The Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a report on mortality in jails and state prisons. Its findings offer some perspective on the recent spike in suicide attempts at the Humboldt County jail, which saw 12 attempts in the last year, three times the amount of the previous two years.The statistics in the report do […]
Crime
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Yurok Tribe Swindled of $250K in Casino Push
The Yurok Tribe is alleging that it fell victim to a conman who bilked the tribe of $250,000 as it pushed to finance the opening of its new Redwood Hotel and Casino in 2014. In a letter last month to tribal members, Tribal Chair Thomas O’Rourke Sr. explained that, in an effort to fund staffing […]
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Plea Agreements Reached in Federal Murder Case
Two men accused of the 2008 robbery and murder of a San Francisco man in Southern Humboldt have reached plea agreements with federal prosecutors. Ryan Carroll and Robert Lee, both accused in the killing of 35-year-old Reetpaul Singh Rana in a marijuana deal gone bad on Dyerville Loop Road, north of Alderpoint, each reached agreements […]
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Garberville Death Ruled a Homicide; County Eclipses Grisly Record
A forensic pathologist’s determination that a Georgia man died of blunt force injuries not consistent with a fall has morphed a suspicious death investigation into a homicide case, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced today. It would be the county’s seventh homicide of the year. Deputies responded shortly before 1 p.m. on July 18 to […]
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Motion to Dismiss Filed in SoHum Murder Case
One of the men accused of killing and robbing a San Francisco man in Southern Humboldt seven years ago is asking a federal judge to dismiss the case against him, arguing that repeated delays have violated his rights and his ability to mount a defense. Ryan Carroll has been behind bars since his January 2010 […]
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Body Cameras Go Live in Rio Dell; EPD Eyeing Launch by End of Year
If you find yourself being stopped by a cop in Rio Dell, remember to smile and maybe even fix your hair: You’ll be on camera. After ironing out a few technical kinks, Rio Dell Police Chief Graham Hill and each of his four officers are now outfitted with body cameras to wear in the field. […]
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Wilde Gets Life for ‘Cold, Calculated, Premeditated Murder’
An apparently defiant and unrepentant Mikal Xylon Wilde will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for the 2010 murder of one of his workers at a Kneeland marijuana farm. Wilde, 33, was sentenced by a federal judge to serve life plus 35 years in prison after a jury convicted him on March […]
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Rio Dell Cop Arrested on DV, Gun Charges
Humboldt County District Attorney investigators arrested a Rio Dell police officer today on suspicion of domestic violence. Kevin Harralson, a six-year veteran of the force, was taken into custody without incident on two counts of battery on a cohabitant and one count of exhibiting a firearm (both misdemeanors) stemming from alleged incidents in August and […]
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UPDATE: Second Suspect Identified in Assault Homicide
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified Nickolas Ryan Joseph Johnson (pictured) as the second suspect in the April 28 assault and murder of David Dwane Ganfield. Johnson is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information as to Johnson’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office. Another person of interest, Jonas Randall Semore, […]
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UPDATED: Driver Found After Fatal Hit and Run
UPDATE: The California Highway Patrol has located the driver and car involved in yesterday morning’s fatal accident. According to a CHP press release, the driver — 27-year-old Meredith Bayer of Rio Dell — contacted CHP at about noon yesterday, saying she thought she may have been involved in the crash. Find more information in the […]
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CHP Can’t Pinpoint Cause of Fatal Bus Crash
After a 13-month investigation, the California Highway Patrol has determined a FedEx driver was at fault in the deadly bus crash that killed 10 people, including five high school students on their way to Humboldt State University’s Spring Preview event last April. The investigation found that the FedEx driver made an unsafe turning movement on […]
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Who Bombed Judi Bari? 25 Years Later, We May Find an Answer
Twenty-five years after a bomb exploded on an Oakland freeway, shocking the environmental community, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is mulling launching a criminal investigation. Capt. Gregory Van Patten said police have received some “new information” related to the May 24, 1990 bombing of Earth First activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney, and are reviewing […]