An Indiana man who had just moved to Eureka was assaulted Sept. 26 has died as a result of the injuries received, according to a press release sent out by the Eureka Police Department. The case is now an active homicide investigation and an autopsy is scheduled for today. On Sept. 26, a sergeant with […]
homicide
Rio Dell Police: Stop Sharing Photos of Alleged Shooting Suspect Online
The Rio Dell Police Department is asking the public to refrain from playing home detective and speculating about who the suspect is in a fatal Aug. 29 shooting and sharing his photograph on social media. “The Rio Dell Police Department has become aware of social media posts that include a picture of a man fitting […]
UPDATE: Victim in Fatal Rio Dell Shooting ID’d
UPDATE: The man killed last night in a Rio Dell shooting has been identified by officials as Johnny Mack Renfro. According to a release, video surveillance cameras captured the incident and police are searching for a suspect driving a dark colored car that is believed to have one or more broken or missing windows. PREVIOUS: […]
Altercation in Humboldt Linked to Apparent Homicide
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the apparent homicide of an Illinois man whose family last heard from him after he was reportedly in an altercation with a man he’d been traveling with at a campground in Humboldt County. According to a press release, a car connected to Grant David Whitaker, 25, of Mackinaw, […]
UPDATE: Sheriff’s Office IDs Man Killed in McKinleyville Stabbing
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died in a McKinleyville stabbing as Rohnert Park resident Dylon T. Liakos. He was 30. No new details of the incident were released. According to HCSO, the Criminal Investigations Division is “still actively investigating the case.” See the entire release at the bottom of […]
Outstanding: A Report Expected to Shed Light on David Josiah Lawson’s Killing Remains MIA
In the aftermath of the April 15, 2017 stabbing death of David Josiah Lawson, as criticism swirled about the city of Arcata’s emergency and police responses and protests mounted, officials pledged the incident would be reviewed by an outside organization. Nearly two and a half years later, the city has yet to see the $30,000 […]
Man Arrested in 2018 Homicide Investigation
Jason Barnes, 46 of Eureka, has been booked into the Humboldt County jail on suspicion of killing 58 year-old Bernhard “Ben” Bertain. On Dec. 22, 2018, a verbal altercation between Barnes and an unnamed female reportedly occurred at the Burre Center in Eureka. An employee working at a nearby business witnessed the altercation and placed […]
‘So Sad:’ Arcata Shooting Leaves One Teen Dead, Another Behind Bars
A Eureka High School senior was killed and another teenager is facing murder and attempted murder charges after an apparent marijuana deal turned deadly at an Arcata bus stop over the holiday weekend. Taevonne Latimer, 18, was shot multiple times in the torso just before 10 p.m. May 26 as he and three friends met […]
The Black Market’s Legacy
Fifty dollars worth of weed. That’s reportedly what led four young men to arrange via Snapchat a meeting with a 16 year old on the dark Arcata street. According to Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn, they’d planned to simply hand over whatever small quantity of black market cannabis $50 buys these days and go on […]
Former Arcata Restaurant Owner Killed by New York Police
Luke Patterson — the formerly local chef who opened Luke’s Joint and The Other Place in Arcata — was fatally shot by New York State Police around 2 a.m. Thursday while walking along Interstate 84 in the town of Montgomery, according to numerous news reports. Patterson, 41, was unarmed but shot multiple times. The New […]
If Prosecutors Can Get a Grand Jury to Indict a Sandwich, Why Couldn’t They Get One to Indict Kyle Zoellner?
There’s an old courthouse adage that says a competent prosecutor could get a criminal grand jury to indict a ham sandwich, if he or she wanted. “It’s ancient lore that the criminal grand jury sits as a bulwark of the citizen versus the overzealous government but the truth is they generally do what prosecutors want […]
Protests Follow Grand Jury’s Decision Not to Indict Suspect in Lawson Case
Red hats, scarfs and sweaters enveloped the exterior of the Humboldt County Courthouse and “Justice for Josiah” and “I stand with Charmaine Lawson” signs sat on the steps on March 15, as Lawson began to speak. “We’re not going to stop fighting, this doesn’t end,” she said. “Thursday’s decision doesn’t end. (District Attorney) Maggie Fleming, […]
