Homicide suspects’ cases stay joined
One of two men accused of a fatal shooting in Samoa in November 2020 has chosen to waive the statutory timeframe within which his preliminary hearing was supposed to take, allowing the cases to remain joined and charges in place.
Defense attorney Kathleen Bryson said in Humboldt County Superior Court on Monday her client Ian Pease, 30, who along with 26-year-old Travontae Hutson is accused of the fatal shooting of 34-yearold Perry Zebulon Bailey in Samoa on Nov. 15, was willing to waive the 60-day timeframe within which his preliminary hearing was supposed to take place.
Pease and Hutson were arrested at separate times, leaving them with different statutory deadlines for their respective hearings. Pease’s preliminary hearing was set to start Monday if he was unwilling to waive time, which attorneys suggested at a hearing Friday could have potentially led to a dismissal of charges.
Hutson, who had waived time, was recently appointed a new attorney, Zack Curtis, after defense attorney Russell Clanton said he was unable to accept the appointment. Curtis said on Friday he would need at least four weeks to adequately prepare for a preliminary hearing.
Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer requested the preliminary hearing be continued to April 1, when Hutson’s preliminary hearing is set to being, “in order to maintain joinder,” which Judge Kaleb Cockrum granted.
Bryson said that date seems fine, but she might be in the midst of a jury trial and might need to file a continuance.
Bailey was found with gunshot wounds, to which he quickly succumbed, near the Milwaukee Memorial in Samoa just before midnight Nov. 15.
Hutson was arrested in Eureka when a police officer recognized him as a person of interest in the case on Dec. 10. Pease was arrested about a week later on Dec. 18 in Crescent City after being located by law enforcement.