A Fortuna woman who was killed Sunday was shot while trying to stop Ronald Allen Crossland, a convicted felon with a long criminal history that included domestic violence, from kidnapping another woman, police said today.
According to a brief follow-up statement from the Eureka Police Department, Sharral “Sherry” McDonald had “no prior association” with Crossland and met him through the second woman, who was unharmed. She has not been named and EPD public information officer Brittany Powell has not responded to requests to clarify her relationship to Crossland. Read previous coverage here.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise money for McDonald’s memorial service and to help her family. The 60-year-old Fortuna High School graduate leaves behind a husband, children and grandchildren, according to the account, which can be found here.
“Sherry worked constantly and was always there to help someone in need,” the posting reads. “Sherry was the type of person who always did whatever she could to help someone and was a kind, giving soul. Help us honor her memory by coming together for her family to raise money for funeral expenses and other financial hardships that her family should not have to endure in the wake of their tragic loss.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Read the EPD statement below:
Upon further investigation, it appears Crossland was attempting to kidnap the uninjured victim at gunpoint. McDonald had intervened and placed herself between Crossland and the uninjured victim when she was shot by Crossland. Crossland and McDonald had no prior association and met through the uninjured victim. The investigation is ongoing.
This article appears in Lao New Year.
Why is the uninjured females name not being listed.
Because she is a crime victim, possibly domestic violence related, and this tragic incident is still raw and fresh. There are laws and policies about disclosing victim information without consent.
Im sure Kimberly is aware of this but is just doing her due diligence as a journalist on a subject of substantial local interest.
Also, readers should be aware this homicide happened only 4 days ago and is still under active investigation as we fill in the missing pieces. Its premature to start releasing too many details so soon, and doing so piecemeal, on demand, creates other issues and detracts from our focus on the investigation itself. However, we understand people want to know what happened.
We will release more information as we responsibly are able to.
Chief Watson