Trinity County Murder Suspect Found Deceased… on July 27th, Sheriff’s Office Finally Releases Information

Scott DiMartino, who was identified last July as a suspect in a homicide and an “active shooter” sought in the Mad River area, was confirmed today, September 10, to have been found deceased on July 27. However, no information on his death had previously been released to the community.

The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this afternoon that DiMartino, a suspect in the death of Steve Line on July 13th in the Mad River area was found dead by an investigator for the office.

DiMartino’s obituary was published in a Hartford, Connecticut newspaper on August 20th. When that was brought to our attention on September 3, we contacted the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office requesting confirmation of his death. We called several times in the following days. Today, we called and received confirmation that DiMartino was found somewhere in Trinity County on July 27th by an investigator with the Sheriff’s Office. According to Lynn Ward, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, the investigator does not want to release where DiMartino was found. Nor, she said, can they release the cause of death.

When pressed why a community that was worried about having an “active shooter” in their neighborhood was not informed that he was dead, Ward suggested that the Lightning Fires that started on July 30, two days later, might have contributed to the situation.

The Trinity County Sheriff’s Department has only eight patrol deputies to cover 3000 square miles.

Earlier Chapter:

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Thanks to North Coast News for assistance.

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william tillman
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william tillman
8 years ago

Sounds like a beat around the Bush story by the Sheriff’s office to me.

Quentin Barry Jeffers
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Quentin Barry Jeffers
8 years ago

Can only be called incompetence.

Uti
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Uti
8 years ago

If it’s still an open investigation why not just say so.

V man
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V man
8 years ago
Reply to  Uti

Hi😎

Wildcat
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Wildcat
8 years ago

Sounds like friends/family located him before TCSO.

Paula kiely
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Paula kiely
3 years ago
Reply to  Wildcat

Scott committed suicide in the woods along rt 36 in forest glen

JT
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JT
8 years ago

Thanks again Kym for your always informative updates! I was wondering what happened to that case.

Ben
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Ben
8 years ago

I hope you continue to pressure them for information…

Fallon
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Fallon
8 years ago

This is ridiculous he shoots two people kills one and they tell us as a community what this low life piece of shit died from or where pretty fucked up if u ask me and shady as fuck

joe
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joe
8 years ago
Reply to  Fallon

maybe he was killed by revengeful family or friends… sherifs know what a pos he was so they didn’t want to look to much into it. sounds good to me. justice served

OG Gil
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OG Gil
8 years ago
Reply to  joe

That’s how it goes in trinity county. There was a similar POS running a muck last summer. The sheriff told me to do my community a favor and borrow my neighbors excavator. Lol!

William
Guest
William
8 years ago
Reply to  joe

You dont know the whole story. Only the people involved do. Put yourself in a life threatening situation and what you do, doesn’t automatically make him a peice of shit.[edit] And if you all must know scott took his own life. He too was someone’s son, brother, father even. Shame on all of you.

Melissa
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Melissa
8 years ago
Reply to  William

First off, this person was very different at the time of his death than even his family and closest friends knew. He broke many hearts even before his death, stole from everyone, even the people who offered him everything they had. This was definitely his choice all the way down..

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  Melissa

Scott could not be found in the woods, his body was behind a huge tree and the investigators went by this tree 3 times and didn’t see him, he was behind the tree in such a way that no one could see him. But then an investigator went back to the crash site and saw that same tree filled with vultures and knew something was there, it was Scott. Don’t blame the law, they did nothing wrong.

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  Melissa

Melissa: I do know and have heard from many people that Scott was on a very very bad path in life and he did steal from everyone including me and his family, this was going on since he was 12 yrs old. Scott had bad mental illness and drug dependency and people that are in that state of mind just don’t care. He was not raised to be like this, he became this from drug use.

Ken Kiely
Guest
Ken Kiely
7 years ago
Reply to  William

Yeah, he was MY brother. Unfortunately, he chose a shitty way to live. Our family was devastated at his lifestyle, if you could even call it that.

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  William

Thank you, William, Scott was once a good good smart boy, but something happened to him and he just gave up on life. Never ever condemn someone because of mental illness, it could be you.

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  William

Scott was my son, he was a twin, he had a twin sister. Scott had problems mentally since he was 5 years old. His father rejected the twins and left us at the curb the day he was told of my pregnancy. Scott took this very very hard and took to drugs at an early age. We put him in many many institutions to get help, but he could not accept his father’s abandonment. May he rest in peace in the arm’s of the Lord. He is buried here in CT, his body was returned to me here in Connecticut in the form of cremation ashes, could you all imagine yourselves receiving cremation ashes of your own child? Its horrible. I hadn’t seen Scott for over 9 years, he just vanished. He was a mess and was schizophrenic and bipolar. When he was a young boy, Scott was very very caring, loving and respectful. He just couldn’t cope with life on life’s terms. Pls forgive him, he was mentally ill.

Paula kiely1955
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Paula kiely1955
1 year ago
Reply to  William

Yes, I am his mother, he committed suicide in the woods

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  Fallon

My son was NOT a piece of shit, he was a very mentally ill man who could not help himself. In truth, this boy had a heart of gold, he went wayward after he and his father could not get along.

Scott shot himself in the head as I know he felt so guilty and so sad that he took Steven Line’s line, then he took his own. He was homeless, helpless and just couldn’t get back on track.

We begged and begged him to come home to Connecticut and to get help but he wouldn’t hear of it. Now he is gone and is with the Lord who is a forgiving being.

Chato Ayres
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Chato Ayres
5 years ago

Paula, my name is Chato Ayres I knew your son Scotty when he lived in Red Bluff Ca. and later he came to stay with me in Washington state. Scotty was one of my best friends and we thought of him as part our family. In fact my daughter Victoria (Tori) still refers to him as Uncle Scotty. We both miss him very much. I am sorry for your loss and wanted you to know that I knew your son and I’ll always remember him as my brother.

Jarred Boyer
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Jarred Boyer
2 years ago

Hi my name is jarred . I was very good friends with Scott. We met in connecticut in 2007 when I was attending gibbs college in norwalk. We were working for a flower vendor out of home depot and I instantly became great friends with him. I was aware of his drug problems and I didn’t judge him I was no better I was a drunk at the time . Anyway I was in contact with Scott off and on throughout the years and I was planning on getting him an amtrak ticket back to New Jersey so he could stay with me until he got on his feet again. He told me what was going on out there in california and I told him to get the hell away from those people and start over at home . When I heard of his death I felt guilty because I didn’t get him that train ticket sooner . But after many days and nights of meditation I decided it wasn’t in my control. Scott had a very strong spirit he was a great man and I admired his free spirit. I like to think he somehow got on that train and is hanging around me making sure things are okay . I’ll miss him always . I had a drug problem too and alcohol too so I can relate to his struggle. He wasn’t a piece of shit, he was a solid dude and even though he did rob me in 2007 I forgave him because he told me he felt really bad. Scott has a big heart and he was a great father . Rest in peace scott.

Paula kiely1955
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Paula kiely1955
1 year ago
Reply to  Jarred Boyer

Thank you Jared.

His mom
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His mom
3 years ago
Reply to  Fallon

My son was not a piece of shit, he was severally mentally ill and drug dependent, he took his own life out of guilt and shame, he keft behind a 4 yr old son in 2015 who lived in red bluff

Paula Kiely
Guest
Paula Kiely
3 years ago
Reply to  Fallon

Nice mouth, that boy was my son, he was drug dependent and spent two years on Murder Mountain. He committed suicide because of his shame and guilt, he was severally mentally ill, he left Connecticut on 2006 unexpectedly, he left behind a son in Red Bluff, pls forgive him, he was so sick.

Eastside
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Eastside
8 years ago

He doesn’t look very alive in that picture.

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
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Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

I am Scott’s mom, Scott was a full blown drug addict in that picture, his eyes are pinned and his face all broken out. He is NOT the same son I remember, the drugs turned him into a monster.

Paula kiely1955
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Paula kiely1955
1 year ago
Reply to  Eastside

His pupils are pinned, he was on something. He was do mentally sick

Janet Griffin
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Janet Griffin
8 years ago

Your reporting is the only way the residents of Mad River know anything from the Trinity County Sheriff’s Dept. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

LeAnna Carson-Hansen
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LeAnna Carson-Hansen
8 years ago

What happened to him? If he was a suspect in the shootings, ends up dead, the family is able to bring him home back east, publish an obituary, and there is no official details on his cause of death all appears very odd. Glad you are trying to find the details. Was the investigator on the pay roll of the SO? Or a contract employee? Why hide the details? Does this man go to the grave being accused and no investigation happens to either determine his guilt or innocence? Seems to be a common refrain in our area.

Donna
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Donna
8 years ago

Hey, the other guy he shot is alive, so… I think he can verify who did the shooting.

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  Donna

There were no witnesses to the shooting of Steven Line, it was just Scott and Steven Line in that trailer that day. Scott got caught inside Steven’s trailer and I assume that Steven threatened to have the police arrest Scott, so Scott took Steven’s own gun and shot him dead.

I truly believe that Scott was temporarily insane at that point, I know my son, he told me point blank, “Mom, if I ever do something that will cost me lots of time in jail, I will kill myself”. And that he did.

Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
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Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
3 years ago

Scott dimartino committed suicide in Forest Glen along Route 36. His body was discovered I July 27th. His body was totally decomposed

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago

I am his mom, I received the autopsy report and the chief medical examiner stated in his report that there was a self-inflicted gun shot hole in Scott’s temple. Scott was left handed so it was on his left side, he was leaning against a large tree when he killed himself and he decomposed into the tree. There was not much left to him when he was found, he was out dead in that woods on Rt. 36 for 2 weeks in the scorching heat. The man that was also wounded was the man that Scott was living with. Scott was on the run, he cut off his monitor bracelet, he was on house arrest, cut it off and fled. He stuck his son’s mother with a $40,000 bond, now she can’t get credit anywhere. Scott did a lot of bad things, he even stole from his own father and me and my boyfriend at the time. Scott was very very mentally ill. The drugs turned him into a monster.

Who
Guest
Who
8 years ago

One can come up with a lot of questions . But somehow I suspect they’ll be few answers …

info
Guest
info
8 years ago

Thank you for following up and confirming that. Now the question is why didn’t the sheriff’s department release that information immediately (or as soon as the family was contacted, no more than a day or two).

It is not acceptable that the sheriff’s department handles this information in such a irresponsible manner as some people were still concerned that there was a murderer loose in the community. Even after you had contacted them there was an unacceptable delay. An official complaint needs to be filed.

I’m not going to conjecture what the delay was, but it may involve some action by the sheriff’s department that they are embarrassed about admitting, maybe even some improper action on their part. The community’s right to safety was compromised.

Dun DunDun Dun
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Dun DunDun Dun
8 years ago
Reply to  info

I can understand why they wouldn’t release how or where he was found dead. Maybe that would hamper the investigation. At the very least they should have made it known he was found dead. Folks thousands of miles away knew, but not the community he effected? Strange indeed.
“The community’s right to safety was compromised.” The threat was neutralized. How did that compromise the communities safety?

info
Guest
info
8 years ago
Reply to  Dun DunDun Dun

Maybe you’re right, that wasn’t the right term to use (compromise safety). But by withholding that information, many in the community felt a sense of potential threat and and living in a elevated sense of fear that was uncalled for. But how could not releasing that fact that he was found dead hamper the investigation?

Dun DunDun Dun
Guest
Dun DunDun Dun
8 years ago
Reply to  info

I was saying not releasing any information, other than the fact that he was found dead, could hamper the investigation. A better word would be compromise, not hamper. I think it was their responsibility to release the fact that he was deceased. Why they wouldn’t do that, I don’t know.

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  info

The sheriff’s department looked for Scott for 2 weeks, they couldn’t find him in that part of the woods where they heard gun shots that day of the shooting and near the crash site. Then one day an investigator went out to the crash site and noticed a HUGE trees with thousands of vultures and crows in it and he knew that there was something dead down there, he went to investigate and found Scott’s body behind this tree, it was decomposed a lot. This is why they didn’t tell the public, they couldn’t find him for 2 weeks and then one day did find him. They should of let the public know. I called the newspaper out there and told them that he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and that everyone has nothing to be afraid of anymore.

humboldthung
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humboldthung
8 years ago

Something ain’t right

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
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Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  humboldthung

Pls let me know what is not right. Scott worked up on Murder Mountain for a few years.

Fives
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Fives
8 years ago

Thank you, Kym, for letting the public know.

bee
Guest
bee
8 years ago

They cannot release where they found the body ? Or how he died? Was there an autopsy? was the body cremated?

Ken Kiely
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Ken Kiely
7 years ago
Reply to  bee

It took some time for the autopsy and positive identification.

Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
Guest
Paula Kiely - Scott' s mom
7 years ago
Reply to  bee

Scott’s body was cremated and his remains were sent to me here in Connecticut where we had a burial and a memorial service for him. May my son rest in peace in the arms of the Lord.

Michael
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Michael
8 years ago

People up around there tend to take care of their own Law Enforcement needs. Sounds like the taxpayers were saved some money.

mike mcmilan
Guest
mike mcmilan
8 years ago

good work Kym. You might check with Trinity D.A., was DiMartino ever on their internet Most-Wanted list? If not, why not? Did THEY know he was dead?

And “Sheriff’s Office Finally Releases Information”? Doesnt actually sound like they ever did!

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  mike mcmilan

I called the newspaper in Trinity Glen and finally they did publish that the Mad River Shooter was found dead. Nothing was released because it was still under investigation. Scott himself in the head the very same day he did the killing of Steven Line, approx at 5 PM in the woods along Rt. 36 in Forest Glen.

Ctgirl
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Ctgirl
8 years ago

I am so happy to see an article with an update. I know Scott and have known him since I was in middle school. He had led a very interesting life. I have been in contact with other news outlets in CA since the story broke. I told them weeks and weeks ago he was deceased. Why it was never released until is a giant red flag for me. There are still so many unanswered questions. If he did commit the crime on the 13th, where was he for 2 weeks before his death? And what do wild fires that happened 3 days after his death have to do with anything regarding this case? This whole story is super shady. Police knew something a long time ago and said nothing to the people of trinity county. We in CT knew of his death on July 30. Why is it now coming out out there? I don’t get it.

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

THE FIRES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS DEATH ! MY SON’S BODY WAS DECOMPOSING IN THE WOODS FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE THEY FOUND HIM. HE DIED THE SAME DAY AS THE KILLING, HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE, MEDICAL EXAMINER SENT ME THE AUTOPSY REPORT AND IT STATED THAT HE FOUND A HOLE IN HIS TEMPLE FROM A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND.

Harvey
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Harvey
8 years ago
Reply to  Ctgirl

Scott was a friend of mine while he was in red bluff for several years. He had a darkside but was a good guy. We played disc golf many times a week where i coincidentally met him in the first place. He left red bluff for washington last year and he contacted me around june first 2015 and came back to red bluff. He once told me he had marijuana stashed in mad river that was somewhrre around fifty pounds and if tou ask me what he ment was i know where marijuana is being kept and was probably the motivation for this

Tori
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Tori
7 years ago
Reply to  Harvey

He stayed with us in Washington I’m chatos daughter

Markus
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Harvey

I saw him shoot both of us

He had no pounds he was stealing pain pills from a old man he shot me for being a witteness I’m speaking up cause my physical problems are bad and want his family to help and he was also my friend but it didn’t stop him from shooting me for a couple of vicordin

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  Markus

I am so sorry Markus that this happened to you. Scott left his family on a whim and never contacted us for over 9 years. He was full of crime and he lived for drugs. His lifestyle was very very bad. He shot you and Steven out of fear of going to jail. Scott was molested in jail here in CT, he knew he was looking at a life sentence so he shot you both out of fear. You know the drugs poisoned his mind and took control of him. Scott had schizophrenia, when he was high he was scarey. Our family was disgusted, his older brother, Ken Kiely, tried and tried to get him to come back to CT. Scott had 5 warrants here in CT, that’s why he took off for California. The boy was a mess, a real mess. Why would you think that our family is responsible for helping you? I don’t mean this in a bad way. Scott was 27 years old and he was responsible for his bad behavior, we are NOT responsible for what he does, we live in Connecticut, way across the map.

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  Harvey

His death had nothing to do with drugs, he took his own life, I am his mother, he shot himself in the head from guilt, shame, and the fear of spending the rest of his life in jail.

Ken Kiely
Guest
Ken Kiely
7 years ago
Reply to  Ctgirl

He shot himself right after he shot those men. It took them nearly 2 weeks to find him. Any other questions, try to get in touch with me.

Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
Guest
Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
3 years ago
Reply to  Ctgirl

Scott died by suicide on july 13 2015, his body was hidden in the woods for 2 weeks before they found his remains. The dept had no idea he was in the woods dead dor 2 weeks

Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
Guest
Paula Kiely (Scott's mother)
2 years ago
Reply to  Ctgirl

Ct girl: Scott took his own life that same day as he did the killing. He stole the victim’s car and drove 15 miles along Rt. 36, he smashed up the car and took the gun, ran down in the woods and took his own life out of guilt and shame and remorse. He knew he would spent the rest of his life in jail and he could not handle it, so he took himself out. He was dead in those woods for the 2 weeks that you mentioned. The rescue team looked and looked for him and couldn’t find him. Then one day the investigator went back to the car crash scene and saw thousands of vultures in the trees and knew something dead was down there. He found Scott’s body stuck to a tree, it was totally decomposed. The coroner said his body was in “very very bad shape”. That is why the public was not notified right away, he was found for two weeks. The killing took place on the 7/13, they found his body on the 27th, they called me on the 27th to tell me of his passing. There is nothing shady about anything, they could not tell the public for over 2 weeks that he was dead, they couldn’t locate him for those 2 weeks.

William
Guest
William
8 years ago

I know scotty well. And that sounds about right Harvey. He was working previously in the hills but who knows. He was always willing to do a grip and rip. But never me. Glad you got to play disc golf with him tho. He was like a brother to me.

Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
Guest
Paula Fabrizi-Kiely
3 years ago

The whole area of Humboldt County is foul. I just watched the documentary murder Mountain on Netflix and now I understand how my son ended up the way he did and what he did what he did. His brains are soaked with cannabis oil it was soaked with THC it was soaked with meth all you people up there are nothing but drug addicts and to take my son’s inventory is totally insane and uncalled for