‘It Was Lonely’: Mendocino County’s Modern Day Outlaw, the Redbearded Burglar, Tells His Tale

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]William Evers, aka The Redbeardeded Burglar, sits down for a jailhouse interview looking into both the crime he committed and the adventures he experienced while on the lam for nine months in the wilds of Mendocino County.

William Evers, known as the Redbearded Burglar, is a 40-year-old man who knows what awaits him in the coming months. After nearly a year in the wilds of Mendocino County burglarizing rural homes, fleeing from law enforcement, and avoiding human contact, he now sits in the county jail awaiting trial and expecting state prison in his future. In the most comprehensive interview yet with Evers, for the first time, he reveals the trials and tribulations of living off the land and the perpetual loneliness experienced by a man whose sole goal was avoiding human contact for as long as possible.

The Beginnings

Evers told us he was raised in Redding, California after being born six weeks premature and flown down to University of California, Davis for treatment. He was raised by both parents who are still married. Evers’s father has installed flooring for 30 years and his mother has worked a series of jobs throughout his life including making pizza, serving drinks as a barista, and treating animals as a veterinarian technician.

High school was “fun” for Evers. Freshman year was “tough” he said, but as soon as he got his footing and got to know everyone, he “had a great time.” He competed in track and field but found he was not “super motivated” academically, struggling with grades “unless I concentrated on my work.”

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Since his arrest, Evers has not spoken to his mom or dad, nor anyone outside of fellow inmates and two local reporters. He said the last time he was locked up, his grandmother told him she wouldn’t be happy with him if he got arrested again and “I’d be lucky if she talked to me.”

After high school, Evers dabbled in community college taking film editing and environmental horticulture. He described himself as an adept farmer hailing from a long line of farmers able to “grow almost anything.” Evers said he has always had a garden growing cannabis to vegetables wherever he went.

Alcohol addiction has been the root of Evers’s criminal conduct throughout his life and he tells us he has been addicted to it throughout the years. The years of county jails and prison stints blend together in his retelling, but some poignant moments included going to jail at 18, getting caught burglarizing a trailer in Humboldt County, and being sentenced to San Quentin after being wanted on felony probation.

Redbeard Fights Fires

One of the times in his life Evers looks most proudly upon is between 1999-2005 when he worked as a wildland firefighter. He described one of the first fires he fought was New Mexico’s Barrego Fire in the early summer of 2002. He remembered the end of a grueling 36-hour shift when a helicopter flew in McDonalds breakfast sandwiches for the crew. As he ate the McMuffin, he looked around the “moonscape” and told his supervisor, “This is awesome.” For those years, he was “dedicated” to his role as a wildland firefighter. But, once again, alcohol and drugs including methamphetamine reared their heads and he was fired from his role as a wildland firefighter.

Reflecting on his time in wildland firefighting, Evers described his professional life as successful, but his personal life “unstable” fueled by drugs and alcohol. He said “I’ve never been a violent person.” Showing a surprising amount of self-awareness, he noted, “In society, you can’t just run around drunk or high doing whatever you want.”

After approximately two months on the lam in Mendocino County, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office identified Evers and reported he was on active parole for a previous charge of criminal threats. He told us these threats were the reason he spent time in San Quentin and occurred when he was running from law enforcement. He was “whacked out on drugs” when he tried to flee law enforcement by swimming across the Sacramento River. When he arrived on the intended shore, he found a police officer standing over him with a taser. He told the police officer, “I’m going to slice your throat.” (Evers made sure to note that he did not in fact have a knife when he uttered the threat). Officers proceeded to subdue and detain him causing Evers to pass out and land in prison.

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Evers shows off his sleeve tattoo [Picture by Matt LaFever]

Noting a pattern of evading law enforcement, Evers said the majority of the time he has run from cops, “I got caught. I was mostly just trying to get away.” While on the lam in Mendocino County, Evers said, “I knew that if I get caught, I am going to jail because I was on parole. It’s either run or go to jail.” Evers felt as if he had an advantage because “I can hike better than most people.I knew if I could not get caught physically, I could most likely run from everybody.”

The wilds of Mendocino County called to Evers in the winter of 2020/2021. He found himself staying with a friend in Flagstaff, Arizona who had promised him a place to stay and to show him around town. Instead, his host was socked in with work and the town was shuttered due to COVID-19.

Feeling stir crazy, the waves and wilderness of Mendocino County called to him. He knew there he could find a spot near the sea where he could fish and dine and live off the land and escape his troubles. He was running from parole violations and he knew time in civilization would end with him getting caught.

So, one day, Evers got on a bus and headed for Mendo.

Becoming a Mendocino County Wildman

Having spent nine months navigating the wilderness of Mendocino County, Evers became adept at navigating the terrain and foraging for food.

Evers said he first became knowledgeable of Mendocino County’s geography while hitchhiking Highway 1 many years ago. He has friends in the county that he has visited in the past which provided more immersion into Mendo’s topography.

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Evers hamming it up [Picture by Matt LaFever]

The biggest contributor to his body of Mendo-knowledge stemmed from his stint working at the Chamberlin Creek Cal Fire camp along State Route 20 from 2010-2012.

Regardless of earlier exposure, when he walked into the woods west of Ukiah on February 10, 2021, Evers “didn’t know where I was going.”

He navigated primarily using a map and compass. He pointed out that a compass was crucial because of the heavily forested nature of the terrain did not allow navigating using the sun.

Evers said he would pick a location on the map and push towards the landmark. If he found a road, he would follow it. When navigating roadways, Evers would often travel after dark and hide anytime a vehicle was approaching.

From Ukiah, Evers intended to push westward but often found himself navigating a mountain range generally pointed northwest forcing him to navigate south and west to make a straight line to the ocean.

Evers found that hiking along the northside of mountains proved easier because the trees grew taller in their attempts to reach sunlight. The southside of mountains were often heavily vegetated, proving harder to navigate.

The water Evers drank during his journey was “some of the best water I’ve ever had.” He would often find small streams and follow them to their source gushing out of the bare rock of mountains. He did not experience giardia or other gastro-intestinal issues associated with unfiltered water throughout his adventure.

In terms of foraging, Evers found himself eating bay tree nuts often. He described them as bitter, but by roasting them they could become more palatable.

He often located mushrooms at the bottom of drainages on tree trucks straddling water sources and creeks. Evers had learned from mushroom books the specific mushrooms to be avoided due to their toxicity, and would essentially eat any mushroom that was not one of the toxic ones. “The worst that happens is you puke them up,” he said.

Another plant Evers specifically mentioned eating was bleeding heart, which he said was memorable because it was intoxicating when he ingested it. Please note, this is considered poisonous and should not be ingested.

One of Evers most extended stints hoofing it across Mendocino County was his two week hike from Anderson Valley to the coast. He hiked in the woods along Highway 128 and he said he was “only eating one handful of food in the morning, one during the day, and a big dinner” after he had foraged throughout the day.

At the outset of his foray into the wilderness, Evers hoped he could “run across somebody and help them grow pot, and just live.” He wanted to sustain himself, live off the land, but after nearly a year of doing so he realized, “It’s just too hard. There ain’t no Hershey bars in the middle of the forest.”

Speaking from his heart, Evers said his time in the wilderness was lonely. “I didn’t get to talk to people” and he spent the entirety of the time trying to avoid people as much as possible. He was forced to find other ways to entertain himself by enjoying nature, working on projects, or watching the animals.

Evers spoke to an intimacy he developed with wildlife that revealed to him the complex inner lives of the forest dwellers. “Down in the canyons, there is tons of wildlife: owls and king fishers and squirrels.” He said that when animals are barking or singing, “They’re saying words, they’re communicating. They have lives, too.”

The Man with a Rifle and a Drone in the Sky

In our conversation with Evers, we brought along a slideshow of all surveillance footage that captured him during exploits. We showed each image to Evers and he provided what remembered of the moments those images were taken.

The first images of Evers to go public depicted him from above wearing dark clothing, lugging a blue external frame backpack, and hands full of items. MCSO reported he was found in the Low Gap Road area west of Ukiah when these photographs were taken.

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar

A photograph taken by a drone the day the man with the rifle pursued Evers [All photographs provided by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office]

Evers arrived in Ukiah on a bus on February 10, 2021 and hiked into the western hills immediately. One day in mid February he was living in a rural cabin he found empty in the hills west of Ukiah. The day before he was photographed, he was outside of that cabin, “turning soil” and adding “organic matter” to it in hopes to grow vegetables. He was interrupted when he said, “I heard someone coming down the hill saying, ‘Hello! Hello!’”

Having been sighted, Evers set up a green tent he had away from the cabin, but on the same property. The next day, near his green tent, he heard a man say, “Knock, knock” and turned around to see him “holding a rifle.” The man asked Evers “What are you doing here?”

Evers said he responded, “Just moving through, camping through the night.”

The situation escalated for Evers when he noticed the man was wearing a hat with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office emblem. He reasoned this man was either alone, or his partner could be nearby, and knew that his time on the lam was either over, or he had to run.

Evers told the man to hold on saying “I need to grab something out of my tent.” He dove inside and stuffed his blue backpack and “stuffed as much as I could inside” and ran.

From that point, the man with the rifle gave chase for nearly two hours. “He was on my ass for two hours,” Evers remembered. Evers finally broke away from his pursuer when he began to trudge uphill. During this pursuit, a drone followed him which Evers assumes had a camera that captured images of him that day. In a final push to lose the man with the rifle, Evers chose a densely vegetated section of the woods and went headlong through it hoping the obstacles would ward off anyone following him. Evers said he managed to evade the man and continued westward towards the coast.

A Rifle, a Crate of Wine, a Smoked Turkey, and a Sinewy Squirrel

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar

Evers sporting a new outfit and a rifle at a Philo cabin. [Photo from the MCSO]

The next surveillance footage that captured Evers’s exploits was located at a rural hunting cabin in Philo. The images depict him sporting an entirely different outfit including a blue hat, camouflage pants, suspenders, a two-tone blue and light-colored jacket, and one image depicts him holding a rifle.

Evers said he would avail himself of new clothing whenever available. The new clothes he was sporting in those images were recently acquired from some unsuspecting homeowner as well as the .22 single shot rifle.

The rifle allowed Evers to start hunting small game to feed himself. He hunted small birds, squirrels, and even a wild turkey at one point.

Evers described an intricate process of smoking the wild turkey. He used an old dresser found in one of the cabins he ransacked and removed all the drawers. Replacing all the drawers with chicken wire, Evers lit a fire underneath the dresser, covered the contraption, and slowly stoked the fire throughout the day. The resourceful Evers feasted on his smoked turkey and described it as “falling off the bone” and delicious.

In contrast, the squirrels Evers ate proved chewy and sinewy, he told us. Squirrels require marinating and tenderizing, Evers said, but would provide enough meat for a small meal.

The photographs prompted a memory Evers had of finding a crate of wine at an old winery in Anderson Valley he walked near and filled his canteen and backpack up thieving the artisan wine.

How Redbeard Burgled

Evers described multiple burglaries during his time on the lam and provided insight into how he went about choosing homes to break into and the process of breaking in.

First off, he made it clear he targeted homes that were not occupied. He recalled a memory from years ago when he was “drunk and high out of my mind” when he walked into home and had a gun pulled on him. “They could tell I wasn’t coherent,” Evers remembered. He had to ask the homeowner how to get out of the home and after they directed him, he “beat feet.”

Since then, Evers has always avoided confrontation when burglarizing. Breaking into homes “can be dangerous,” Evers admitted, and he did not want to get hurt or have to hurt anybody. He also described being cautious of dogs hoping to avoid attack and having to “shoot someone’s dog.”

In his time burglarizing homes, Evers said he has had “some close calls” describing them as “pretty exciting.” But, in general, when Evers broke into someone’s home he hoped to nab “something to drink or some pot to smoke, something yummy to eat, or drugs.” Evers did admit that he had stolen jewelry during his stay in the Mendocino County woods and wore it temporarily until he grew tired of it and would ditch it in the wild.

Looking back at his burglary career, Evers said “after a while you get good at it. You get less cautious.” When he first began to burglarize homes, “I was scared to go up to people’s houses.” Evers said he did not stake out homes for days, but instead relied on some simple environmental markers to determine if the house was unoccupied. Some signs a home was unoccupied included empty gardens, no vehicle tracks in the driveway, leaves on that have not been driven on recently.

Abandoned cannabis grows proved to be points of interest for Evers. He described finding different cannabis properties, some with trailers scattered on the property, others with small cabins, and he sometimes found food and other belongings left behind at the properties.

Evers said one of the advantages in targeting homes that are not occupied often is the simple fact that it could take days, weeks, or even months before someone is aware and reports the occurrence to the police. He even said there could be cabins that he broke into on his journeys that have yet to be discovered.

‘It Was Just a Warning Shot’

The hunt for Evers intensified after the evening of May 12, 2021 when he reportedly fired upon MCSO deputies who interrupted his burglarizing of a home on the 3000 block of Cameron Road in the rural town of Elk. The officer involved shooting prompted a significant law enforcement response including the SWAT team who combed the area looking for Evers.

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar

Evers the night he and MCSO deputies fired their weapons. [Photo from the MCSO]

Surveillance footage from the home Evers reportedly burglarized that night shows Evers dressed in all black with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol strapped across his chest and a flashlight in his hand.Evers at first was reluctant to speak to the events of that night. The incident is the basis for the attempted murder charge of which Evers stands accused.

Eventually, he told us, “All I can say, I never shot at anybody. I never attempted to kill anyone basically.”

Pressed further, Evers admitted to discharging the firearm as “just a warning shot. I never aimed my pistol at anybody.” He said deputies “were on my ass,” and as they were getting close he decided to fire one warning shot into the bushes. Evers emphasized that the shot “was not directed towards anyone.”

Knowing he is most likely facing a 25 years to life in prison sentence as a result of these crimes, Evers said, “There is no reason for me to lie. I never aimed my pistol at anybody.”

Evers stridently disputes MCSO’s account that he exchanged gunfire with deputies. “If I was going to shoot my gun and try to kill someone, I would have.”

After discharging his weapon, the deputies stopped their pursuit and fired three shots at Evers who heard the bullets “whizzing by me.” He was relieved when the deputies ceased their pursuit and he once again “beat feet” into the woods.

That night, Evers slunk through the darkened woods, turning on his flashlight as few times as possible, and at one point finding himself at the bottom of a canyon he had to crawl out of in the pitch black on his hands and knees.

In the aftermath of this shooting, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and large swaths of deputies conducted a multi-day search for Evers.

Evers fled to a property he had established as a homebase near Highway 1 across from Devil’s Basin. This home-away-from-home offered Evers close proximity to the ocean, a 3-4 month supply of pasta, rice, and beans and a place to plant marijuana and vegetable seeds.

In the days that followed the shooting, Evers described hunkering down in the home. He made sure to enter undetected by removing boards from the windows and then screwing the boards back on from the inside. This refuge was a couple of miles away from where the shooting occured, Evers thought, and not once did he hear law enforcement nearby the home.

Wasted in a Bathtub, Drinking Champagne, Watching Netflix

William Evers Redbearded Burglar

“Skinny” and “wasted,” the Redbearded Burglar is caught on surveillance tape. [Photo from MCSO]

Surveillance footage from June 13, 2021 shows Evers with his shirt unbuttoned, his face gaunt, his body fat diminishing, and a befuddled look on his face.

Evers told us when that footage was taken, he was “drinking a lot, foraging, and trying to make the food stretch.” He described becoming “really skinny.” One look at his picture and Evers said “if you look at my face, I’m completely wasted.”

The house depicted in those photos is actually the same one depicted in the surveillance footage taken the night deputies and Evers discharged their firearms. That house, Evers explained, became his lap of luxury. He said he spent lots of time there because it offered Netflix, a room with a sauna, a big bathtub, and a full bar. He sometimes found himself streaming television, soaking in the bathtub, and sipping champagne.

The Redbearded Burglar Becomes Br’er Rabbit

On Monday, August 30, 2021, Evers was found by a woman on Middle Ridge Road in Albion pilfering beets and onions from a garden.

Armed with recently foraged oyster mushrooms, Evers sought onions and other veggies to cook up a “good meal” when he stumbled upon that Albion garden.

When he first arrived on the property he described encountering a “huge, golden horse” with a “puzzled expression on his face” gawking at the stranger in its midst.

While digging for onions and beets, Evers heard from behind him a woman’s voice say, “Well, at least it’s not a bear.”

“No bear here,” Evers replied.

Evers apologized for being in the garden and taking vegetables without her permission. He attempted to carry on a conversation but she was clearly upset and eventually told Evers, “It’s time for you to go now.”

Psychedelic Mushrooms+Burglary+Cops=Bad Trip

After being caught with beets and onion in hand, Evers went down the road and found himself at another home that night. After breaking in, he rooted around and found some rum, some food to add to his stew, and then actually located some psychedelic mushrooms.

Evers said he ate the shrooms right up on an empty stomach, and quickly the effects began to take hold. He sat on the couch, tried to work the remote, and found himself too far gone to even operate the remote. Saying “screw this,” Evers got up to make dinner when suddenly he “saw a light come through the front door.”

There were three potential sources of that light, Evers said: the cops, the neighbors, or the homeowners.

High on psilocybin, Evers grabbed his backpack and jacket and was desperate for a solution.

Suddenly, Evers noticed flashlights out back and he realized whoever it was, they did not know he was inside and was actually searching the premises.

Evers went to the front door, opened it, and saw squad vehicles pointing their headlights directly at the front of the home.. After not seeing anyone or hearing someone yelling, he descended the stairs, “beat feet,” and “ran out of there.”

In arguably the most iconic photograph of Evers, police dashcam caught him fleeing the home wearing a cowboy hat in the glare of police headlights resembling an amalgam of the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film of Sasquatch and a leprechaun doing a jig.

Bigfoot, the Redbearded Burglar and a leprechaun .

Sasquatch, the Redbearded Burglar and a leprechaun.

The Jig Was Up

On November 4, 2021, MCSO announced that the legendary Redbearded Burglar had finally been caught. After nearly an entire year on the lam, William Evers finally was subdued by the long arm of the law.

The day before being captured, Evers told us he was riding a stolen bike around the trails near the area known as the Donut Shop. “Like an idiot, I went towards the road,” Evers said. There, he found cops crouched by the bushes along the trail. “I said, ‘Hey! How’s it going?’” The deputies recognized him despite his efforts and immediately began pursuit.

Evers “beat feet” yet again and pedaled as quickly as he could down the logging road. He ditched his bike and made his way back to camp, which was only around five-minutes away from where they had seen him.

Knowing the noose was tightening, Evers decided it was time to pack up and move on. The following morning, he struck east expecting the SWAT team to be combing the woods for any sign of him.

Breaking loose of heavy vegetation, Evers found himself on a logging road and not ten feet from him stood three MCSO deputies and a K9.

Evers “instantly started running” but found the K9 biting his leg and returning for more every time he kicked it.

William Evers, AKA the Redbearded Burglar, grinning from the backseat of an MCSO vehicle with legs and arms restrained. [Photo from the MCSO]

William Evers, AKA the Redbearded Burglar, grinning from the backseat of an MCSO vehicle with legs and arms restrained. [Photo from the MCSO]

A change came over Evers. He had bear mace in his pocket, and was thinking about spraying the K9, but “something told me not to, as bad as I wanted to get away.” In his moment of doubt, three deputies descended, wrestling him to the ground and finally handcuffing him.

And just like that, the Redbearded Burglar’s reign was over.

Evers said MCSO Lieutenant JD Cromer was “really cool” to him after he was caught, helping to deescalate the situation by telling him, “The game’s up, man. People are scared. You can’t be doing this.”

On Becoming Infamous…

Evers thinks it is “pretty cool” that his criminal moniker has become dinner table fodder for Mendocino County residents. He remembered hearing KOZT’s radio personality Joe Regelski starting a news update with “That damn Redbeard strikes again.”

“It cracked me up, I thought it was awesome,” Evers said. “They weren’t just looking at me as a super bad guy, even though I was.”

Looking back at his burglaries, Evers said “I don’t feel good about doing that to people.” He proposed that the government, in fact, “steals stuff from people all the time? Thousands of dollars? Am I a bad guy for stealing a couple hundred bucks from people?” Answering his own question, Evers said, “In a sense, I am.”

Despite the notoriety, Evers said, “It’s not really a name I wanted to make for myself.” Now that he finds himself facing state prison once again, Evers said the fact that people have gotten a “kick out of it” is “actually pretty cool.”

An extra bonus, Evers offered, was the fact his exploits provided good training for law enforcement in which “nobody got hurt” (which is not entirely true. A deputy hurt his ankle responding to Evers at one point.)

William Evers, the Redbearded Burglar in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

A thoughtful moment in the Mendocino County Jail. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Redbeard’s FutureIn the months ahead, Evers says he will go through the court process to “see what evidence is against me.” He said he has got to be “realistic” knowing law enforcement has fingerprints, DNA, and surveillance footage of his exploits. He said emphatically he would go to court on the attempted murder charges to prove he did not do that.

As of last Wednesday, Evers has been to the Mendocino County Superior Court once where he was appointed a public defender. He has not met with the public defender and is eager to figure out all the charges he faces.

Evers hopes to explore some creative endeavors in the future, working on his musical skills, being a lifelong drummer and trying to learn guitar. This reporter suggested a band name: Redbeard and the Burglars. Evers mentioned trying to write a book on his experience in the wild.

When asked what he wanted to tell the public directly, he said it is important to remember that addiction is real. “When something has control of your body, it has control of your mind. You’re hurting your family, your friends, or yourself.”

He remembered the last time he was in jail he dreamed of getting out and “living a normal life.” When he got out, he worked in Arizona with his father installing flooring seemingly doing really well professionally. But, Evers said, “behind the scenes, I was a wreck.”

Another lesson he hoped to impart on the public was our duty to take care of nature. “It’s all we got left,” he said.

Evers asked the public to forgive him and apologized “if I disappointed you.” He said, “I never attempted to kill anyone, It was never my intention to hurt anyone.” He concluded our interview saying simply, “No hard feelings. I hope you can forgive me, and wish me luck.”

To watch the complete hour-and-a-half interview with Evers, check out our video here.

UPDATE: Redbearded Burglar Sentenced to Life in Prison

Earlier:

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BigRick
Guest
BigRick
2 years ago

Whats up with the media glorification of criminals and their activity?

Why the hell does this guy deserve an HOUR AND A HALF LONG interview?!

Screw this criminal!

Juanita
Guest
Juanita
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

Exactly

Thesteve4761
Guest
Thesteve4761
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

Yet here you are giving him exactly the attention you claim isn’t deserved. Hmmm.

Tom O
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

Eye on the TV
‘Cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavour
It happens to be like;
Killed by the husband
Drowned by the ocean
Shot by his own son
She used the poison in his tea
And kissed him goodbye
That’s my kind of story
It’s no fun ’til someone dies
Don’t look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
‘Cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don’t lie
Why can’t we just admit it?
Why can’t we just admit it?
We won’t give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
The writers of stories sold
We won’t give pause until the blood is flowing
I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so
Why can’t we just admit it?
Blood like rain come down
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn’t have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it’s always been.
We all feed on tragedy
It’s like blood to a vampire
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
2 years ago
Reply to  Tom O

So, what’s your “forest” name?

Angela Robinson
Member
Angela Robinson
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

“Outlaws” have always been romanticized and/or reported on in whatever media was available at the time.

In first grade school, in freaking school, we learned to sing The Ballad of Jesse James” in what passed for music class. The flutophone class was a couple of years above us.

“That dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard and laid poor Jesse in his grave” are the only words I remember.

Don’t get me started on pirates.

Last edited 2 years ago
Wurking stiff
Guest
Wurking stiff
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

Ignorance is not bliss, it is just ignorant.
Knowing this guys story is instructive and informative. An opportunity to learn.
This was an excellent story and only a complete moron would be inspired to follow the same path in life. And from what I have seen, complete morons don’t need help making bad choices.

Antiwoke
Guest
Antiwoke
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

I saw a dog take a shit on the sidewalk the other day… Perhaps Kym should do a story on that. Or how about a tour of the local junky camps & interviews of all those wonderful people. Such stewards of the land.

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
2 years ago
Reply to  Antiwoke

This dude and his folksy tweeker-in-the-woods antics entertained and terrified people in this area for damn near a year. Not that surprising that the local news outlets that covered his whole escapade would seek a follow up interview with the character himself

eyeheartD
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  BigRick

Go back to your vanilla existence and let the real MFers do the living out here!

Angela Robinson
Member
Angela Robinson
2 years ago

 He said that when animals are barking or singing, “They’re saying words, they’re communicating. They have lives, too.”

I do like this comment. Sometimes I think that human are incapable of imagining the world without us in it.

That said, well…he’s going to prison. Maybe he can get treatment for his addictions, but he’s going to be in the pokey for quite sometime. He had to know it would end like this.

Last edited 2 years ago
jane doe
Guest
jane doe
2 years ago

Angela, I thought the same thing.

Guess
Guest
Guess
2 years ago

This guy is really lucky not to be dead that doesn’t seem to click with him, shooting to “scare” off the cops? And the image of him repeatedly braking into someone’s home bathing eating drinking and watching Netflix Pisses me off.

grey fox
Member
2 years ago

I see a movie and a book deal in the offering. And whats with the yellow jumpsuit is that some special designation from the traditional orange? Also keeping him shackled up, they still worried about him..

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Bug on a Windshield
Guest
Bug on a Windshield
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Adam Sandburg already has the role in the movie deal. Although, in the “skinny and wasted” pic he looks more like Willem Defoe.

But really, until he gets out, he should get no more attention.

Last edited 2 years ago
Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Doesn’t his story amount to a public confession?

If he wasn’t going to prison before, it seems like he definitely will be now.

The interview really didn’t do him any favors.

Did I see he hasn’t been appointed a public defender yet?

But they are allowing him interviews with reporters?

Something just doesn’t seem right about that.

Who did he work for fighting fires?

New Mexico suggests National Forest. But those guys aren’t referred to as wildland firefighters.

I think they are called forestry technicians or something.

If he was a wildland firefighter, that sounds like a State Job, something like CalFire, but normally they don’t leave the state, I’m pretty sure.

Does New Mexico have the equivalent of CalFire, or was this guy a National Forest, Forestry Technician?

I guess respect and gratitude for risking your neck as a firefighter only goes so far.

If it chews you up and spits you out,
tough shit, your gone.

grey fox
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Yes him confessing to shooting the gun was pretty dumb, if he kept his mouth shut it could have been said anyone could have fired the shot they heard. He was appointed a public defender just hadn’t seen him yet. Public defenders are a joke anyway. This will go to “let’s make a deal”

Last edited 2 years ago
Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

Shouldn’t he have had an attorney present before, and/or for, any questioning?

He must have requested a public defender in order to have one appointed.

It seems like the public defender would have advised against a public interview.

I think some public defenders are pretty darn good.

F. Hue
Guest
F. Hue
2 years ago
Reply to  grey fox

These days a “Public Defenders” job is not to “defend” you in court. They merely “represent” you in court. There is no “defending” going on!

justanotherperson
Guest
justanotherperson
2 years ago

Sounds like the Cammo Cowboys have a new song to write!

Crap
Guest
Crap
2 years ago

Screw this guy. He addiction was his problem….bullshit. i have known several people with addictions that were good people. This guy is a shit bag and blames it on his addiction insted of taking responsability. He is nothing but a criminal and will always will be. Why gice him the attention so he can lie and manipilate people.

Guess
Guest
Guess
2 years ago
Reply to  Crap

Bingo

NoGovernment
Guest
NoGovernment
2 years ago

yep. I finally agree with everything everyone wrote. what a first-class idiot…

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
2 years ago
Reply to  NoGovernment

Yeah, what a lout. Comes from a good, hard-working family and had a good job as a firefighter protecting people and nature and threw it all away. BTW, nobody knew if this creep was homicidal or not which is a form of terrorism. Crazy nut job creeping cabins and property with stolen guns. Now he’ll just claim insanity and expect total forgiveness. Serious jail time is called for. I’ve had enough of people just like this parasite.

sparky
Guest
sparky
2 years ago

…and throw away the key!!!

local observer
Guest
local observer
2 years ago

the lies of a methhead. I found he grew up there and his dad currently lives in Fort Bragg. I mentioned the LE should flip thru the year book for his age in that area and that is how they were able to ID him. a methhead will always fill your ears full of shit.

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
2 years ago
Reply to  local observer

I hope the reporter will follow up and provide a more objective telling of his life. The story he told definitely read like the ramblings of a tweeker at the bus stop

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
2 years ago

“There ain’t no Hershey bars in the middle of the forest.”

No, there aren’t, but you can sometimes steal them from the hardworking folks you burgle.

Stillwantstoknow
Guest
Stillwantstoknow
2 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

If he stole my Hershey bar , forgiveness would be OFF the table for sure!

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago

Despite all opinions being proffered on William Evers, the fact remains that Matt LaFever put together a very interesting article.

Steve Koch
Guest
Steve Koch
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

Yes, a really interesting article which tells the back story about how red beard came to be on the lam. Red beard seems like he has the potential to be a good guy but has ruined himself with his addiction.

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Steve Koch

He’s messed himself up, but not ruined himself, as I see it, Steve. He does have time to get it right. Prison will be tough. He doesn’t fit the mold of the run-of-the-mill institutionalized criminal. You know, the guys who seem to look forward to prison. I hope he doesn’t come out worse.

Entering a world of pain
Guest
Entering a world of pain
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

I think he did ruin himself. He confessed to numerous felonies some if which law enforcement probly weren’t aware of (or had no way to charge him). I’ve seen enough of Lafever to see he idolizes these [edit] and wants to be part of the good ‘ol boys crowd real bad. [edit]

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago

Yeah, I was referencing ruination through addiction. I don’t think he is too late to get right. You make a good point about legal ruination. He probably talked too much. As for LaFever, you sound like you know him better than I do.

Entering a world of pain
Guest
Entering a world of pain
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

Ok for sure he seems like he has enough self awareness to pull out of the addiction tailspin. Prison literally saves alot of people. They run wild, get caught up, clean up. Start over. Seen it with my own eyes. Maybe he’s smarter. 25 to life is a long time to build that 2nd chance

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago

California’s recidivism rate has averaged around 50% over the past ten years. I would have guessed even higher. Might be if everybody who reoffended got caught. How we gonna get a stat for that, right?

Stillwantstoknow
Guest
Stillwantstoknow
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

And he may get to walk if the judge is at all amused by him. You never know….

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago

You never know… words to the wise.

Stillwantstoknow
Guest
Stillwantstoknow
2 years ago

He said forgive me, and he said he was sorry, but I never once heard him say I won’t do it again. I didn’t feel like he was that dangerous during the nine month manhunt but after hearing his interview now I’m not so sure. And he had quite the record to boot.

yeah, I forgive you William! But please just stop! Enufs enuf already.

Alf
Guest
Alf
2 years ago

I didn’t read the article. Why? Because no criminal deserves media attention. Other than media assistance by sharing information about wanted individuals to get community support in their capture, it’s a total waste. Once captured, it should be announced and ended.

Penguinn
Member
Penguinn
2 years ago

Another life wasted because of drugs.
Until we start actually treating drug addiction like the MEDICAL problem that it is, we will continue to suffer the costs of addicts committing crimes, the costs of apprehending them, their trial costs and then, if convicted, the $81,000 per year we have to pay to keep them incarcerated in a California prison. Yeah, you read it right, $81,000 per year.
The United States has more people per capita imprisoned than any other country. This has been the case for years. Perhaps a better approach would be to try and provide addiction treatment and meaningful rehabilitation services instead of just warehousing them and making them incapable of ever re-entering society as contributing, functional souls.
What was the thing about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

I strongly dislike low lifes
Guest
I strongly dislike low lifes
2 years ago
Reply to  Penguinn

Cancer is a medical problem. Drugs are a choice.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago

I strongly dislike drug pushers.

Sometimes it starts out as your parents choice, to let doctors prescribe something like Ritalin to their kids. Or Lithium.
Speed follows in Ritalins footsteps.

Homicidal and suicidal tendencies can follow in Lithium’s, as well as many other Psych meds’ footsteps…

I believe Aaron Bassler was on and off Lithium, if I remember correctly.

He might not have had a choice.

It didn’t go well for Aaron, or anyone else, for that matter, after that…

Here Sometimes
Guest
Here Sometimes
2 years ago

Is chemical dependency tho??

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
2 years ago

Addiction is a mental health disorder

Entering a world of pain
Guest
Entering a world of pain
2 years ago
Reply to  Penguinn

The only problem there is reading the story he made clear calculated decisions to find refuge in a sparsely populated area and was clearly sober likely the majority of the near 1 year spent in the woods. He had lots of time to sober up and turn himself in. So the I’m a poor addict thing doesn’t really pan out

Entering a world of pain
Guest
Entering a world of pain
2 years ago
Reply to  Penguinn

I guess you’re argument could be if his addiction was nipped in the bud the 1st time or two he got in trouble things would have turned out different. But we don’t live in a perfect world. He didn’t have a bad upbringing, seems most of his problems in life were caused by himself & his own decisions. A situation I can empathize with. But I don’t sit around and blame, I’m an adult who makes adult decisions

Maria Olson
Guest
Maria Olson
2 years ago
Reply to  Penguinn

I think you are correct. . I used to believe drug and alcohol addiction was just a bad choice for some but as I’ve gotten older I have come to believe it is much more complicated than that. Luckily, I have never gotten involved with either but I see that some folks have this predilection in their dna and that is very unfortunate and real. Treatment early on would be money better spent than incarceration.
I found this to be a very interesting story. Thanks for sharing it.

Country Joe
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Penguinn

Your suggestions have been tried and failed miserably…A complete waste of money and recourses…

S--t Eating Grin Crazy
Guest
S--t Eating Grin Crazy
2 years ago

This guy qualifies for a F—–g A—–e of the Year Award, not the hagiography presented here. He’s a forty year old derelict, a thief. There’s no political statement expressed, so no Robin Hood or Weather Underground. Just a scumbag hick being glorified. Lock him up. Release him into perpetual monitored welfare. If necessary, repeat onto the Death that happens to us all, even the hick thief hero.

Mergler
Guest
Mergler
2 years ago

Glorifying an addict/thief and making a folklore hero out off a common crim- whatever you wanna say excellent article that answers all the questions us hill folk had.
We all aren’t perfect, neither are you.
I feel for his parents, and the family and friends of all suffering from addiction.
Redbeard is a bonafide folk-hero as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks for the fantastic reporting Matt Lefever!

FogDog
Guest
FogDog
2 years ago
Reply to  Mergler

Well, he didn’t trash your house, take your things or accidentally make a mistake, walk into your occupied home and have to make a quick decision about if he was going to get hurt or going to hurt someone. You’d probably feel a little differently if he had.

thetallone
Guest
thetallone
2 years ago
Reply to  FogDog

Or if he had been forced to shoot your dog. He is a fool to publicly admit all this stuff, but I guess he’s enjoying the notoriety.

Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  thetallone

He is definitely lapping up the notoriety. Look at the posed pics. Is it possible to be considered a folk hero to some, and a no-account bum to others? Other than in politics, I mean!

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

The guy has probably never been very popular.

He probably also suffers from some serious mental illness.

I don’t blame him for enjoying a little popularity for minute.

I think it was a dirty trick interviewing him and asking him incriminating questions as if one was some kind of wannabe prosecutor, just because the guy was in the mood to indulge himself and another with fifteen minutes of fame.

The guy was in deep enough trouble as it was. Now, thanks to an overzealous reporter, posing as a harmless visitor and confidant, a false friend, towards a man that’s basically been isolated, without human contact or communication, for nearly a year. It must have been so easy, like taking candy from a baby. For what? Sensationalistic
prowess?

Now he is sunk even worse, totally torpedoed, by someone totally anxious and willing to do so.

The idea of it seems rather unscrupulous.

Never throw a firefighter under the bus.

Kind of makes me sick.

Last edited 2 years ago
Eyeball Kid
Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Excellent points, Guest. Some might say if William Evers wants to sing like a songbird, let him do it. Just gonna be interesting to watch it unfold.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Yeah, it’s everybody else’s fault that he’s screwed up. I feel so ashamed. Why was he isolated? He chose to be. He chose to be a parasite. He chose to be a criminal. Shame on the rest of us.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago

I don’t condone what he has done.
And I’m not trying to blame anyone else, and especially not everyone else. Blame is lame, how does blame help anyone?

And I’m sure not trying to glorify his violations.

They are quite serious, and concerning. He does seem dangerous.

He has dug a pretty deep hole for himself.

I just don’t understand why anyone that he didn’t wrong, and that isn’t law enforcement, would be so exuberant about digging it any deeper for him.

Society is safer now that he is no longer on the loose.

But we are not out of the woods, yet, only he is.

As far as his troubles go, I am pretty sure he can’t help it, at this point, and maybe he never could.

Something is definitely amiss.

Kym Kemp
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Kindly said.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
2 years ago
Reply to  Mergler

Wonder how you’d feel if you came home to find your house burgled and trashed by an unknown geek? The reporting was great, the perp is an idiot. Be sure to write to him in prison and offer him the folk-hero bedroom at your place when he gets out. What could go wrong? Poor baby. You must be desperate for a male role model.

Mailguy
Guest
Mailguy
2 years ago

Good luck and Jesus will forgive you.

Country Joe
Member
2 years ago

Something seriously twisted is happening in America. The media is transforming criminals into celebrities. The glorification of these criminals helps to foster the idea of instant fame. It tells the world’s lost and lonely souls that if they can create enough violence and chaos, they’ll be rewarded with notoriety. After a few days in the CDCR Reception Center, Evers’ will lose his hapless smile.

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
2 years ago
Reply to  Country Joe

You think this is recent? Did you see the all out media bonanza when “Poppy” Bush died? The scion of a drug smuggling family, himself notorious for cocaine trafficking and gun running, and a war criminal to boot.

Criminality has long been exalted in this country

Country Joe
Member
2 years ago

This isn’t recent just a progression and symptom of Americas race to the moral bottom…

F. Hue
Guest
F. Hue
2 years ago

Wow…what an idiot! They should add stupidity to his charges…He just convicted himself. Why bother wasting money on a trial, just send him straight to prison. Although he’s so narcissistic, he’ll probably have a jolly ole good time there too!

Indie K
Guest
Indie K
2 years ago

I’m sure the prosecution will appreciate this article.

local observer
Guest
local observer
2 years ago
Reply to  Indie K

his defense can say if he lied about “this”, which is provable, therefore how can you prove he didn’t lie about “that”.

Jeffersonian
Guest
2 years ago

This guy is nuts but tough. I am a firm believer that drugs are a catalyst for the onset of mental disability. But it’s no excuse.

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeffersonian

What about the concept that drug use is a response to mental illness?

VMG
Guest
VMG
2 years ago

This guy is not worth even another paragraph.

He is an addict, he has one million excuses, most of them figments of imagination, he was dangerous to private property and to the LEO’s, he possesses no boundaries, and his only limitations were how much booze and drugs he could get his hands on…

Somebody was supplying his needs, and someone knew where he was… And now, we will know his whereabouts for some time to come, though I suspect he will get another slap on the wrist, some drug rehab and counseling, a bed and meals, and a “time-out” to recover his strength.

He is lucky to have survived this long, and we sincerely hope he will be rehabilitated, while privately we are thinking he is beyond caring about anyone but himself.

Good luck in prison, I suspect you wanted to go back all along…

Jim Dogger
Guest
Jim Dogger
2 years ago

William Evers Legal defense fund

https://gofund.me/d852bf9d

Put up or...
Guest
Put up or...
2 years ago
Reply to  Jim Dogger

Ain’t you going to pony up, jim-bo? Waiting for others first mob rule bandwagon cowardice or just a plain old hypocrite? HaHaHa.

Jim Dogger
Guest
Jim Dogger
2 years ago
Reply to  Put up or...

I gotta stop by the bank and put money on my card.

LocalD
Member
Local
2 years ago

Great article. Hope he gets his life on track.

NoComment
Guest
NoComment
2 years ago

Only good news here is that nobody died and he didn’t get killed.

Mergler
Guest
Mergler
2 years ago

America has a strong tradition of celebrating the underdog, and the crim who does something redeeming with his ill-gotten gains, as well as the basic crim (See barefoot burglar) who goes to incredible lengths. The latter category Redbeard qualifies.. Jesse James, Willie Sutton, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Al Capone, Robin Hood for example.
I’m glad I wasn’t a victim, glad he didn’t shoot my doogie, but it’s an American tradition to celebrate things that on their surface are done amazingly well- American Exceptionalism and obsessions with doggedly determined people.
Is it right? I don’t know, but at least half the population finds entertainment in it.
The question is, Can one despise the crime yet celebrate the victory over adversity?
I’d say yes, it’s a largely national trait. Almost a universal human trait.
As long as it’s only a crime against property.

stephanie a roberts
Guest
stephanie a roberts
2 years ago

So basically he is a dumbass, raised in a middle class family and laughing his way through. Fuk him and his chump ass reasons for terrorizing a whole ass community. Everyone is so quick to condemn those who had a hard life but this chump ran amuck in the wilds and will probably be let out in a year. Send him home to his grandmother, let his parents pay for the therapy of those that had to deal with his bullshit. Whatever Humboldt…