UPDATE: A panel of California Appellate Court justices today rejected Gary Lee Bullock’s bid to overturn his life sentence for the vicious murder of beloved local priest Eric Freed, whose battered body was found in the St. Bernard Church rectory on New Year’s Day 2014. In unusually swift turnaround, the decision came down less than […]
Eric Freed
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TL;DR: Five Things You Need to Know from This Week’s Cover Story
Busy week? We get it. Here are some highlights from the cover to get you caught up. It’s been two and a half years since St. Bernard pastor Eric Freed was killed in his church rectory home. With his killer now convicted and sentenced, the Journal wanted to find out how the congregation has recovered, […]
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Bullock Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Priest’s Slaying
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Gary Lee Bullock has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Jan. 1, 2014 murder of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church pastor Eric Freed. A jury convicted Bullock, 46, of Redway, last month of a host of charges, including first degree murder, torture, residential […]
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Bullock Pulls Insanity Plea, Faces Life in Prison for Priest’s Murder
Multiple media outlets are reporting that, four days after being convicted of murdering and torturing St. Bernard’s Catholic Church pastor Eric Freed, Gary Lee Bullock has withdrawn his not guilty by reason of insanity plea, against the advice of his attorney. According to reports, with the sanity phase of his trial slated to begin this […]
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Bullock Guilty on All Counts
Multiple media outlets are reporting that a jury today has found Gary Lee Bullock guilty on all counts for the 2014 murder and torture of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church pastor Eric Freed. After four days of deliberations, the jury came to the unanimous conclusion that Bullock was guilty of first degree murder, torture, residential burglary, […]
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‘They’ve Got me Dead to Rights’: Opening Argument Given in Bullock Case
Over the course of 45 minutes this morning, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office gave jurors a preview of the evidence it will present in the coming weeks in an attempt to prove that Gary Lee Bullock tortured and murdered St. Bernard Pastor Father Eric Freed on Jan. 1, 2014. In an opening statement that […]
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Jury Selection Underway for Bullock Trial
Jury selection is underway for the trial of Gary Lee Bullock, who faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on charges that he tortured and murdered St. Bernard’s pastor Fr. Eric Freed on New Year’s Day 2014. Because of the notoriety of the crime and the projected length of the trial […]
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Trying Sanity: What Does Gary Lee Bullock’s Insanity Plea Mean?
The man accused of torturing and murdering St. Bernard’s Pastor Eric Freed on New Year’s Day 2014 has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but statistics indicate that will likely have little impact on his ultimate fate. With his trial slated to begin in March, Gary Lee Bullock stood in court on Feb. 10 […]
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County Homicide Total a 30-Year High
Humboldt County has seen more homicides within its borders this year than in any stretching back nearly 30 years. This morning’s officer-involved shooting fatality brings the 2014 total — with 13 days left in the year — to 16 homicides. According to statistics provided by the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, that’s more than in any […]
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Former DA Candidate Moves On
Former Humboldt County District Attorney candidate Elan Firpo took her first steps in a new career today, stepping in as a partner in a prominent local firm now known as Zwerdling, Bragg, Mainzer and Firpo. “It’s a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to a new chapter,” said Firpo, who has worked as a […]
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In Absence
Eureka’s Catholics — and the Humboldt County community at large — was shocked last week when the popular pastor of St. Bernard Church, Father Eric Freed, was found killed on New Year’s Day in the church’s rectory where he lived. Now the church and its parishioners are figuring out how to move on, and, following […]