Skeleton Identified as Missing Suspect in Marijuana Ripoff
George Preston Daniels
When George Preston Daniels didn’t show up at the Humboldt County Courthouse on March 24, 2016, for charges stemming from what authorities said they believed was a marijuana ripoff, he became a wanted man. But most likely, he was already dead.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed today that Daniels was identified in January as having been found deceased in the Eel River in May of the year he disappeared.
Over the spring and summer of 2016, bounty hunters from a local bailbond office scoured the area, even hiring a small plane at one point to search for Daniels’ vehicle. Daniels was never located in spite of a reward offered by his bail bondsman.
Meanwhile, on May 15 of 2016, skeletal remains were located in the Eel River near Stafford. At the time, Humboldt County Coroner Ernie Stewart stated, “We are treating it as if it were a homicide.”
According to Samantha Karges, spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department, on May 31 of 2016 the remains were shipped off to a forensics lab for analysis.
Ernie Stewart, the Coroner, has said while the skeleton was “remarkably intact” and still had 90% of all its bones, there was only “a small amount of tissue” left.
Almost a year later on April 4 of 2017, the lab returned the remains reporting that there was no cause or manner of death discovered during their analysis.
Karges said that teeth were then sent to the DNA lab for analysis. On January 8 of this year, they received the report showing that the body was that of the missing and wanted man George Daniels.
Daniels had been arrested in the falll of 2015 on suspicion of being involved in a marijuana ripoff after “a large pile” of freshly harvested marijuana was “located over an embankment on Hwy 36” near McClellan Mountain by CHP deputies investigating a hit and run accident, according to a press release by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
The press release stated,
…[D]uring the course of their investigation CHP Officers noticed the marijuana.
Deputies arrived on scene and initially locate about 300 lbs. of freshly harvested marijuana.
As deputies were leaving the scene they noticed a tow truck pulling a tan Chevrolet truck from over the embankment near their location. The vehicle had fresh body damage and marijuana in the bed of the truck similar to the marijuana located on the embankment. Arrestee George Preston Daniels, age 50, was spotted in the brush by officers. Deputies knew that Daniels was on parole from prior contacts. Deputies also located a loaded sawed off rifle and vehicle keys.Some of the fresh marijuana located near the accident scene. [Photo from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
CHP responded and arrested Daniels. The total amount of marijuana located in the truck and on the embankment is roughly 800 lbs.Daniels was arrested by CHP and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional facility….Deputies suspect Daniels possibly just committed a marijuana robbery. If you are a victim of a marijuana robbery or home invasion, please contact the Sheriff’s Office…Firearm allegedly found in the Chevy pickup. [Photo from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
The fresh marijuana was loaded into the back of a Sheriff’s Department pickup. [Photo from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
Though we don’t believe anyone came forward to press charges on the alleged theft of marijuana, Daniels was facing other charges relating to the incident. He made bail but never showed up for his March 24, 2016 court date. It is believed he may have died around this time.
Karges from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office told us that nothing suspicious was discovered in Daniels remains to indicate foul play. However, she asked that anyone who may have seen Daniels around the end of March 2016, please contact her department at (707) 445-7251 so they can reconstruct what may have occurred.
Earlier Chapters:
- 800 Pounds of Freshly Harvested Marijuana Found by Hwy 36
- Growers, Did Someone Steal Your Harvest? The Sheriff’s Office Would Like to Talk to You…
- Suspect in Marijuana Robbery Fails to Show in Court; Bounty Hunters Are Looking for Him
- Human Remains Discovered in the River Near Stafford Sunday
- Unidentified Body Found in Eel River Possible Victim of Homicide
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800 pounds? I would have to say they knew eachother in some way so….. Sheriff’s department maybe responsible for getting him killed?
Or, HE is responsible, due to his actions, including allegedly ripping off 800 pounds of marijuana?
800 pounds of wet branches makes a whole lot less processed bud..
In this case it made none.
George Daniels has been a thief since he was a boy. Never held down a job and was imprisoned nunerous times. He was on parole at the time of his arrest. Anyone that knew him would never give him knowledge of let alone access to their crop. He probably got exactly what he deserved and whoever ended his life was smart enough not to shoot him or break bones. Karma is a bitch. He was lucky it was slow to get to him.
[edit] My brother never hurt molested or rapped anyone. He was a thief. Never a violent crime. [edit]
Sorry, but blaming the sheriff …what kind of thought process do you have? Grow up.
OR, Daniels finally reaped what he sowed and ate the big karma sandwich with mayo and mustard.
I blame Tricky Dickie. Nixon started the “War on (some) Drugs” after all…
I blame Nixon’s mom.
It goes back further than that. Look up ‘Harry Anslinger’.
Ok, I blame Harry’s mom.
🕯Yep.
Lol. Live by the sword.
Yep. Lol
Speculation, no one really knows what happened to George. He had a family who loved him in spite of what he may or may have not done. It’s just a shame it took so long to find out the identity.
RIP GEORGE
Job done right
🖕🏼
Regardless he didn’t deserve to die for it. And I’m sure all those that are saying he deserved this have a whole lot of shit they’ve done to others to so stop calling the kettle black cuz someday kharma will find u to.
Yet another story on Kym’s site showing what marijuana does in communities.
Thank you Kym for continuing your efforts to report the destruction caused from marijuana.
Marijauna identified a thief. Seems like it is resolving community issues.
~good chuckle.
I once went into an Administration room just to see if the three pounds showed up as claimant. Let’s put it this way, i didn’t see three pounds take the witness stand.
Funny!
People have been stealing from each other for as long as people have been on this earth. And the thieves have been getting discreetly killed for just as long. You can blame weed or human nature!
ripped off and pissed off the wrong people
then showed his face afterwards
Good riddance.
🖕🏼
Do the bail bond people get their money returned?
Nope
Very few people deserved that more than George. Karma took its sweet time.
I watched all of murder mountain series.
My observation is that this heart beat in the eastside grower community is why hcso didn’t do shit until so much time had gone by that there was no graceful way out of the problem for them.
How many times did how many people over how many decades get told by Swithenbank to get a gun and protect yourself instead of calling for assistance after the fact?
Downey’s mistake was in not second guessing schwiddy when family started calling asking where their son had gone. It’s probably going to cost the county a lot of money before its all said and done.
Schwiddy assumed the ap disappearance was this when it was another problem altogether. Good cops would treat all murder victims and missing persons equally. And they would treat all murder suspects equally.
Some of the people writing in here know who got ripped off in 2015, And they either know or suspect who killed George in retaliation.
The lesson ive learned from ap, is we either hold all people accountable or we start little civil wars and lose the best in a community when shit goes bad.
He didn’t deserve that. [edit] I hope you never get jury duty.
No he did not deserve to die the way he did. Being a thief should not be a death sentence.
For real, I knew his good side. Too many people here think they understand what it’s like to grow up in that shit and be thrown away by society before you’ve even had a chance. George was many different things to different people, but no one deserves that. His kids didn’t deserve to think their father is alive when the police knew he wasn’t, his family didn’t deserve it. Eff everyone here talking Ish.
For all you pieces of excrement who didn’t have anything nice to say about George, he may have been a gangster but he was a solid one and did a lot for so many people. The reason he pulled that weed job was to provide for his kids since he was in prison most of their lives. He was trying to make up for lost time the best way he knew how. I think it’s admirable, not what I would have done cause I have employable skills, but he loved his kids and he wanted to provide for them. I look around me and I see people buying drugs instead of providing for their families and paying their bills and I salute him. He was a great friend of mine and I’d rather sit and visit at his graveside than hang with most of the people still above ground.
George may have been a nice guy. He surely was interesting but your comment made me wonder if you worry at all, if this truly was a ripoff, about what happened to the grower and his kids when the crop they were counting on was taken?
All speculation.
I think you’ve identified the wrong persons as excrement.
Best thing you could do for a friend is be honest.
In your statement, this caught my eye:
“I look around me and I see people buying drugs instead of providing for their families”
Most would say buying anything is better than stealing anything.
Stealing drugs is no way to provide for a family, even IF what you say is true.
Look where it got George, and his family now needs more.
If you still have friends like this, slap them straight before you loose them too.
Trying to take care of his kids by, according to you, “pulling that weed job” while possessing an AR-15 rifle (not that I object to any type of firearm for those who can legally possess them). What was he willing to do with that weapon if he was confronted? Yes, we all make bad decisions, but don’t try and make him appear altruistic when he clearly was not.
Understand that I am not saying he deserved vengeance, nor speculating that is what occurred (just as possible to be accidental); yet, if he did what you suggest, he certainly put himself in the position to face retribution. God bless, and let’s hope all involved find peace.
I am George Daniel’s family. My grandpa never had someone who could step in and teach him how to be a good man. He had a very hard life and did not know how to care for himself. But he did love his family. We all prayed every night for him to come home. He may have been a thief, but he didn’t deserve death. You have no idea how many nights his children stayed up begging god that their daddy would come home. He didn’t deserve death. Stealing is wrong but it doesn’t mean breaking the heart of his kids and grandkids. My grandpa was murdered and someone got away with it. Stealing isn’t the same as violent crime. His life was more valuable than weed
Gtfo, seriously saluting a rip off gangster who would kill you for your weed. Your whats wrong with the community. Grow the f up, if he cared about family he would get a fking job like all these trimmigants who show up here for work, not like their is a scarcity of work or opportunity. Making excuses for a lazy low life theif just identifies the person you are. Gtfo or get help before you find the same fate.
He wouldn’t and didn’t kill anyone [edit]. Michael S. Daniels
A real Robin Hood.
👍🏽Very well said.
My brother was a good man that had the problem of being a thief. Never hurt anyone.
Michael S. Daniels
Stealing to provide for your children isn’t admirable. Getting a job to provide for your children is admirable. Being able to provide PRIOR to having children is admirable. His kids are probably better off without his influence. Even his own brother openly describes him as a “thief”.
“It is believed he may have died at this time”? Sounds like law enforcement new way more than they are reporting. Yet his body is not identified until 2 years later? Hmm somebody got away with murder.
My understanding is that came from the analysis of how long the body had been decomposing when it was found.
Its not on the sheriff, but it’s been almost three years!!
The report that said “we dunno what happened” took a full year
And the one identifying the deceased, took almost two.
And they were not run concurrently.
Wtf is going on around here?
What are the names of these labs?
What evidence and memory has been lost in that amount of time?
WTF is going on is that police are using their resources to solve the murders and disappearances of law abiding citizens.
“Mountain’s got its own ways”. What the S.O. can’t/won’t settle, someone else will, apparently.
There is nothing to Murder Mountain. Move along folks.
RIP my brother. You have always been loved.
Michael S. DANIELS
He was a loving and caring uncle when I met him! He was a good person! I don’t care what any of these people have to say!
George has his faults but these people didn’t know him. Don’t let them get to you, it’s hard to read these people talk shit. They’re all terrible people and it shows.
No matter how you felt about George,there is still a grieving family.Just remember in your comments about judging a dead man and throwing it in the face of loved ones,you too will be judged one day.Condolences to you and your family Mike.
Thanks Eddy 👍🏽