2nd UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Arcata Police Department, arrested two juveniles on Monday, Oct. 16 in connection with the homicide of Richard Falk. The Journal has reached out to the sheriff’s office to confirm whether or not the juveniles, one male, one female, were related to Falk, and will […]
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Coroner Identifies Man Pulled From Humboldt Bay
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office today identified the man whose body was pulled out of Humboldt Bay on July 2 as Shane Christopher Barbion. He was 47. Officials believe Barbion, who was identified using his fingerprints, was living in Eureka at the time of his death. Family members in Nevada have been notified. No foul play […]
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Sheriff Launches SoHum Homicide Probes
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has launched a homicide investigation after deputies found a 52-year-old woman dead of a gunshot wound in a Redway home. Details are scant, but the sheriff’s office was called at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday to a call of a possible suicide in the 100 block of Redway Drive. But when a […]
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Human Remains Found on Eel River
A person canoeing the Eel River on Sunday found human remains close to Stafford. Due to their extreme state of decomposition, the coroner’s office has not been able to learn the sex or any other identifying features of the body. Chief Deputy Coroner Ernie Stewart said it appeared the body had been there “quite some […]
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Seventh Drowning Death of 2015: Don’t Assume a Shallow River is a Safe River
The May 27 drowning death of Brian H. Hone in the Trinity River was the seventh such incident in 2015. Hone, 27, was overcome by the swift current immediately after jumping in, according to the accounts of his two friends. They attempted to rescue Hone but were also overwhelmed and struggled to make it back […]
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UPDATED: Supes Consider Post-Consolidation Pay Bump for Sheriff
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, after less than 15 minutes of discussion, voted unanimously to approve the pay increase requested for Sheriff Mike Downey to compensate him for the extra duties he’s taking on in the wake of his office consolidating that of the coroner-public administrator. Each member of the board stressed before […]
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UPDATED: Skull Found on Eel River
UPDATED: The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office sent out a press release Tuesday afternoon regarding the skull and noting that no other human remains were found during a search of the area. You can find it below our original post. PREVIOUSLY: Blue Slide Road resident Chris Ghidinelli was cutting a new ATV path through the brush, […]
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UPDATE: Coroner Announces Retirement, Supes Push Toward Consolidation
The board of supervisors voted unanimously today to begin the process of consolidating the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office. The board asked the county administrative officer to draft an ordinance that would fold the employees and functions of the coroner’s office into the sheriff’s department, and create one elected sheriff/coroner position. Humboldt County has had […]
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UPDATED: Woman Identified in Fatal Arcata Fire
SECOND UPDATE: The Arcata police and fire departments issued a joint press release today stating that their joint investigation has revealed that 52-year-old Kelly Maureen Nichols likely started the fire that ultimately took her life in Arcata on Sept. 10. Further, the investigation found that, after the fire began, neighbors attempted to talk Nichols into […]
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Coroner IDs 26-year-old Killed in 101 Crash
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the Arcata woman killed in a rollover crash north of Redcrest Saturday as 26-year-old Camille Louise Rand. The crash occurred at about 8:30 p.m. when Jonathan Rosales, 35, of Bayside, was driving his 2005 Dodge Ram pickup southbound on U.S. Highway 101, lost control of the truck, causing […]
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Coroner Identifies Motorcycle Crash Victim
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the man killed in a Eureka motorcycle accident early Sunday morning as 26-year-old Tommy Ricardo Ruiz. The Eureka resident was killed at about 12:35 a.m. Sunday after falling off his bike in the 1000 block of Broadway while traveling at a high rate of speed. According to a […]