the area of Mile Post Marker 21.11 on Highway 20.  This area was located between the city of Willits and the city of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County of California.

During a search of the rural area, Sheriff’s Detective recovered the skeletal remains of two separate human bodies.  Anthropologists determined the bodies to be that of a male and female.  In 2001 DNA testing showed the bodies were not biologically related.

Over the course of the investigation, Sheriff’s Detectives were able to obtain computer-generated facial reconstructive sketches of the bodies.

The attached colors sketches were first obtained in the early 2000′s from a forensic artist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The picture of the bird in the inset at the bottom of the picture is depicted as an earring (pierced ear type) that was recovered with the human remains.

In 2012, a more advanced 3D sketch process was used by a digital forensic artist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children resulting in the attached black & white sketches.  The new process and this specific case were featured in a BCC News television program: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18529366.

Anyone with information in regards to this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.

John Doe

• Height:  5′ 2″ to 5′ 11″
• Race: White
• Estimated Age: 10-20 years old
• Date of Discovery: July 8, 1979
• MCSO Case #: 1979-1900

Jane Doe

• Height:  5′ 3″ to 6′ 0″
• Race: White
• Estimated Age: 10-20 years old
• Date of Discovery: July 8, 1979
• MCSO Case #: 1979-1900

CHRIS ROBERT GIAUQUE:  MISSING HUMBOLDT/MENDOCINO RESIDENT

On the evening of August 9, 2003, Chris Robert Giauque went to the Spyrock Road area of Mendocino County and met with an associate near the Iron Peak lookout.  This area is located north of the town of Laytonville, California.

Chris Giauque was on probation for cultivation of marijuana and reportedly left his vehicle, a 1994 blue Toyota extra cab pickup truck at this location as he did not want to be seen in his truck on the property that he and the associate owned on Simmerly Road in Covelo, California.

Reportedly, the associate gave Chris Giauque a ride into and out of the property.  Chris Giauque was reportedly last seen in this area around 9:00 PM.  It is possible that Chris Giauque became a robbery-homicide victim.

Chris Giauque had made the trip to pick up a substantial amount of cash and it was possible that numerous people knew of the pending business transaction.

Chris Giauque’s pickup truck was located on August 10, 2003 approximately 50 miles north of Spyrock Road and 3 miles south of Myers Flat on the Avenue of the Giants near Elk Creek Road in Humboldt County.  This location is north of Salmon Creek where Chris Giauque resided.

To this date, Chris Giauque’s body has not been located and his father (Bob Giauque) has established a website to aid in the investigation.  The website located at www.chrisreward.org contains additional information on the circumstances of Chris Giauque’s disappearance and an established reward. 

The investigation into Chris Giauque’s disappearance is being handled by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information in regards to the disappearance of Chris Giauque is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.

• Age at time of murder:  36 years-old
• Height:  6′ 0″
• Weight:  145 lbs.
• Hair:  Brown
• Eyes: Blue
• MCSO Case#:  03-3247
• Date of disappearance:  August 9, 2003

To note, Chris Giauque’s page has much more lengthy detailed information of his disappearance and acquaintances.  It reads in part:

“My family is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of my remains.

An additional $150,000 reward is offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for killing me.  And now, an additional reward incentive is being made available to anyone bringing in direct evidence of the crime.

Failure to bring rapid closure to this case will lead to a number of bounty hunters invading your territory.  They will scour the area, seeking information and asking questions.”

* * * * * * * *

The MCSO has other missing persons and cold cases that can be found here: http://www.mendocinosheriff.com/missing/coldcases.html

We wonder why our own Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t make similar information available to its residents as the Mendocino Sheriff’s Office does.

Why they haven’t do so– or even attempted a posting of Humboldt’s Most Wanted Individuals list for the public– is a cold case mystery in and of itself.

Shasta Triple Homicide Suspect on the Loose in Southern Humboldt

Mattole Residents Advised to ‘Shelter in Place’ by Sheriff

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On May 8 at approximately 3:30 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a citizen that wanted Shasta County Homicide suspect Shane Miller’s Gold Dodge 2010 pickup truck was seen at the mouth of the Mattole River in Petrolia.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with officers from the California Highway Patrol, the Fortuna Police Department and the Rio Dell Police Department responded to the area.

While enroute to the scene, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office began receiving 911 calls that Miller was in the truck and was driving on the Mattole Road towards Honeydew.

Deputies and officers from the other agencies converged on the area.  After an extensive search they located the truck parked and vacant in the 30000 block of Mattole Road.

Deputies searched the area and are still on scene looking for Miller.

Anyone who resides in the area is requested to shelter in place.  If anyone sees Miller they are requested to call 911.

 Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case  is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

* * * * * * * * *

Previously from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office:

Shane Franklin Miller is a suspect in the triple homicide shooting of his wife and two daughters in Shingletown, CA.  Miller is considered armed and dangerous, and possibly having access to a cache of weapons. 

Sheriff’s Officials are pursuing leads in the Northern California Region and a nationwide manhunt bulletin has been issued.

Suspect is believed to be driving a Gold 2010 Dodge Mega Cab Pickup with a camper shell.  CA License #8Z75988

VICTIMS:

Sandy Miller, wife, 34 years old 
Shelby Miller, daughter, 8 years old
Shasta Miller, daughter, 4 years old
  
SUSPECT(S):

Shane Franklin Miller: White male, Red hair, Blue eyes, 5’10”, 200 pounds
DOB 05/08/1968, 45 years of age

* * * * * * * *

More information can be found at The Record Searchlight.

Victim or Suspect of Sexual Assault?

(VIDEO)

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Kai, the ‘hatchet-wielding hitchhiker’ who became an Internet sensation earlier this year, has been arrested 
for the murder of a New Jersey man.

He was captured by Philadelphia police at the Greyhound Bus station in Philadelphia earlier today, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow said.

“I believe that everyone is a little safer with this person off the streets,” the prosecutor said.

According to Glassboro Police Chief Alex Fanfarillo, he was taken into custody in Philadelphia shortly after his department was contacted about interviewing witnesses to Kai’s visit and discovering the drifter had stayed in the town of Glassboro, New Jersey.

Police were seeking the 24-year-old over the murder of attorney Joseph Galfy Jr, who was found dead in his Clark, NJ, home on Monday, May 13.  An autopsy showed that he died as the result of blunt force trauma.

Romankow said Kai met up with 73-year-old New Jersey lawyer in New York’s Times Square on Saturday night, left, and then returned to Galfy’s home.  Witnesses reported Kai was with Galfy over the course of two or more days.  Authorities suspect Galfy was involved in some sort of sexual encounter before being beaten to death.

After the alleged murder, Kai’s movements included two trips to meet a fan in Asbury Park, a trip to Philadelphia and another to Glassboro in southern New Jersey, before he took a train bound for Philadelphia, authorities said.

Kai, whose real name is Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, became an overnight hero after a man he was getting a hitchhiking ride with proclaimed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and deliberately rammed his car into the back of a Pacific Gas and Electric worker.  After a woman tried to help the worker, the driver got out of the car and started squeezing the woman.

Kai– or McGillvary, if you prefer–  then intervened and smashed the man three times in the head with his hatchet.

Kai is a drifter and prefers to call himself “homefree” rather than homeless.  He achieved semi-celebrity status after giving a colorful and profanity-laced F-bomb interview to a local news crew describing his Good Samaritan act that went viral.  He also appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show and Stephen Colbert.

He was a frequent traveler to Humboldt County and  the Arcata Plaza, last visiting in March.

A Facebook post from Kai last week thanked his many fans who let him visit, stay the night or share a meal in recent months:

“Hey id like to express my gratitude to all the gnarly awesome people whove invited me in, partied hardy with me, and brought me to such cool places to meet such cool people. ive met some of the greatest people in my life in these last three months and i wouldnt trade these experiences with you for all the money in hollywood.

“i was thinkin today about that whole thing and really the best thing in the world was getting to know all of you.”

But on Tuesday a far darker note emerged.  It suggested he woke up and discovered he had been drugged and sexually assaulted.

He asked his fans:

“what would you do if you woke up with a groggy head, metallic taste in your mouth, in a strangers house… walked to the mirror and seen come dripping from the side of your face from your mouth, and started wretching, realizing that someone had drugged, raped, and blown their fuckin load in you?  What would you do?”

One man calling himself Terry says he would beat the man with a hatchet.  Kai responded: “i like your idea terry.”

Galfy was found bludgeoned to death around the same time.  Police discovered his body while performing a welfare check after he failed to show up at work.  He was found dead in his bed, clad only in underwear and socks.

Investigators say Kai cut his long hair and tried to disguise himself.  He went on the run, staying with his Facebook fans after the murder before being caught and arrested in Philadelphia.

Kai’s carefree traveling days on the road may have come to an abrupt end.

Charged with murder, Romankow said the hatchet-wielding,  homefree hitchhiker will be processed on his arrest warrant and sent back to New Jersey for arraignment and possible trial. 

His bail was set at $3 million.

28-Year Old Bodhi Tree Taken Into Custody

–NEW UPDATES–

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

Two people, a male and a female, were killed in a house on Eye Street in Arcata early this morning.

People staying at the house said that a suspect, another houseguest, shot the two with a revolver.  Police have one individual in custody, identified as Bodhi Tree, 28-years old, and transient,” according to sources.

The victims have not been identified.  The houseguests at the scene said the female was an 18-year-old high school student.

The female was pronounced dead at the scene, according  to Arcata Police Department Lt. Ryan Peterson.  The male died shortly thereafter at Mad River Community Hospital. 

The names have not yet been released.  The shootings occurred early this morning in close proximity to the Arcata Skate Park, community tennis courts, and Humboldt State University.

This is the official APD statement:

On May 18, 2013, at about 2:00 am, the Arcata Police Department received a 911 telephone call from a residence in the 2400 block of Eye Street.  The caller reported hearing multiple gunshots within the residence.  Upon investigating, the resident found two acquaintances in another room suffering from gunshot wounds.

Additional links for this fast-moving incident can be found here:

DOUBLE HOMICIDE ON EYE STREET (Update 2)  (Kevin Hoover/Arcata Eye)

Update: Police searching for Arcata double homicide suspect  (Times-Standard)

Suspected Double Homicide in Arcata This Morning (UPDATING)  (Hank Sims/Lost Coast Outpost)

Bodhi Tree, 28, arrested in connection with this morning’s double homicide  (Kevin Hoover/Arcata Eye)

Video of arrest of suspect Bodhi Tree (Andrew Goff)

UPDATE:  From the Arcata Police Department, May 18, 2013:

From the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, May 20–  Victims Identified:

The Coroner’s Office identified the two people killed in the double homicide Saturday morning in Arcata.  They are:

• Alan Marcet – 27-years old, from Oak Park, Michigan
• Christina Schwarz – 18-years old from Eureka, student at Eureka High School

Autopsies pending scheduling of forensic pathologist for analysis.

UPDATE:  from the Times-Standard, May 24:

EPD Now Looking at Bodhi Tree as a ‘Person of Interest’ in separate Eureka High School Shooting Last Week

* * * * * * * *

(Our appreciation goes to Rose of the Watchpaul Blog for her updated links.  Thank you, Rose)

The Beat Marches On

Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel

A smattering of police reports:

Lack of Post-Release ‘Supervision’ for Bodhi Tree Has Its Deadly Consequences

Eureka– The Eureka Police Department named Arcata double-murder suspect Bodhi Tree as a person of interest in a recent Eureka shooting yesterday.

Eureka Police confirmed to the Times-Standard they’re looking at Mr. Tree in connection to a shooting that happened May 15th at an apartment in an alley off of “J” Street, about one block from Eureka High School.  The victim, 24-year-old Rhett August, was hospitalized after being shot in the torso.

Police say they’re not making any arrest yet, but have leads and information indicating Tree as a suspect.

EPD says they do not have the weapon that was used at the Eureka shooting.  Arcata police are still searching for the gun Tree allegedly used in the Arcata homicides.

Mr. Tree has pleaded not guilty in court for Saturday’s double homicide of Arcata High School student Christina Schwarz, 18, and Alan “Sunshine” Marcet, 28.

Humboldt County Probation Department Chief William Damiano confirmed Mr. Tree was released from state prison only a month ago and placed under post-release community supervision.

“He would have been released either way, either on parole or through (post-release community supervision) realignment,” Damiano said.

We suspect Mr. Tree failed his probation supervision agreement?  That is, if there was any community supervision to begin with.

We have been seeing these probation fails happening all too often lately.  The problem, as we’ve seen from countless police reports read, is that the probation or parole officer is nowhere, never, or ever to be found.  Like:  Nada, Presto, and Abracadabra– and he’s gone like a rabbit down the bunny hole.

Under the prison realignment post supervision program, the County Probation Department has received oodles of cash from the State to supervise returning felonious clients.  Have they been doing so?

Supervision can and does work.  That is, if you actually do it, keeping clients on the appropriate leash of rehabilitation, drug testing, and oversight.  Not so in Mr. Tree’s case, it seems.

We hope the community and courts actually look into what the level of supervision was that Mr. Bodhi had after he was released from prison last month.  Our probation fails and the subsequent dearth of supervision are having deadly consequences lately– as in the case of Jason Warren. There have been numerous others.  The Sentinel has been reporting on these routinely during the past two years.

It’s been a disturbing pattern to see.  It’s all too quietly slipped under the rug, conveniently blamed on prison realignment being the current catch-all panacea du jour, and Poof!  The problem disappears, the buck is passed, and everyone’s feet can go back on the desk for another day.

Expect this modus operandi excuse to happen again.  Repeatedly, as we’ve seen.

PROBATIONER BUSTED FOR DISPUTE AND DRUGS

Fortuna– On Wednesday, May 22nd around 9 in the morning, officers with the Fortuna Police Department responded to the 900 block of 8th Street in Fortuna for the report of property owner/tenant dispute in an apartment.

Upon arrival officers contacted Michelle Fink, 28, and Joel Guevara both of McKinleyville within the apartment.  During the contact it was learned that Guevara was currently assigned to felony probation for narcotics related offenses in Humboldt County.

During a search of Guevara’s property officers located 121.8 grams of suspected heroin, 1.2 grams methamphetamine, 11 methadone pills, drug paraphernalia and documents consistent with the trafficking of narcotics.

Joel Guevara was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Jail, he was charged with the following crimes;

• HS 11350 – Possession of a Heroin
• HS 11379 – Possession of Methamphetamine
• HS 11364 – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
•  PC 1203.2 – Violation of Probation

Michelle Fink was arrested and transported to the Fortuna Police Department, where she was released on a citation for the HS 11364 – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Another probationer running amok without supervision and drug testing?  When folks are as sharp as bowling balls they need their own lane and a wide berth of gutter to fall themselves into.

* * * * * *

GAS STATION KNOCK-OFF

Arcata– On Thursday, May 23 at about 9:28 am, APD officers were dispatched to a robbery that had just occurred at the Patriot Gas Stationat 1675 Giuntoli Road in Arcata.

 Officers were advised the suspect had fled on foot southbound on Valley West Blvd.  Officers checked the area, but were unable to locate the suspect.

 The suspect was described as a dark-complected male adult about 5’10″ tall and 170 pounds.  The suspect was last seen wearing grey zip up jacket, a green beanie, and sunglasses.

 The suspect mentioned having a weapon, but no weapon was displayed or seen.  The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

What?  No Hot Pockets?  Obviously a pepperoni shy of a pizza and a few Doritos short of a bag upstairs.

Anybody with information on the suspect’s identity is asked to call the Arcata Police Department at #822-2248

* * * * * * *

CRESCENT CITY MISSING PERSON: JENNIFER EVERT