The United States’ Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling finding Arcata police had probable cause to arrest Kyle Zoellner on suspicion of murdering David Josiah Lawson, rejecting Zoellner’s claim for damages against the city. The unanimous ruling filed Tuesday rejects all five of Zoellner’s legal arguments, upholding the October 2022 […]
Kyle Zoellner
Posted inNews (NCJ)
NCJ Preview: Nuclear Safety, Zoellner’s Civil Case and Painted Wild Times
Is 44 feet far enough away from Humboldt Bay for spent nuclear fuel rods? We’ll talk about the long-term plans and risks, as well as the 44 Feet group working toward a longer-term solution. We’re also updating on the civil case Kyle Zoellner has brought against the city of Arcata and the twist in the […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Charmaine Lawson: Settlement ‘Blood Money’ Means ‘Nothing,’ Focus is on Justice
Charmaine Lawson still hasn’t cashed the $200,000 check that came as a part of her settlement agreement with the city of Arcata. She says it took her four days to even open the envelope it was mailed in and it has now sat for weeks atop her son’s urn. Filed in November of 2018, the […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
AG Won’t Take Lawson Case
The California Attorney General’s Office has informed Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming that it will not be taking responsibility for any possible prosecution related to the 2017 killing of David Josiah Lawson. “Absent a reusable conflict of interest, the Attorney General’s Office generally only takes over a prosecution handled by a district attorney when […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
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 […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
My Conversation with Richard Ehle
As a reporter, there are moments you remember with incredible clarity. Sometimes it’s because the moments are monumental, like when a source called in 2007 to tell me a criminal grand jury had just indicted two Eureka police commanders on manslaughter charges. Other times, it’s because they pull at your heart strings, like when I […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
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 […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
APD Seeks Public’s Help in Lawson Case
With the investigation into the 2017 stabbing death of Humboldt State University sophomore David Josiah Lawson back in its lap, the Arcata Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying witnesses. The department sent out a press release this afternoon announcing that it has set up a 24-hour tip line — (707) 825-2590 […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
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, […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
‘This Doesn’t End;’ Hundreds Attend Vigils Demanding ‘Justice for Josiah’
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, as Lawson began to speak. “We’re not going to stop fighting, this doesn’t end,” she said. “Thursday’s decision doesn’t end. Maggie Fleming, if you can hear me, […]