No. 2: Local law enforcement officials respond to ‘Murder Mountain’ series
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office released a long statement at the beginning of the year in response to the “Murder Mountain” docu-series airing on Netflix in January saying viewers only “heard one side of a highly sensationalized story.”
The six-part “Murder Mountain” series was originally shown on the Fusion television network in September 2018 and examines what happens when people flock to Humboldt County with the lure of a quick payday in the cannabis industry. The series looks at the underbelly of the illegal market growing and the violence, human trafficking, missing persons and homicide cases that seem to go hand-in-hand with the industry.
“Our intention was never to blame law enforcement,” said Joshua Zeman, the series’ director who stressed he was offering his personal opinion and not speaking for the production company. “But there are the realities of the situation that everyone must come to terms with — the geographical location, the lack of resources, the overwhelming job the sheriff’s office has to do. They face very difficult obstacles.”
The sheriff’s office called “Murder Mountain” “a Hollywood manufactured drama based on a true story. It was designed to be sold to Netflix for a profit.”
Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson admitted he binge-watched the series and gives it mixed reviews.
“I don’t think it paints a balanced and completely fair picture of Humboldt County,” said Watson. “However it does highlight the real depressing issues. … My perception is they clearly had a narrative, a script that they stuck to and it focused on just one aspect of a beautiful and diverse community. I don’t think the way the sheriff’s office was portrayed was fair.”
One case highlighted in the series was that of Zachary Harrison, who was convicted in late 2019 of homicide in the shooting death of Alderpoint resident 58-yearold Robert Holtslclaw on Sept. 23, 2017. Harrison, 29, will serve 50 years before receiving the opportunity for parole. His sentence was doubled from the standard 25-to-life because he used a firearm. Harrison was sent to San Quentin State Prison in November, where he is serving his sentence.