Many Shelter Cove Residents Glad to See More of Law Enforcement in Wake of Fort Bragg Killings

Residents of the Shelter Cove area were grateful to have Humboldt Co. Deputy Robert Hamilton drive around yesterday with a flyer describing the reputedly dangerous fugitive Aaron Bassler. Hamilton talked to Dena Baker, who keeps the Pioneer list which disseminates  local information to its members.  According to Baker, Hamilton asked her if she had heard of Bassler.  When she explained that she hadn’t, he gave her a quick run down on why Bassler was sought and why he was believed to be dangerous.  He asked her to pass on the information via the Pioneer list.  Hamilton explained that someone had reported a sighting on Chemise Mt. Rd which is less than five miles from her home.  Baker quickly put the information out on the List and researched the story on the internet.

The Times Standard spoke to Mendocino Co. Sheriff Spokesperson, Capt. Kurt Smallcomb, who said, there were “some follow up investigations in Southern Humboldt.”

Sheriff Mike Downey, who spoke to me last night and again this morning, said he was not aware of any Mendocino law enforcement officers conducting investigations in Humboldt. But he reiterated that there have been in the last week no credible sightings of Bassler in Humboldt Co. He stated that the Chemise Mt. Rd. sighting happened after the Matthew Coleman killing but before Jere Melo’s homicide.

Baker says she is glad to have Hamilton distribute the flyer because “It was good to get the information…I don’t have tv all the time…There is a chance [Bassler] can be going this way…there are a lot of empty vacation houses here and I’m the only one on this road full time.” The presence of Deputy Hamilton is reassuring many residents since, as Baker said, budget cuts have mandated that he is rarely out at the Cove any more.