[UPDATE] Another Suspect in the Killing of Laytonville Grower Arrested

Frederick Gaestel

Frederick Gaestel [Photo provided by the Mendocino Police.]

Another suspect has been arrested in the death of Jeffrey Quinn Settler. (See image of him here.) Settler was allegedly killed in November of 2016 reportedly as a result of a dispute over payment for trimming marijuana with the suspects.

Frederick Gaestel was arrested early this morning in Virginia. He is the 6th male suspect arrested for Settler’s homicide. Two more men are still being sought.

Below is the Facebook post from the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office in Virginia detailing the arrest:

Frederick Gaestel

Frederick Gaestel [Photo from the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail]

At approximately 12:00 AM on 2-10-17 we received information about a wanted suspect from Mendocino County, California (Frederick Gaestel). He was wanted for murder and was reported to be staying in a vacant house in the 1200 block of Oriana Rd.Deputies and our Emergency Response Team set up a perimeter around the residence and the suspect surrendered without incident. Mendocino County detectives were notified. We have no other information to release as this is not our case. Sheriff Diggs said that he was happy that his office was able to bring this out of state suspected murderer to justice.

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Two more men, both local, are sought in the slaying.

The remaining suspects are Gary Blank III, 34, of Garberville,

Gary "Cricket" Blank

Gary “Cricket” Blank

and Jesse Wells, 33, of Laytonville.

Jesse Wells

Jesse Wells

UPDATE: Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

On 11-11-2016 at 3:39 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff‘s Deputies were summoned to a reported man who had been murdered on a remote property located in the 49000 block of North Highway 101 in Laytonville, California.

The property was a rural parcel approximately 5 miles from Highway 101, on a dirt road that traveled in a westerly direction. Deputies responded to the scene confirming there was a male adult who was obviously deceased as a result of what appeared to be a violent assault. Mendocino County Sheriff‘s Detectives were summoned to the scene, along with Investigators from the MendocinoCounty District Attorney’s Office and Criminalists from the California Department of Justice.

During the investigation it was determined the deceased male adult, Jeffrey Quinn Settler, was operating a commercial marijuana growing operation on the property. In the early morning hours of 11-11-2016 (Thursday), multiple subjects who had been recently employed by Settler as marijuana trimmers returned to the property in the middle of the night with the intent to commit robbery of processed marijuana. The investigation has revealed the subjects knew the marijuana was stored in the same structure where Settler slept and the subjects violently assaulted him during the robbery, causing his death. The subjects were believed to have fled the property in at least two vehicles and were believed to have stolen over 100 pounds of processed marijuana. The suspects were believed to have fled to Southern California or out of state.

In all seven suspects were identified and subsequent felony arrest warrants were sought.

Prior to 02-10-2017, four of the suspects were in custody and being prosecuted for homicide.

On 02-10-2017, at approximately 10:00 PM (PST), the Mendocino County Sheriff‘s Office was contacted by a representative of York-Poquoson Sheriff‘s Office in Williamsburg, Virginia and notified that they had taken suspect Frederick Gaestel into custody on the Mendocino County arrest warrant.

Information relayed was that the York-Poquoson Sheriff‘s Office received a tip that Frederick Gaestel was hiding out in a vacant house and that he was wanted for murder out of California. Once the warrant was confirmed, the York-Poquoson Sheriff‘s Office was able to surround the house and Gaestel surrendered peacefully.

Mendocino County will work to get Gaestel extradited to Mendocino County so he can stand trial for homicide. This process can take up to several months if Gaestel tries to challenge extradition.

This arrest was made as a result of the cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies working with concerned citizens who came forward with the information about Gaestel’s whereabouts.

Currently two suspects are still at large and are believed to have fled the state of California. The remaining suspects are identified Gary Blank III (34 year-old male from Garberville, California) and Jesse Wells (33 year-old male from Laytonville, California).

Any persons with information about the location of the outstanding suspects are encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff‘s Office Investigative Services Unit at 707-463-4421 or the Sheriff‘s Office Tip Line at 707-234-

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15 Comments
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LeAnna Carson-Hansen
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LeAnna Carson-Hansen
7 years ago

Good.

May justice be served.

Hope there are funds to extradite him back to California.

G-MAS
Guest
G-MAS
7 years ago

I hope they get all of them!!! Another hope, that they spend the rest of their rotten lives rotting in prison!! Murdering fuckin Jerks!!!

Anon Forrest
Guest
Anon Forrest
7 years ago
Reply to  G-MAS

Well said, G-Mas! I didn’t know you had it in you. (The language, that is.) I’ll second that hope.

Liz
Guest
Liz
7 years ago

I am guessing he told someone in Virginia what a bad guy he was in Calif. Someone in Virginia has a higher moral compass then he has and tipped the Law of his whereabouts. Good news!

Fortune Teller
Guest
Fortune Teller
7 years ago
Reply to  Liz

More likely a snitch looking to receive some benefit from the law.

visitor
Guest
visitor
7 years ago
Reply to  Liz

“This arrest was made as a result of the cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies working with concerned citizens who came forward with the information about Gaestel’s whereabouts.” – Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
7 years ago

They catch all these guys and in the end, it was probably just the two local tweekers.

Hugo
Guest
Hugo
7 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

Then why we’re they all on the run?

mendocino mamma
Guest
mendocino mamma
7 years ago

Integirity…doing the right thing even when no one is watching or looking.

Denouement
Guest
Denouement
7 years ago

Thanks for coining a new word! Or did you mean integrity?

Denouement
Guest
Denouement
7 years ago
Reply to  Denouement

Education… Being able to spell, or spell check, common words…

Nick
Guest
Nick
7 years ago
Reply to  Denouement

Lighten up, jeez. We all kenw what they meatn.

field mouse
Guest
field mouse
7 years ago

Nothing says guilty better than fleeing in different directions.

That sauce is boss
Guest
That sauce is boss
7 years ago

It figures. Only two that haven’t been caught are locals. Such a shocker

Alethea
Guest
6 years ago

Jeff was a saint I cannot believe I’m just hearing about this a year later, he had helped me and many people out he has a heart of gold may those fuckers burn . Love you Jeff love love love will not fade away love u baybay