Homicide rate dips in 2019
Sheriff calls 'Murder Mountain' overblown in light of no reported homicides in SoHum
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal calls Humboldt County’s homicide rate in 2019 “a blessing.”
The number of homicides here hit 23 in 2016 — the county’s highest in at least three decades — and have since been in decline. This past year, local law enforcement agencies investigated 10 homicides across the county.
“We believe this is obviously a great thing having homicides lower here in Humboldt County,”
Honsal said Monday morning. “As far as the county (sheriff’s office), we’ve (investigated) one homicide, which is significantly less than what we have dealt with over the last several years. Going back to 2003, this was the lowest homicide rate we’ve had in that amount of time.”
In comparison, Eureka police dealt with four homicide cases, California Highway Patrol handled
three vehicular manslaughter cases and Rio Dell and Arcata police each handled a single homicide case.
Honsal said one reason the number is not higher is access to health care, noting every year there are a number of “close calls.”
“Sometimes we also get lucky,” Honsal said. “We had a lot of people we thought were going to be made into a victim of a homicide, but they’ve been saved through medical means. We’re happy we have St. Joseph Hospital close and we have great air ambulances that do get people the care that they need.”
With no reported homicides south of Rio Dell in 2019, Honsal said the moniker of “Murder Mountain” is somewhat overblown.
“Over the last several years, we have tied half of our homicides from previous years to marijuana,” he said, “That did not occur this year which is definitely a blessing. We still see the home-invasion robberies. We still see takeover robberies, violent crime associated with marijuana. But the homicides have not been there this year, which is again, a blessing.”
“They tried to paint Southern Humboldt and Rancho Sequoia as this murder capital and, in reality, it’s not,” he added.
But he cautions that the work of reducing homicides in Humboldt County is not over.
“I don’t think that we should think we have won anything,” he said. “It’s something that is a victory as far as the battle goes, but the war is not over.”
Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming said it is “difficult or near impossible to discern (trends) in a few years of data.”
“Every homicide represents a terrible array of losses to individuals and to society,” she said. “Reducing violent crime is an important goal for every community. Our office seeks to achieve that goal in part through the vigorous prosecution of crimes that create conditions that can lead to homicide, such as carrying a concealed weapon or driving under the influence.”
She hopes those prosecutorial efforts work as a deterrent for future crimes.
“I would be very happy if our successful efforts in prosecuting homicides are serving to lower the homicide rate by sending the message to prospective criminals that they will be effectively prosecuted,” she said. “Unfortunately, many violent criminals do not engage in such forecasting.”
Fleming said she hopes advances in treatment in other areas go further.
“I hope that societal efforts to help people avoid situations that can lead to violent crime are becoming more and more effective,” she said. “For example, mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence are all kinds of problems that people effectively address every day — and where we have the opportunity to do more.”
Homicide cases in 2019
1. Ray Prudhomme: Eureka police found Prudhomme, 64, dead in an apartment in the 300 block of E Street in Old Town Eureka on Feb. 22. On March 12, acquaintance Albert Durant Kress was arrested and later charged with murder with a special allegation of using a deadly weapon, in this case a knife. His trial is scheduled for May 11, 2020.
2. Clinton Eugene Deckert II: Deckert, 47, was fatally struck while walking on the shoulder on Central Avenue south of Bella Vista Road in McKinleyville. The suspect vehicle, driven by Shala Marie Bianco, of McKinleyville, fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Less than an hour later, Bianco called dispatch and reported she was the driver. She was later arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, including a special allegation of fleeing the scene, two counts of driving under the influence, including a special allegation of having a bloodalcohol level of 0.15 or more and a special allegation of inflicting great bodily injury. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 8, 2020.
3. Taevonne Latimer: Latimer, 18, of Eureka, was fatally shot late on the evening of May 26 after a “narcotics deal” arranged on social media app Snapchat. The following day, Manila resident Logan Brewer-Hearst — 16 at the time of the fatal shooting — turned himself in. A second teen, identified as Daylyn Prudhomme, was struck by a bullet and treated for an injury that was not life-threatening at Mad River Community Hospital. “(Brewer-Hearst) is charged with murder and attempted murder and each count has the special allegation of personal use of a firearm,” Fleming said in an email. She sought to try Brewer-Hearst as an adult in the case. But Judge Gregory Elvine-Kreis ruled in November the case will remain in juvenile court. Brewer-Hearst’s trial is set for April 27, 2020.
4. Robert Beland: Beland and his wife, Elizabeth Martin, were asleep in bed in their Humboldt Hill home on June 28 when a 2005 Ford pickup driven by an allegedly inebriated driver struck the house at a high rate of speed, the California Highway Patrol reported. Beland succumbed to his injuries. The driver, identified as Fields Landing resident Ryder Stapp, tried to flee the scene on foot but was stopped by citizens at the scene. After his arrest, Stapp posted his $175,000 bail. Stapp is charged with vehicular manslaughter, including a special allegation of fleeing the scene, two counts of DUI, including special allegations of refusing a chemical test, a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or greater and impacting the lives of multiple individuals. He is also charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license. His preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 31, 2020.
5. Hannah Elizabeth Hayhurst: Eureka police were dispatched on July 4 to a parking lot at the foot of Hilfiker Lane, off Broadway, for “an unknown problem,” a news release states. Officers found Hayhurst, 19, dead. She died as a result of “multiple stab wounds.” Suspect Daniella Moore was arrested July 5 on suspicion of torture and homicide. Moore is charged with murder, including special allegations of torture and using a deadly weapon: shears. She’s also charged with torture and assault. Her preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 20, 2020.
6. Dylan Liakos: Liakos, a Rohnert Park resident, was found unresponsive on the sidewalk of a McKinleyville home on Aug. 10. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect in the case, Brian Leiteritz, 40, called 911 after the incident, reporting he believed he stabbed someone outside his home, it was revealed during his preliminary hearing. Leiteritz is charged with voluntary manslaughter and assault using a deadly weapon with a special allegation of causing great bodily injury. His trial is set for April 6, 2020.
7. Johnny Mack Renfro: Renfro, 26, was fatally shot Aug. 29 after he pulled over on Monument Road in Rio Dell. After reviewing evidence and surveillance video, Rio Dell police identified a suspect in the case, Demetrius Coleman, 39, of Eureka, Sgt. John Beauchaine said. Coleman has not been arrested. “We have information that he has left the state,” Beauchaine said.
8. James Smith Jr.: Smith was found on state Route 96 in the Orleans area on Sept. 13. He was suffering from major injuries after being struck by what was reported to be a black Toyota pickup truck. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The black truck was last seen fleeing the scene and the identity of the driver remains unknown. The case is still an active investigation, according to CHP spokesman Paul Craft. “The pedestrian killed (in) the Orleans crash (Smith) has toxicology results indicating impairment at the time of the collision,” Craft said in an email.
9. Brett Keiling: Keiling, 55, was found in Opera Alley on Sept. 26 and he was believed to be the victim of an early morning assault. The Indiana native was taken to a local hospital for treatment and later died of his injuries. Connor Whited, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested Oct. 19. Eureka police said the fatal beating “was not a random act of violence and Keiling was the intended target of the assault.” Whited is charged with murder and a special allegation of using a deadly weapon, in this case a club. His preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 9, 2020.
10. Ashley Madonia: On Dec. 15, Eureka police were dispatched for a report of a vehicle striking a pedestrian on Broadway just south of 14th Street. Madonia was found in the street and witnesses reported she might have been struck by two vehicles. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Possible suspect vehicles were identified as a white Chevrolet Silverado and a gray or silver mid-2000s sedan. While the suspect Silverado was initially believed to be newer, in late December, EPD spokesperson Brittany Powell said the search was broadened to include vehicles made as early as the 1990s. No suspects have been arrested in the case.