Service Member Fleeing Court Martial Found Deceased After Pursuit and Drone Reconnaissance Flight
This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Mendocino County Sheriff vehicle. [Photo from Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office]
On 01-19-2020 at 7:30 AM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were detailed to assist the United States Air Force in the 8000 block of Reeves Canyon Road in Redwood Valley, California.
Deputies contacted Air Force Special Agents from the Office of Special Investigations stationed at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, California.
Deputies learned an Air Force service member (32 year-old male [from Las Vegas, Nevada]) had been the subject of a court-martial on 01-17-2020 at the Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Prior to being sentenced, that same day, the service member absconded from the court proceedings.
Based upon the desertion, an arrest warrant was issued for the service member.
On 01-18-2020 at approximately 4:00 PM an officer from the California Highway Patrol attempted a traffic stop on the wanted service member’s 2018 Jeep Wrangler south of Ukiah.
This attempted traffic stop resulted in a vehicular pursuit northbound on Highway 101 until the Jeep Wrangler turned onto Reeves Canyon Road, subsequently eluding apprehension.
The Air Force Special Agents were notified of the attempted apprehension and responded to Reeves Canyon Road where they conducted overnight surveillance of the roadway at the intersection of Highway 101.
Once daylight arose on 01-19-2020 the Air Force Special Agents began a search of Reeves Canyon Road in an attempt to locate the Jeep Wrangler.
This resulted in the discovery of the Jeep Wrangler parked on a secluded fire trail road in the 8000 block of Reeves Canyon Road (approximately 8 miles from intersection of Highway 101).
At this point, Deputies began to develop a plan to approach the Jeep Wrangler.
During this planning process, the Deputies learned the wanted service member had communicated suicidal statements with a friend after his desertion.
Because of the potentially dangerous circumstances, Deputies asked for the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office UAV (Unmanned [Aerial] Vehicle) which is used in connection with Search & Rescue operations.
The UAV was deployed and conducted an [aerial] viewing of the Jeep Wrangler but the operator was unable to see (with attached video transmitting camera) inside the vehicle as its windows were foggy. The UAV had to return to the staging area because the UAV’s battery was almost exhausted.
A short time later the UAV was redeployed and a further viewing of the Jeep Wrangler was conducted. This time there was an object, similar to a person, noted inside the vehicle.
Sometime thereafter a single shot from a firearm was heard in the immediate area and the UAV had to return to the staging area because the UAV’s battery was almost exhausted.
Based upon this new information, the Mendocino County Multi-Agency SWAT Team was requested.
On 01-19-2020 at approximately 1:30 PM the Multi-Agency SWAT Team used the CRV (Citizen Rescue Vehicle) to approach the Jeep Wrangler.
During this time, the wanted service member was located deceased approximately 30 yards away from the vehicle in an elevated position on the hillside adjacent to the vehicle.
Initial scene investigation suggested the wanted service member had committed suicide by use of a high powered rifle.
At this time the wanted service member is not being publicly identified pending notification of next of kin.
A forensic autopsy is scheduled for 01-22-2020 and there is no official manner or cause of death pending the results of the forensic autopsy.
All inquires in regards to the wanted service member are being referred to the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations Public Affairs Officer Linda Card at 1-877-246-1453 or 571-305-8010.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance during this incident:
Mendocino County Search & Rescue, CalFire, Department of Fish & Wildlife, Ukiah Police Department, Willits Police Department, Fort Bragg Police Department, Medstar Ambulance, Redwood Valley Fire Department and Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
UPDATE Monday: The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man.
On 01-20-2020 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division was able to contact the wanted service member’s legal next of kin and notify them of the his death.
The wanted service member’s identity is releasable to the public and he has been identified as Kevin A. Larson (34 year-old male from Las Vegas, Nevada).
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Kinda creepy how every local agency wants their names involved in these literal man hunts. 😲
If that’s what you gather out of this your parents failed you!
Agree!! Every Law Enforcement in volved in this type of cross-country chase and investigation, thankfully gets involved by way of location, not by choice!!!
Very sad a person so dejected that he took his own life.You would think maybe?a country could be more understanding of a person who just did not fit into the military ideals and way of life.
Desertion can get the death penalty in time of war.
“Time of War” doesn’t mean a damn thing anymore.
time of endless and even “loser” wars indeed
Yep. When it’s a never ending holy war. We will always be at war. Have been for over 2 decades now. Liberals call it helping others. I call bullish!t.
I’m a thinking, admittedly over-educated 2nd Amendment liberal. And I call mega-bullshit on the political blame game. Seriously. Read something besides the Turner Diaries.
Desertion means you left a very important area possiblity one that could cause great harm to American people and let one of the countrys were fighting agents in without warning and kill a alot of people without nobody knowing I’m sure if he commented suicide it must of been something pretty bad sorry for the nations lost R.I.P.
I agree Betty. This country is so out of touch with reality. And a persons mental health is overlooked way too much. May he Rest In Peace.
🕯🌳I’ll second that. 🛐
Well said
Amen.
More understanding? He was being courtmarshalled, not executed. Maybe he should have though of a better way to go to school? Pretty sad when people that shouldn’t be in the military join the military because of the benefits…..
Almost everyone in the military joined because of the benefits. The US hasn’t needed to go to war since WW2. They are mercenaries.
You would also think a country would take care of its veterans, instead of being charged for tee times at a private country club. Sick.
wow
Or a criminal who happened to be in the military when he committed crimes. Or a mentally ill person who was missed in screening. Or a person being harassed by a dishonest authority or whatever. We don’t know what his charge was , whether he was unfortunate or evil. At age 32, he could be a very a career soldier who did something wrong and judged himself . We don’t know. We just know he was desperate and hopeless.
That’s not why they court-martial you it could’ve been rape or murder you know that right?
Time for an irrelevant argument on an irrelevant subject now, causing an irrelevant argument….
By people who know absolutely nothing about the guy and who are speculating about what happened and why. What a time sink the internet can be.
Simple. Don’t enroll in the Air Force! Bunch of bastards! And Fish and Wildlife Commies!
🕯🌳👁
The main takeaway here is
CHARGE YOUR DRONE
How sad.
Suicide? Or taken out by drone? Anyone else smell a cover up?
There has been an epidemic of military suicides ever since 9-11 and its only getting worse. The only cover-up here is morbid conspiracy theorists turning it into a fantasy action movie plot rather than facing the systemic tragedy that it is.
Does anyone in Humboldt use logic?
1. It does not say which crime he committed, so stop being like awww, how sad another military suicide.
2. He deserted on the day of his sentencing, that’s not what he was charged with.
3. He said he wanted to commit suicide after he was already charged and being sentenced for whatever crime he committed.
People of Humboldt, not everything you have to say is important. You should at least know the basic facts of what you’re commenting on before commenting, the comment sections are supposed to be useful, not idiotic irrelevant garbage
Thank you for your comment.
AMEN bro
Both active-duty and and veteran suicides are at an all-time high. Pretending that this is an isolated incident is sticking your head in the sand.
The DOD estimates 20 veterans and 1 active-duty soldier kill themselves every day. That is an epidemic by any measurement.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/01/pentagon-reports-record-number-suicides.html
Yeah. And here we are saving thieves, drug addicts and foreign trespassers. Sad indeed. True facts that many don’t know, or want to know. Helping those who defend our country and its beliefs of freedom should be put well above those that I mentioned.
Yet there is another comment.
One more time: WHO NEEDS STINKIN’ FACTS?
I have seen court martial for a wide variety of things. Such as child porn, sexual assault, domestic violence as well as murder.
So although the member was in the military he most likely committed a significant crime. Just like the civilian world. So we don’t have all the facts.
Also would there be a different view if the person was a civilian and fled just after sentencing for child abuse? Would the public want all efforts to apprehend the subject? The answer is likely yes.
How is it that we “hate” cults& brainwashing, yet we tolerate the military cult(ure) that turns predominantly nice young men& women into killers that must ” Follow Orders, or else.” One would think that after all these millenniums of wars not working & not bringing peace& stability, that humans could think of much better ways to go about solving disagreements.
Too many humans. War is inevitable. It’s in our DNA it’s in our nature. We have been fighting over race superiority and religious beliefs since the dawn of time. How and why do you think Neanderthals went extinct? With the increasing population of modern humans it will only escalate, not resolve. Only through depopulation and a understanding that we are all here together living on a planet that is changing for the worst for mammals and with a decrease in natural resources for us to survive will war end. Until than…… I would prepare for survival if I were you.
That’s why there will always be a “working” class; people who, like me, when young and without financial or other resources will turn to uncle scam for a way out of poverty.
Not having a military leads to warlords and constant fighting too or invasion and war or civil war. The problem is that in the end there simply is no single solution to human beings turning to war as the ultimate cure for their ills. The goal should be how to minimize it because it can’t be eliminated. We don’t like peace and stability unless we are on the top of the pile. Even then we worry that we won’t stay there…
Maintaining a standing military does not mean that we need to maintain a state of continuous warfare. Bill Clinton, for all his many, many shortcomings as a president, maintained a strong military whiteout engaging in any protracted conflicts. It can be done.
“Bill Clinton is finding this out the hard way. His ill-conceived decision to prod NATO into bombing Yugoslavia in March has wreaked havoc… But instead of trying a myriad of peaceful options, Clinton, Albright, and NATO reached for the old, unreliable one: Send in the bombers. . ” http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Yugoslavia/BillClintonsWar_Yugo.html
That one went on for ten years if I remember right.
You don’t remember correctly. It lasted 3 1/2 months.
To some, it continues:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/a-clinton-war-crime-20-years-later
Oddly, the KLA was largely financed by smuggling heroin into europe. That was prior to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. When the Taliban effectively squashed opium production in 2000 the drug was liberated soon thereafter. The Balkans are still the primary smuggling route into Europe.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1004563569751363760
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2000/01/heroin-heroes/
https://www.heritage.org/node/19861/print-display
http://www.sarantakos.com/kosovo/ks18kla.html
clinton cut funding to the military.
As you’re supposed to when both the cold war and the first Iraq war are over. Aren’t you the one always complaining about taxes?
i didnt say anything about agreeing with it or disagreeing with it, i was just pointing out your inaccuracy
wars dont work? i have been hearing similar things lately. like, is it right to kill somebody. if wars dont work then you are right, we should have let hitler take over the world. it will be fine. right? sounds like you like to chime in when you have no intelligence
One wonders, courtmartialed for what? He was 34 so probably in for a career. It was the Air Force so a bad shoe shine or no haircut wouldn’t do it.
I wonder what the government is busy covering up about this right now? 🙁
The story of his court martial has no cause. So you have zero info WTF It was bad enough he killed himself. With out guys like this you would be owned by Japan or some other bully country
Suicides in the military are epidemic. Three military personnel die by suicide to every one death by enemy fighters. Sad situation. Sorry that this ended the way it did.
For what it’s worth:
“It’s not clear what Larson was accused of at the court-martial. The Mendocino Voice reported only that Larson was convicted at the trial. He reportedly fled during a recess before sentencing commenced.
“A Facebook commenter on the popular Air Force amn/nco/snco page claimed to be a close friend of Larson and said Larson was court-martialed over false charges alleged by his wife.
““This man fought for his troops during a really hard time in our squadron, and spent a lot of his time and money to make sure to always keep morale high,” the commenter said of Larson, referring to him as “an innocent Captain.””
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/01/us-air-force-airman-commits-suicide-after-fleeing-court-martial-and-police/
While it provides some information, it is unlikely a court martial happens because of false charges from a spouse. Possible but so unlikely. A good officer for his men can be a rotter in other ways. We still don’t know and the military being the military, we probably never will. A further post on the site mentioned possesion and distribution of drugs among other charges.
One reason there is a higher ( not as high a frequently alleged when demographics are taken into account) rate of suicides of military is that military people tend to accept, both naturally and by training, responsibility. If something goes wrong, they tend to look to themselves for the solution. This is both a good and an evil as help is often not sought or accepted if offered except from other military people. It is a weird world to outsiders and tends to shut them out as not understanding.