Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming says her office will need another month to six weeks to complete its review of the David Josiah Lawson homicide investigation to determine what — if any — charges are appropriate in the case. The Arcata Police Department completed its investigation into Lawson’s April 15, 2017, stabbing death and […]
Tom Parker
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Retired FBI Agent Disputes Claim He Has Nothing More to Offer Lawson Investigation
The retired FBI agent who protesters have been lobbying to have brought back onto the ongoing investigation into the 2017 slaying of a Humboldt State University sophomore is disputing the implication that he declined the city’s invitation to return. Protesters effectively shut down Arcata City Council meetings Wednesday and Thursday, occupying city council chambers and […]
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APD Interim Chief Hopes to See Charges in Lawson Case in 6-8 Weeks
After a group of about 30 protesters shut down an Arcata City Council meeting for the second consecutive night to demand justice for a slain Humboldt State University student, Interim Police Chief Richard Ehle offered a brief update on the case, saying he hopes to conclude the investigation and forward it on to the district attorney’s […]
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‘Justice for Josiah’ Protest Disrupts Arcata Council Meeting
Wednesday’s Arcata City Council meeting was rescheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday after protesters demanding movement on an investigation into the fatal stabbing of Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson took over the council chambers. Video footage from local media outlets showed the group lined up along the aisles of the room and in front […]
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Arcata Appoints Law Enforcement Veteran Interim Chief
Arcata will have a new police chief in town, at least for a while. The Arcata City Council voted last night to appoint Richard “Rick” Ehle interim chief of the Arcata Police Department and he is slated to assume the role Monday. Ehle is a 47-year veteran in law enforcement who served the bulk of […]
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Mother of Slain HSU Student Expected to Call for Reinstatement of Investigator
The city of Arcata’s Community Dialogue on Race series, which began after the fatal stabbing of Humboldt State University student Josiah Lawson last year, continues tonight with his mother expected to call for the reinstatement of an outside investigator brought on to help solve the case. According to a release from the family, Charmaine Lawson, […]
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Arcata to Vet Bringing Back Former FBI Agent in Lawson Investigation, Other Measures
The Arcata City Council directed staff to look at bringing back a retired FBI agent who recently stepped down from the David Josiah Lawson murder investigation or hiring another expert during Wednesday’s meeting after hearing demands for action from a packed room that included the slain 19 year old’s mother. While not taking an official […]
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UPDATE: Mother of Slain HSU Student Files Claim Against Arcata, Council Responds
The civil rights attorney for the mother of slain Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson has filed a claim seeking at least $500,000 from the city of Arcata, alleging Charmaine Lawson suffered injuries including emotional distress and anxiety due to a “negligent” police investigation into her son’s death. The 13-page document, the precursor to […]
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Retired FBI Agent: Lawson’s Murder Can and Should Be Solved
Tom Parker, a retired FBI agent who recently stepped down from assisting the Arcata Police Department’s investigation into David Josiah Lawson’s killing, says he’s convinced the case could be solved in just a few months, if not weeks, if he were able to bring the right people on board. “We’d have this thing finished up,” […]
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David Josiah Lawson Remembered
Two students stood alone in the middle of the Arcata Plaza in the pelting rain, redirecting mourners. Due to the weather, the vigil and memorial for David Josiah Lawson, a Humboldt State University student who was killed on April 15, 2017, was moved to the D Street Neighborhood Center near campus. By the time Charmaine […]
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Mistrust Led to Ex-FBI Agent’s Departure from Lawson Case
The former FBI agent who had been consulting on the investigation into the homicide of David Josiah Lawson said his decision to step away from the case Monday was the result of his belief that the Arcata Police Department wasn’t being forthright with him or following his recommendations. Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer doesn’t dispute […]
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Arcata Chief Abruptly Resigns Amid Growing Frustrations and the Looming Anniversary of an HSU Student’s Slaying
Arcata Police Chief Tom Chapman abruptly resigned his post April 10, sending a departmentwide email saying he felt the timing was right “not only for [him] but for the department.” He offered no reason for his sudden departure, which was effective immediately. However, the Journal has learned that Chapman’s resignation followed that of a consultant […]