Humboldt’s Homicide Total Grows by Three Over Holiday Weekend

Over Labor Day weekend, the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office entered three more deaths to its list of homicides. At this time, the Humboldt County homicide total, as confirmed with the Coroner’s Office yesterday is 13 which is substantially above average and on track to tie or even exceed our record 16 homicides in 2014. (Note: that we are going to discuss why different law enforcement agencies and different readers might count the number of homicides as either 12, 13, or 14.)

On Sunday, September 4, two men whose identities haven’t been released were gunned down at a marijuana grow west of Hyampom and on Monday, September 5, 44-year-old Dana Hudson died from gunshot wounds he received on Friday, August 12. The Sheriff’s Department is now investigating his death as a homicide.

We went through the list with the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office. For years they have compiled these statistics. They decide which deaths are considered homicides (intentional killing of another) in Humboldt County and which aren’t. Below are the names of the dead that they have on their list. (Note: not all homicides are illegal. The death of a person killed by someone defending themselves is still considered to be a homicide. A legally justified police shooting is still considered a homicide.)

This list has several additions from last time and one notable subtraction. (See the below the list for why Kiya Kitchen has been removed. According to Officer May of the California Highway Patrol, a report will go to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in the next week or two and that office will be able to decide whether or not to file charges.)

In some cases we’ve added new information in green to cases we’ve summarized in a previous story.
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1)  Deceased: Hugh Duggins, age 71

Summary: Well-liked Southern Humboldt man Hugh Duggins was found alongside Alderpoint Road on January 21. At first no signs of foul play were found but a second autopsy revealed that Duggins died from “asphyxia by neck compression.”

Links to earlier stories:

• Deceased Man Found near Alderpoint Road This Morning
• Man Found Deceased Near Alderpoint Road Still Unidentified
• Man Found Near Alderpoint Road Showed No Evidence of Dying from a Crime, Says Coroner’s Office
• Hugh Wray Duggins: ‘I’ve loved and been loved’
• Alderpoint Man Died From ‘Asphyxia by Neck Compression’

2) Deceased: Arthur “Cricket” Ruiz III, age 42

Summary: Little more is known other than that human remains discovered January 28 near Hoopa were identified as Hoopa resident Arthur “Cricket” Ruiz III. He died of a gunshot to the head.

Links to earlier stories:

• Human Remains Found
• Human Remains Discovered Near Hoopa Identified as Arthur “Cricket” Ruiz III

3) Deceased: Rodger Allan Yale, age 30

Summary: On February 13, an argument at a Hoopa gas station resulted in Rodger Yale’s stabbing death. The suspect, Gearold Sotolongo, fled and was arrested on March 9.

Arrested: Gearold Sotolongo, age 25

Links to earlier stories:

• Homicide in Hoopa
• Suspect Named in Homicide
• Homicide Victim Identified in Saturday’s Stabbing, Public Asked to Help Locate Suspect
• Sotolongo Arrested for Murder: Mother’s Imprisonment on Similar Charges Contributed to Suspect’s Distrust of Justice System, Says Uncle

4) Deceased: Unidentified

Summary: On May 15, a mostly intact skeleton was discovered partially in the Eel River near Stafford. The person is believed to have died in late 2015/early 2016. According to Ernie Stewart the Humboldt County Coroner, though it is unknown whether this person was killed or died naturally, “We are treating it as if it were a homicide.” He confirmed that this should be considered a homicide for the purposes of this list.

Links to earlier stories: 

• Human Remains Discovered in the River Near Stafford Sunday
• Unidentified Body Found in Eel River Possible Victim of Homicide

5) Victim: Rhianna McKenzie, age 19

Summary: At approximately 3 a.m. on June 30, a young woman standing in the doorway of a vehicle was shot. 

Arrested: Maxx Robison, 20 of Eureka

Links to earlier stories:

• Early-Morning Shooting at McCullens Motel
• HOMICIDE: EPD Releases Information on this Morning’s Shooting
• Suspect Named in Yesterday’s Early-Morning Homicide
• EPD IDs Yesterday’s Homicide Victim

6) Deceased: Faith Tsarnas, age 14

Summary: On July 12 a little after 9 p.m., two teenage girls were skateboarding on Eel River Drive near Fortuna. They were struck by a hit and run driver. A suspect vehicle was later located at the residence of Kiya Kitchen’s mother. Faith Tsarnas died on the scene. Kiya Kitchen died later the next morning out of the county. (See below for why Faith Tsarnas is counted but Kiya Kitchen isn’t counted on the Humboldt County Coroner’s List above.)

Links to earlier stories:

• Hit and Run: Child Injured in Fortuna
• Two Teenage Girls Killed by Hit and Run Driver
• Witness May Have Seen Vehicle Fleeing Last Night’s Fatal Hit and Run
• Vehicle Involved in Hit and Run Death of Teens Found Near Home of Mother of One of the Teens
• CHP Confirms They’ve Recovered Vehicle Involved in Fatal Hit and Run at One of the Victim’s Residences
• Driver of Vehicle in Tuesday’s Hit and Run Has Contacted Law Enforcement
• A Candlelight Vigil for the Two Young Girls Tragically Killed in a Hit and Run Accident
• Grief Counseling Offered at Fortuna Middle School
• Good Progress’ Learning About Death of Fortuna Teens, Says CHP Spokesperson
• 911 Call Reporting the Hit and Run Which Left Two Girls Dead Last Week; Warning, This Is Graphic Audio
• CHP Asks For Help Finding Two Suspected in Hit and Run Deaths of Two Teenagers
• Suspect’s Attorneys Refute CHP’s Press Release
• Kiya Suzanne Kitchen: Full of Life and Love
• Friends Rally Round Joe Kitchen Whose Daughter Died in Fortuna Hit and Run Accident

7) Deceased: Brials McCutcheon, age 41

Summary: On August 6, McCutcheon was shot in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Eureka. At first, law enforcement were not sure whether he had committed suicide but eventually it was determined that an unknown person had shot him. He died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Links to earlier stories:

•  A Gunshot Victim Rushed to Hospital
• ‘Suspicious’ Death Being Investigated, Says Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
• Public Asked for Help in Saturday’s Suspicious Death
• Investigation on Suspicious Death Includes Search for DNA and Fingerprints
• Suicide Ruled Out; Public’s Help Sought Catching Saturday’s Shooter

8) Deceased: Stephanie Gawboy, age 52

Summary: Gawboy was found deceased of a gunshot wound on August 17 in her Redway residence. However, it is believed she died earlier. She died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Links to earlier stories:

• Woman’s Death in Redway a Homicide, Says Humboldt County Sheriff Department
• Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office: No Suspect in Redway Homicide
• Arrest of Man With Red Facial Tattoos Related to Out of State Warrant, Says Sheriff’s Office

9) Deceased: David Fulton, age 59

Summary: After an altercation that began on August 17 with a landlord, David Fulton barricaded himself in his apartment. Allegedly, he fired at law enforcement early in the morning of August 18 and was shot dead. He died of multiple gunshot wounds. (Note: Not all homicides are considered a crime. Police shootings have been traditionally included on the list of homicides counted by the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office.)

Officers Involved in Death: Humboldt County Sheriff Names Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting of McKinleyville Man

Links to earlier stories:

• Shelter in Place, Shots Fired, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Warns Residents of Part of McKinleyville
• Shots Fired at Standoff in McKinleyville
• Sheriff’s Office Releases Information on the Man Shot After Barricading Himself in McKinleyville Apartments
• Humboldt County Sheriff Names Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting of McKinleyville Man

10) Deceased: Jane Doe (7-week-old infant whose name has not been released to the public.)

Summary: On August 27, the Arcata Police Department received a call reporting an unresponsive infant. The baby was taken to the hospital where it died. The baby’s mother has been charged with her death.

Arrested: Ewa Misztal, age 28

Links to earlier stories:

• Woman Charged with Death of Infant

11 & 12) Deceased: Two men, ages 48 and 50, whose identities haven’t yet been released.

Summary: On Sunday, September 4, two men whose identities haven’t been released were gunned down at a marijuana grow west of Hyampom. At this time the only information we have on suspects is that there were multiple assailants and multiple shots fired.

Links to earlier stories:

• Two Reported Dead in Shooting Near Hyampom
• Multiple Assailants Wanted in Connection With Hyampom double Homicide

13) Deceased: Dana Hudson, age 44

Summary: Dana Hudson was shot near Sabretooth Road in Willow Creek. He was medevacked to an out of the area hospital. He died Monday, September 5 from his wounds.

Links to earlier story:

• Report of a Shooting in Willow Creek; Possible Suspect Detained in Blue Lake

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Alert readers will notice that Kiya Kitchen’s death is no longer listed. Why?

Although she and Faith Tsarnas died as a result of the same fatal hit and run near Fortuna, Faith Tsarnas’ death occurred in Humboldt County and our coroner’s office processed the autopsy. But, although the cause of Kiya Kitchen’s death occurred in Humboldt, her actual death occurred out of county so it isn’t on the list. (Note: Though Dana Hudson’s death occurred out of county, he will be autopsied in our county and thus counted.)

In general though, homicides as they are counted by our local Coroner’s Office must be at least in part intentional. Deciding which count as homicides can be unexpectedly tricky with different agencies counting homicides in different ways.

One could argue that both Faith Tsarnas and Kiya Kitchen’s death was accidental not intentional so neither should be on the list. Then the count would be 12 homicides.

One could argue that the cause of both Faith Tsarnas and Kiya Kitchen’s death occurred in Humboldt and thus both should be counted. Thus the count would be 14 homicides.

Or, like the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office list, Tsarnas’ death could be counted and Kiya Kitchen’s not. Thus the count of 13.

No matter which way the numbers are added, Humboldt is on track to meet or exceed the former record of 16 homicides set in 2016  2014. Of course, there could be no more homicides this year but, should we stop at 12 this year we are still substantially above average.