UPDATE: According to a press release from the Eureka Police Department, the fatal shooting this morning appeared to have been an act of self defense. See the full press release copied below our original post. PREVIOUSLY: This morning about 2:45 a.m., two people were shot in the 1300 block of West Avenue near 14th Street […]
homicide
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EPD Investigating Suspected Homicide
The Eureka Police department has launched a homicide investigation after an 84-year-old man was found dead in his home in the 400 block of Campton Road. According to a press release, a family member found Roger Mitchell Clark, more commonly known as “Mitch,” alone and dead in his home at 7:38 p.m. yesterday. “It was […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
An Open Letter to the Person Who Killed my Son
April 15th, 2020 To the person responsible for murdering my son, I am writing this letter to encourage you to come forward in order to bring peace to yourself and my family. Your friends and family may tell you that you are free and to disregard me, however, I know that you are not free in your […]
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APD Renews Calls for Witnesses on Third Anniversary of Lawson’s Death
On the third anniversary his death, the Arcata Police Department is calling on witnesses to step forward in the April 15, 2017, stabbing of Humboldt State University sophomore David Josiah Lawson. In a joint public service announcement released with Lawson’s mother, Charmaine Lawson, they urge witnesses who may have attended the party at which Lawson […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Justice for Josiah
In our collective years covering crime in Humboldt County, a hard truth we’ve come to realize is that justice is rare — even rarer in a courtroom. The criminal justice system is a misnomer, as the very best it can deliver is protecting the community from a perpetrator while giving them a very limited chance […]
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‘Organizational Failures’
The commanding officer who oversaw the first steps in the Arcata Police Department’s probe into the April 15, 2017, stabbing death of David Josiah Lawson had no specialized training in crime scene management or homicide investigation. The officer tasked with photographing the crime scene used a point-and-shoot camera, had been working in law enforcement less […]
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Sheriff’s Office IDs Man Killed in Southern Humboldt
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man whose body was found on a property in the Ettersburg area on Feb. 18 as Southern Humboldt resident Jason Todd Garrett. According to a release, the 33 year old died of a gunshot wound. A suspect in Garrett’s shooting, Ryan Anthony Tanner, 32, was taken into […]
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UPDATE: Mother of Teen Arrested in Fatal Shooting, House Fire ‘Accidental’
SECOND UPDATE: The Eureka Police Department and Humboldt Bay Fire are reporting that an early morning fire at the Union Street home where a teenager was reportedly shot by his mother last night during a domestic disturbance was “accidental” with EPD stating in a release that it was “unrelated to the manslaughter.” EPD is not […]
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SWAT Operation Nabs Homicide Suspect in SoHum
After a daylong search that included a CHP helicopter and SWAT team members, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man suspected of homicide in the Ettersburg area around 7:15 p.m. Feb. 17. According to a release, Ryan Anthony Tanner, 32, was taken into custody without incident. The sheriff’s office states detectives and investigators responded […]
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Three Years After Jennika Lee Suazo Was Found Dead, Her Family Awaits Justice
Three years ago today, 18-year-old Jennika Lee Suazo was found dead in her home on P Street in Eureka. She was last seen on Dec. 8, 2016. After her cause of death was determined to be asphyxia, the Eureka Police Department began investigating her death as a homicide. Her mother, Jennie Lee Seipp, said that […]
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Charmaine Lawson Holds 31-month Vigil for Her Son, Hopes Documentary Will Bring Outside Attention to Unsolved Case
It has been 31 months since Humboldt State University sophomore David Josiah Lawson was killed. On Friday, the anniversary of her 19-year-old son’s death, a group of a few dozen students and community members surrounded Charmaine Lawson at a small vigil at the Arcata Methodist Church, during which the group watched Who Killed Josiah?, a […]
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EPD Arrests Tennessee Man on Suspicion of Murder
Eureka police have arrested a 22-year-old Tennessee man on suspicion of the murder of Brett Keiling, who died after a Sept. 26 assault near the 400 block of Third Street. Eureka detectives, working in conjunction with the city’s Community Safety Enhancement Team, identified Connor Whited as a suspect in the case, obtained an arrest warrant […]