Ukiah Man Refuses to Attend Arraignment to be Charged for Murder of One-Year-Old Infant
Edward “Two Feathers” Steele
Edward “Two Feathers” Steele, the man suspected of abandoning a toddler and an infant along a Ukiah railroad track leading to the death of a one-year-old, has been formally charged with felony murder in the second degree.
Yesterday, Steele was ordered to stand in front of Mendocino County Superior Court Judge John Behnke who was going to present the charges against him, but Steele refused to comply. He declined to enter the video conference room at the Mendocino County jail used so inmates could remotely attend hearings.
A complaint filed by the Mendocino County District Attorney charges Steel with three criminal counts including felony murder in the second degree. He allegedly “willfully and unlawfully with malice aforethought” killed a one-year-old child, referred to as K.A.
![icture of the child who died adorns a handcrafted cross at the location where one child was found ill and another deceased nearby. [Photo by Matt LaFever]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/293641461_2436961013119143_8236586160256282518_n.jpg)
Picture of the child who died adorns a handcrafted cross at the location where one child was found ill and another deceased nearby. [Photo by Matt LaFever]
For both counts of felony child endangerment, Steele also faces special allegations of personally inflicting great bodily injury on a child under five years old which acts as an enhancement that could add 4-6 years to a felony case.
Steele stands accused of abandoning two children on the Ukiah railroad tracks near Brush Street on August 3, 2022. A one-year-old died and his two-year-old brother required hospitalization due to heat-related issues.
![Closeup of the child's photo atop the cross. [Photo by Matt LaFever]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Close-up.jpg)
Closeup of the child’s photo atop the cross. [Photo by Matt LaFever]
In California, second-degree murder stands apart from first-degree primarily due to the concept of premeditation. Even if someone intended to kill another during the heat of a moment, that does not mean the crime was planned in advance. Another circumstance that can fall under this auspice is a suspect who demonstrates an extreme indifference to human life.
Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster filed what is known as a peremptory challenge against Judge Carly Dolan, the judge initially assigned to Steele’s case. He asserts in a document filed with the court that Judge Dolan, “is prejudice against plaintiffs or their attorney or the interests of Plaintiffs or the attorneys so that Plaintiffs cannot or believe they cannot have a fair and impartial trial before such a judge.
It looks as if the court will reattempt Steele’s arraignment tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Failing to appear at an arraignment could result in a separate felony charge.
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He refused to attend his hearing? What a coward. They need to put a trail of meth on the floor from his jail cell to the courtroom. He will lick it up like a dog all the way into the courtroom.
The man made an incredible mistake and will pay for it for the rest of his life. Hatred will not change the tragedy into anything useful. Peace to you, the families and the community. Mendocino, our hearts weep for you.
Oh, thank you for your advice. I will send my love to him in jail. Peace to you too.
No advice, only good wishes meant. As noted, he will pay for the rest of his life. So will the community. Peace is sure hard to find these days.
Maybe becus meth and fentanyl is so easy to find ?
This.
Personally, I think it tends to run the other way. Trauma and desperation inspire destructive life choices
Incredible mistake? This sociopath and violent criminal is a candidate for lethal injection and is welcome to also snub his trial for murder.
Either that or the child’s mother will bump her head hard on the bars of his jail cell, first.
Was she present in court?
It was her child. Why did she leave the responsibility of her children with the man?
Because she had courage?
She probably left those children right where they were eventually found.
And SHE never told anyone THAT is what SHE had done.
She told it, Not to the cops that arrested her, and not to the jailers where she was incarcerated.
Everything else she said, was probably a lie.
No motel, no COVID, and no babysitter.
That, my friends, is actually the most likely scenario.
And she is blaming him.
There may have been a motel voucher involved, but if there was a motel room being provided, it was probably being “sublet”, for “a valuable consideration”…
(Drugs), while she and the children, were without shelter, along the tracks…
That’s how the seedy underworld operates.
It’s all government funded.
It happened not long after “the first”.
What if she was defending herself when she was arrested? What if she chose to go to jail rather than tell the truth and put her partner in a jail for much longer (since he just got out of prison)? A lot of the time, victims are afraid it will get worse if they speak up.
Arrested doesn’t mean guilty we tend to forget this.
What if this guy abandoned their children to punish her for sticking up for herself?
I can’t imagine the pain that that mother is in. Regardless we don’t know. I wouldn’t make assumptions.
We know that this man was willing to abandon his children.
Right now, the death of Gaby Petito is playing out nationally. She was accused of the same thing, hitting her partner, but wasn’t arrested ( most likely white privilege), and now she is dead at the hands of the man who accused her of DV. And by God the outpouring of compassion and outrage for her is unimaginable. Her parents are suing the police for an ungodly amount of $ for not handling the situation appropriately. What is different here?
Her parents are suing? Not her?
“We know that this man was willing to abandon his children”
I don’t know those are his children, where is that proven?
Those babies were in someone’s custody, until they weren’t with anyone. The last person with them needs to be determined. So far it hasn’t been. It’s only been assumed.
I think it was stated in a previous article that these were his children. I also believe I read there were multiple witnesses he was with the children during the time question. This whole thing is a fucking tragedy. I’ve been having nightmares about it. How can we stop this from ever happening again? We need to support parents better. Get people daycare free from day one if that is what it takes. Stop letting people charge explosive rents so regular people can afford a home. It’s time for rent caps. Support mothers, so they don’t continue these cycles of trauma out of desperation. People who have stability and aren’t in despair dont do these kinds of things ….In the Gaby Petito case, the parents are suing because she is dead at the hands of the person who accused her of Domestic Violence.
I think someone stated that she has only been with him a few months. If they were his kids, maybe the circumstances would have been different.
I read that also, and wouldn’t that mean she met him or decided he was her boyfriend while he was in prison?
Hot Coffee, I saw on a different site that she got out of prison not to long ago and then had these two additional kids back to back.
I didn’t see that maybe you’re correct. Why wouldn’t be just go to try fire station or a store anywhere?
And provide safe access abortion.
I misunderstood, I thought you were saying the grandparents of these two children were suing.
It is a tragedy. I’ve known a few moms on welfare that have had trauma in their lives that are good people.
They would band together and support each other, sharing housing, babysitting, cooking etc. The smoked a little pot, but no hard drugs.
I think the hard drugs and lack of friends is a defining factor in most of these cases.
Gaby’s case was different, as his parents enabled him and hid info. from her parents, they knew he was violent with her.
They should have called her parents to come pick her up before they ever left on a trip.
He walked away, like he was supposed to.
He had reportedly been out of jail for one day.
She pursued him.
What if the infant at that point was already not ok, and possibly already dead?
What if the infant OD’ed because it was still being breastfed, and the mother used, and then breastfed the infant?
What if she just struck him after the cops arrived to their domestic disturbance, that she initiated, because she knew that way she would be arrested, and be given the rock solid alibi she knew that she needed. And then gave Steele the responsibility for the kids, (the purse), so that he would take the fall, not her?
Like he has that choice privilege or RIGHT? HE TOOK AWAY HIS OWN PRIVILEGES AND RIGHTS ACTING A FOOL. He knew better but too damn high and angry to care. He made the choice to do whatever he did and him alone. Throw his ass in shackles and restraints and drag him in there. Those boys tragically had no choice. 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
Was there even one confirmed or sworn statement, that proves that Edward Steele ever picked the children up?
Maybe they were not at the motel, ever?
He may have known that.
Maybe the mother just left them along the tracks in her pursuit of Edward Steele?
Maybe the mother made that phone call at 4:50 AM , falsely claiming that they were seen with someone fitting Steele’s discretion, even though it was dark, because she knew that she had left them along the tracks, and that they might be in bad shape after she left them there, and she knew she was in deep shit.
Did she get released at 4:49 AM, as has been claimed, or was she realized at 5:00 AM, as has been reported?
And from just where, exactly, was that phone call made ?
Without a sworn statement from an eye witness, and preferably two, that puts those children in actual possession of Edward Steele, I don’t think that there is probable cause to arrest or charge Edward Steele with anything.
And a woman judge?
With all due respect, I think that could lead to some motherly type bias.
Perfectly understandable, but, possibly a little clouded.
Ideally, before he is arraigned, a determination needs to be made as to the relevance of the actions of the MCSO, and how that relates to who should be held responsible for this tragedy, and to what degree.
I’m not convinced that after the mother was taken into custody, that Edward Steele, ever laid eyes on those children.
If he went to the motel, and the children were not there, would they still be his responsibility?
If he went there, why would the supposed babysitter release them to him?
If he went to the motel, with the purse even, would the motel, or the babysitter slow him access to the room, or the children?
The mother may have left those children by the tracks.
Edward Steele may never have even seen them, after the mother’s arrest, and figured that if they were at the motel, with a babysitter, as the mother had claimed, that they would have been fine.
Be realistic folks, why has there been no babysitter witness telling the story of how Two Feathers came and got the children from them at the motel?
If the mother had just negligently left them haphazardly along the way,along the tracks, in her pursuit of Edward Steele, then how on Earth would Two Feathers have had any idea where to find them?
It’s not hard to determine why the mother might have lied to the police about where her children were and who they were with, if she had just dropped them randomly along her chase, or all three of them were without shelter.
She knew that they would have been taken from her, had she told the truth.
As far as the MCSO, and the Judicial system’s inappropriate haste to pin this tragedy solely on the shoulders of Edward Steele, in order to absolve itself of the large portion of the responsibility for this tragedy that it clearly bears, it’s just an obvious case of CYO.
(Cover Your Ass)
Arresting Edward Steele, based on an anonymous phone call, that could have been conceivably made by the truly responsible party, (the mother), alleging a subject supposedly fitting Edward Steel’s description was carrying two small children, and the previous interaction with law enforcement where no children were present, is flimsy at best.
If there is evidence, or sworn statements, that justify Edward Steele being arrested and charged for murder, etc., it has not been shown to the public.
I certainly have not seen enough.
Edward Steele may have gotten quickly framed and railroaded, to get the mother, and the MCSO, off the hook for the real responsibility for this preventable tragedy.
Is Two Feathers just the “Fall Guy”?
That possibility doesn’t seem to be causing any public outcry.
The clear presumption, is one of guilt.
He may not be innocent in this case, but it remains a possibility, however remote.
And I quote…
“And a woman judge?
With all due respect, I think that could lead to some motherly type bias.
Perfectly understandable, but, possibly a little clouded.”
Really? So all female judges should be recused from hearing such cases?
No female reporters should report on these cases?
Female prosecutors?
Umm there is a word for that kind of thinking..
We will see. If he’s out in the near future, we will know that ur full of it. Time will tell.
I am sure you meant that for Guest, but I agree with you.
Time will tell..
You are sure? 🤷♂️🤦♂️
How do you possibly figure that comment is for me, grey fox?
“If he’s out in the near future, we will know ur full of shit.”
That reply is very obviously NOT for me…
Consider this…
If he’s out in the near future, we will know that I am not full of shit…
S-I-M-P-L-E.. Understand?
That obviously means that reply, was in fact, actually addressed to you, and not me as you have “deduced”, in error.
( See where it says, “reply to grey fox”?)
That should steer you in the right direction…
What’s simple is your reading comprehension and apparent Misogynistic attitude…
Other possibilities are why trials exist. And why it’s irrational to attempt to try people (or institutions) in the press.
Only in California lol, drag his sorry ass out the cell and strap him to a chair in font of the judge. That’s what the other 49 states would have done. Since when do you get a choice wether or not to face the consequences?
AGREED!!
So, as long as you refuse to address the court, you don’t have to go to trial??
Imagine…
He knows that his first day in the prison shower someone will shank him with a piece of glass.
He needs to shower first, his pictures look like he stinks/reeks/sweats. We can smell him from living 198 miles away. Then shank.
That’s not very nice.
What then? Case closed?
Perfect for the cops.
What if he’s innocent?
What if he never laid eyes on them after her arrest, because they were not where she said she had left them, and he figured they must still be with the babysitter, and so he left. No reason to keep looking for them…
What if she just left them along the tracks, and didn’t say shit about that, and that’s why what happened, happened?
Then it’s all on her, isn’t it?
Regardless of what else happened.
Who did she call?
Is that who was seen with them?
Maybe that was not Two Feathers at all.
Why would that happen?
Where is the mom and all this what’s her background like was this is a babysitting job and he failed was he high on meth or fentanyl or anything at all and why was the judge not wanting to deal with this case
Eyester filed a challenge to the judge, saying they were so prejudiced against the plaintiff, or counsel(Mendocino, and Eyester)as to influence the case. Interesting. So the judge doesn’t like Eyester that much? I wonder why. Eyester thinks the judge dislikes him so much as to throw this case!? She probably likes him even less now. Way to get out on the good foot buddy!
Do you have a link to that info. on Eyester?
It’s stated in the article.,
My bad.
I forgot that part.
It boils down to either the MCSO is at fault…
Or, Edward Steele is at fault, the person that the MCSO foolishly, and irresponsibly, entrusted the children’s welfare to, the children just invisibly handed off, sight unseen, with no assurance they were alive or dead, by the MCSO, by way of nothing more that a symbolic purse, to inadequately represent them, even though there is no solid proof they the public has seen, that Edward Steele, ever laid eyes on them, or “picked them up” or that he was even properly informed of the children’s actual location, and that had only very recently been released from jail, a convicted felon, with a history of drug use.
Regardless of how likely Steele is innocent or guilty, there is absolutely no way that the judge will hold the MCSO responsible, and that is her only other choice in the matter.
The prejudice is clear.
The judge has no other choice, other than to simply dismiss the charge.
If they had no solid evidence, they should not have arrested him.
But the MCSO knew that they had to save face, after screwing up so badly, so they hastily arrested him, because if Steele didn’t screw up, then who did?
It would only logically leave the responsibility on the MCSO, to take the heat, and the fall, and they would rather arrest a man with no proof, that to admit responsibility for the horrifying death of an infant, and the unspeakable negligence that also hospitalized his older sibling, a two year old toddler, that couldn’t possibly take the heat.
It’s pretty clear to me that the MCSO, and CPS, need to do an extremely thorough after action review in this case, and some significant adjustments need to be made, immediately, if not sooner.
And if Edward Steele is innocent, and was only arrested because the MCSO screwed up, and they have no solid proof, he needs to be released immediately.
If he was arrested for murder, based on the call of the concerned citizen only, if unconfirmed and unsubstantiated, combined with being handed a purse only, I feel that is insufficient evidence, to have made that arrest.
My opinion is subject to change, based on addition evidence being presented.
I just haven’t seen it yet.
Only reading the first sentence, it is clear that idea is wrong. MCSO and Mr. Steele and the mother and whoever else is involved could all be guilty of something to various levels. Or all innocent of most everything. Or any mixture in between. It’s not a one or the other situation and never was. It would be sensible to have acknowledged that information is not complete at the start of an arrest most of the times white action is needed lest more damage occur.
And it’s too late to announce your “opinion is subject to change” and expect that to be credence. You attacked (and still attack) the MCSO, the mother, the witnesses, the judge who has done nothing yet and anyone who objected to your statements with such truculence that moderating your words now is as damaging to your credibility as continuing. Making up a bunch of stories you imagine are possible without any facts to support them doesn’t change that even if some of them true out to be true in the end. It would just be a coincidence based on the number of them thrown out and not due to superior understanding.
It had to do with “firt dart”‘s comment, I should have made that clear.
Eyester etc., and the judge being prejudicial, in his opinion…
It appears Eyester is representing Edward Steele, in some manner…
He is the only one who has been charged…
In a case of Edward Steele, vs MCSO handling of the welfare of those kids, do you really think that Edward Steele would stand a chance of a fair decision.
I should have clarified that my reply was in reference to firt dart’s Eyester comment.
See if it makes a difference considering that.
The only two possibilities, are that she finds Edward Steele responsible, or that he was not, which would only leave MCSO, as even possibly responsible in his stead, and MCSO has charged him with murder, do you really think that a Mendocino judge will find fault with that?
And I hardly attacked the judge, I said that she possibly could be especially sensitive, to the death of the infant, being a woman.
“…Possibly lead to some motherly type bias”.
You call that an attack?
No wonder you think he’s guilty of murder, with no evidence…
LOL .. Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster
. Do you know what the District Attorneys job is?
Not hardly representing Steele..
Reading comprehension is important. Do you really understand what is going on?
Yeah, I guess it just didn’t make much sense that Eyester would be whining that the Judge would be prejudice against “the plaintiff”,
“is prejudice against plaintiffs or their attorney or the interests of Plaintiffs or the attorneys so that Plaintiffs cannot or believe they cannot have a fair and impartial trial before such a judge.”
Who would “they” be?
“The People”? All of them? Really?
Eyester is claiming that the Judge is prejudice against “The People”?
I was pretty convinced that Edward Steele was not represented by anyone at this point, but it seems pretty ridiculous that Eyester would be claiming prejudice unless he was representing Steele…
Eyester, or” The People”, (in this case, the MCSO), must have really screwed up so badly as to appear to be the actual guilty party in these proceedings, in the eyes of the Judge, (I would agree).
In effect, in this case, “The People” would be the plaintiff, and the MCSO belongs in the defendants chair, either instead of Edward Steele, or at the minimum, right next to, and beside him, as his accomplice, just as they stood the night the MCSO took the mother and left the children behind.
The DA is completely misrepresenting The People, if they are not prosecuting the MCSO as the defendant, right along side Edward Steele, or in his stead.
MCSO and Edward Steele, are clearly co-conspirators in the demise of the infant, and the suffering and hospitalization of the toddler.
The mother can sit with them both, as well, as far as I am concerned.
The People will not be well represented, or defended, until such is the case, and such is the nature of the proceedings.
Eyester is doing such a disservice to the people, he is in effect, in all manner and proceedings, defending Edward Steele.
The Judge clearly sees that a DA cannot reasonably or justifiably prosecute a man for a crime that those who he represents, are very clearly guilty of.
It must be that motherly type bias kicking in, and kicking ass.
Eyesters ass. Dust cloud.
MCSO screwed up, and the Judge seems pissed off about it…
Good for her, she ought to be.
And I concur.
They need to be charged for criminally negligence resulting in the death of the infant and resulting in the hospitalization of the toddler.
How’s that for misogyny?
Definitely backpedaling and his comment about the judge was definitely Misogynistic..
The hearing, where Steele was expected to enter a plea, was rescheduled to Wednesday.
Steele is being held without bail, according to jail records. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/charges-filed-in-ukiah-toddler-death-defendant-refuses-to-cooperate-during/?trk_msg=LU86BHT86G0KP0PK94JJ28LGN0&trk_contact=9BJIFDA52N6DI17FT70JT5ABG8&trk_module=new&trk_sid=BR0QVTJGL1KSS2PI2T8ADT44NC&trk_link=UBVA0BJBBQNK5FE1O19VLR09FS&g2i_eui=hWtcry%2B1OC7XmN4b3Uoq3Q%3D%3D&g2i_source=newsletter
Question, don’t you usually enter a plea after consultation with your attorney?
If the judge decides that there is enough evidence, the prosecutor will file a document called “the Information.” Then, the defendant will be arraigned, a second time, on the Information. At that time, the defendant will enter a plea and proceed to trial.
Yet, the press democrat says he was expected to enter a plea with no known attorney.
I’m not discussing guilt or innocence, but whether the press is putting out misinformation or if court procedure is being followed.
First arraignment they read the charges.
They will ask him if he needs an attorney if he has no funds to hire one. That’s the Public Defender…Or some times they assign whats called
‘conflict council’
‘Most people plead “not guilty” at first arraignment of course.
The more I dig into this..It seems you have the right to have an attorney present and the judge can postpone the arraignment. But you have to be arraigned within 48 hours in Calif. So not really sure whats going on here.
You are supposed to be arrained within 48 hours but it doesn’t always happen.. I spent 4 days in LA County Jail and bailed out before I even got a chance to go to court. I didn’t fight it though because they lost the evidence and I never had to go before a judge at all.
why no charges to the mother who put this Pos in charge of her kids? she’s the one that put the kids in harms way??
In due time.
I’m wondering exactly what evidence they have used to charge Edward Steele.
He is not the only one that made a mistake, including law enforcement, but he is the only one that will be facing the consequences by being incarcerated.
Law enforcement separated the children from the mother, and then transfered the responsibility of care for an infant and a toddler, to a convicted felon with a history of drug addiction, that had only been released from prison for an extremely short period time.
From what I can tell, less than one day, maybe two.
An analogy would be Edward Steele received stolen property, but he was not the thief.
The care and welfare of the infant and toddler became the responsibility law enforcement as soon as they took custody of the mother.
It’s the only reasonable conclusion.
If that is not the way the law is written, then it needs to be rewritten.
If the mother would have had guns, instead of a one and two year old, accessable by way of her purse, or whatever was in it, and law enforcement was aware of that possibility, it would be the same thing.
If Edward Steele was prohibited from possession of guns, (which he was, as a convicted felon), because he might do others harm, and he was not the father or legal guardian of the children, why would law enforcement be so foolhsrdy, as to put vulnerable children into his care?
Was it a setup?
Did law enforcement fail to do their due diligence, and simply, lazily and irresponsibly, grant custody of children in an unknown condition, to the most convenient bystander, regardless of the obvious cluelessness, ridiculousness, and inappropriateness of that obviously errant and unacceptable decision, which resulted in the death of the infant, and the hospitalization of the toddler.
Obviously law enforcement will not take responsibility for this total mishandling of their duties, due to this obvious mistake.
They must not be allowed to shift the responsibility and blame, onto a man that they should never have been put in the position of responsibility for those so vulnerable.
That was inexcusable, and if that was protocol, it must immediately change.
Unfortunately, if law enforcement does not admit that, protocol or not, it was a disastrous oversight worthy of acknowledgement, and of an immediate adjustment to that failed, fatal, and obviously inappropriate, unacceptable, and errant policy,
this could happen again.
If law enforcement does do the right thing, and admits that they made an error in judgement, by following an inappropriate policy, or by setting an inappropriate policy in the first place that should not have been followed, then they become responsible for this outcome, to whatever degree.
I believe a statement from the MCSO, regarding whether or not established official policy was followed, and if it was, after this horrible outcome, will that established official policy be changed, to prevent such a deadly outcome to ever reoccur.
They can either admit their mistake, or they can scapegoat Edward Steele, pinning it entirely on him, and effectively turning him into their “whipping boy”.
What do you think that the MCSO will do…
It’s exactly what the MCSO has already done.
The MCSO must shoulder the brunt of this responsibility, or this is a gross miscarriage of justice.
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time justice was mishandled.
😴
Did you see his comment about female judges? Unbelievable..
I don’t think Guest should be commenting on this story…..
Guest is a male and obviously biased against the mother.
🤦♂️
It must really bother him that women are even allowed to vote
Makes perfect sense.
The mother, for whatever reason, is not the one that is even on trial, nor has she been charged.
There are only 4 most likely possible culprits, or responsible parties.
Let’s narrow them down.
1) The mysterious, unidentified, possibly, if not probably, non-existent, “babysitter.
2) The mother.
3) The MCSO
4) Edward Steele
That the babysitter’s existence, identity, or testimony, has not been confirmed or even mentioned, I believe rules out possibility #1.
The mother, virtually assuredly the culprit, has been provided with a nearly ironclad alibi, courtesy of the MCSO.
There is the nagging fact that she did not even report them missing until 1:22 PM, after having been released from jail at 4:49AM, or 5:00AM, as the case may be…
Call it nearly 8 1/2 hours, before she reported them missing. Why so long?
Is that normal?
That is very suspicious in itself.
If they weren’t found at the motel, shouldn’t she have immediately called for help finding them?
Maybe she had found them right away, right where she had left them, where noone else knew that they were, and they weren’t ok. (Along the tracks. Not at the motel)
That would explain why she didn’t report them missing right away.
Why would they have kept her child, if she had done nothing wrong?
Nevertheless, she goes Scot free, and remains uncharged…
That leaves only the MCSO and Edward Steele, to take the fall…
And coincidentally, MCSO, is the one who gets to make that choice…
The decision becomes unsurprising, when broken down…
But, if Edward Steele was improperly informed on their whereabouts, checked the motel, and of course, they weren’t there, and never were, and neither was “the babysitter”, and/or Steele never laid eyes on them, let alone “hands”, because he never found them, and assumed they were with the babysitter, then he wouldn’t be very guilty, if at all.
MCSO starts to look a lot more culpable at this point, if the mother is to be held innocent, thanks to their obvious blunder.
But the MCSO would rather pin it on Steele, than to admit that they screwed up.
The emergence of further solid evidence, may indeed implicate Steele, but I believe what has been released to the public so far, is insufficient to charge him, let alone to convict him, with murder.
I took it as wondering out loud about why Eyster might have challenged the judge who’s hearing the case.. except as a prosecutor he should want a “sympathetic-to-moms” judge…for some reason Eyester thinks she’d be biased against plaintiff, the prosecution.
Even if the MCSO allegedly failed in it’s duty under the law, it does not excuse Steele from his own alleged failure. It’s like saying it’s not the robber’s fault he committed a crime because the police didn’t arrest him in an earlier traffic stop. No it doesn’t work that way. If there was an error in following protocol, it still does not make the custodian of the children, whoever they are, innocent and certainly is not a crime of the same magnitude. It’s a seperate issue that doesn’t mean a get-out-of-jail card for anyone. Now if it was said that police actions should be examined, that is fair. But not that “The MCSO must shoulder the brunt of this responsibility, or this is a gross miscarriage of justice.” No where near.
My understanding is He walked away from her and she chased him down, leaving her children, where? With whom?
In the only pics I saw of him, He was alone.
She claims at a motel with a sitter, but no supporting evidence, so far.
Seems what MCSO did or didn’t do would be a civil suit filed on behalf of the surviving child, and everyone is going to want to get their hands on that money if awarded.
But where is the proof of his alleged failure?
Where is the proof that he ever located them, that they were even at the motel, or that he ever had taken custody of them.
An unsubstantiated call from a concerned citizen?
If his only failure was in his attempt to locate them, because they were not where the mother said she had left them, and he assumed they were still with the babysitter, somewhere unbeknownst to anyone else, then is he guilty of murdering them?
I don’t think so.
Then whose fault would it be?
If the children were with a trustworthy babysitter, safely at a motel, then why would the mother, or the police, need Edward Steele to do anything at all?
Clearly she was lying.
And what failure is that even?
Failure to locate them?
Failure to search for them?
Assuming that they went somewhere with the babysitter when he got to the motel room and they weren’t there?
How long would he have had to continue to search for them, and where, to satisfy his duty?
The MCSO took the mother into custody.
If she lied to them, and had act left the children in an undisclosed random, haphazard location, at the mercy of the elements, known only to her, where they were eventually found, in a bad way, as I suspect, how could Edward Steele be considered even as responsible for the outcome as the MCSO?
Because they gave him her purse?
Who is to say the children were even alive and well at the time of her arrest?
MCSO should have assured that, and an assumption that they were safe and sound, at that time, can in no way be made.
It’s quite possible that the infant was already dead or dying, at the time of the mother’s arrest.
That is what places the lion’s share of the burden of this unfortunate outcome, squarely upon the shoulders of the MCSO, policy, or no policy.
Bottom line.
If Edward Steele laid neither eyes nor hands on these children, and simply left the area, he is the least culpable.
The mother’s hands were tied.
As far as the whereabouts and caretaker of her children, she may have lied.
The MCSO took custody of the mother, and took her to jail.
In doing so, they took responsibility for her responsibilities. They obviously knew she had small children. The children’s only hope at that point, fell upon the MCSO, not upon Edward Steele.
It makes no difference that they handed an unrelated convicted felon the mother’s purse, expect him to take care of an infant and a toddler, whose locations and well being were unconfirmed and/or unknown by anyone other than the probably drug addled mother, the day after Edward Steele being released from incarceration.
If the MCSO does not take immediate steps to keep from making that very costly mistake again, regardless if Edward Steele is found guilty, that would be absolutely ludicrous.
If more solid evidence emerges, or has not been disclosed, that would make a difference, but doesn’t change the fact that even considering Edward Steele as a viable choice in the matter, babysitter wise, at the time of the mother’s arrest.
Checking and confirming the welfare of the children, should have been a top priority for MCSO, before making any decision at all concerning them, or taking the mother to jail.
If they didn’t do that, and they clearly didn’t, they completely blew it.
And then there is still CPS that didn’t answer the phone, while the MCSO is most likely told to call a social worker in child welfare cases.
Ukiah is a giant metropolis. How do you expect the UPD to be able to travel with an occupant in the back seat all the way to a hotel to check on a couple wastoid toddlers. They probably wouldn’t even answer the door. Think about the logistics. After the huge ordeal they’d have to drive over 5 blocks to finally get her to booking. For a compensated public servant, this kinda scenario can be overwhelming.
I am detecting sarcasm, or facetiousness…
It was my understanding that this was handled by the MCSO…
I guess I need to double check that…
“All the way to a motel” that was 1/2 mile away,?(supposedly).
I suspect they were closer, and not at any motel, or anything…
But, I think I catch your drift.
It was the COVID-19 story that scared off the MCSO.
I’d say that would have been pretty clever of the mom, had it not ended in the horrifying result. It did work to keep the MCSO from checking on the children’s welfare, considering the infant may have already been dead.
She may have regularly utilized the ploy.
Child protective services should of been contacted to ascertain the true whereabouts & safety of those children. The situation obviously was not one in which the children’s well-being was a number 1 priority!
OMG ANYONE have entirely way too much time on your hands???With that kind of runaway train thinking you definitely would be no fun in bed LOL LOL LOL.
Actually no fun any where..
Male Karen – Urban Dictionary
A middle aged man that complains about everything and is self entitled unrealistically.
Exactly Nooo, you simplified it and put it in a nut shell.
Ven diagram time!
All of us are in a big circle representing people who didn’t help the kids. The question becomes who is in the tiny circle, almost entirely within the giant one, who knew where the kids were and did nothing. Who knew that there were kids involved? Who knew they didn’t know where they were? When?
Child protective services should of been contacted to ascertain the true whereabouts & safety of those children. The situation obviously was not one in which the children’s well-being was a number 1 priority!
You would think that law enforcement would be more careful about separating children from their mothers. If you look at the southern boarder though we can obviously see the willingness and even zeal law enforcement agencies inflict pain and trauma on brown children. Let’s not pretend that we don’t have a serious problem with the way both local government and law enforcement deal with our ingenious community. Connie Beck and the sheriff’s office had to be sued ( Humboldt county) by the state to check on reports of abuse of indigenous children. Gross mismanagement
You complain if children are taken from negligent mothers and complain if they are not taken from negligent mothers, how convenient.
At some point, you can’t expect the taxpaying citizens of the US to raise the entire worlds impoverished children in an upper middle class lifestyle, and call them racist for trying.
Biden just gave the IRS 30 million rounds of ammunition and 87K agents, and zero for the people or the States coping with the over run border which is mostly controlled by the cartels.
At some point we can’t keep supporting a capitalist society where predatory systems use brown people as expendable cheap labor in our fields and factories. Brown bodies to keep the prison industrial complex well funded and bodies doing prison labor for pennies fighting our wildfires and mowing our highways. At some point people need to expect more from our tax dollars. I could give a duck about foreign wars and the military I would rather my tax dollars go to raising children any day even if they aren’t from the USA. And if you want our boarders to stop being over run stop letting our government put people in power in South America that let corporations like Coca-Cola, Exxon, and GM to go into these counties for cheap labor and extract resources and ruining their economies. Stop letting Agribuisness monopolize entire countries killing their small farm based economies.
And America stop doing cocaine please.
I agree with all your points and still stand by mine.
Still, exporting all their working age men here to be “slaves” isn’t helping their country or ours.
Certainly their conditions here are reported back to their family and friends back home, and they still come, why? To complain about the poor treatment they are getting and try to change life here instead of there.
As the cartels get stronger and richer every day, they just buy off more corrupt officials back in their homeland, where does it end? Do you not think they are slaves to the Cartels when they get here, paying them back for entry?
Do you not think the trip for women and children is even worse?
It’s Kamala that went and gave $$$$ to the corrupt Southern Dictators, last I heard.
I doubt a penny went to the people.
Yeah im not too stoked with this administration either but at least we don’t have nazi marches with tiki torches…so there is that
A lot of these people should be considered asylum seekers from Human Rights abuses. The violence both from government and cartels down there out weights the risk of the journey. Why the hell do you think a high portion of the people are unaccompanied children? 1 in 3 detained migrants are children. Did you know that Russian troops are in Nicaragua currently and any political dissent is a death sentence? That governments in south americaa have massacred people and many places forcefully remove indigenous people from their lands for timber, oil, and beef production? Being a journalist and even speaking about these things can get you exiled or executed. Similarly to people fleeing Ukraine and the violence within their country they should be processed and welcomed in. Especially since a good portion of the unrest is well due to our countries meddling in foreign affairs…
Yes, I agree, and the scenario seems all too similar.
Um are you his bff? Attorney? Seem pretty inflammatory. Chillax. Writing something so big and forceful to prove your point is concerning. Not to mention that the bigger the story the bigger the LIE comes to mind. Excuses are like…
It’s easier if you read the first sentence of his story and the last sentence, that’s what I do.
Nope not his bff.
Nope, not his attorney.
I don’t know the guy, never even heard of him before this incident.
Why do you find the volume of content concerning.
It’s the new format…
What lies of mine do you see?
I do not try and portray my speculation as facts.
It’s that no facts, as I have seen them, so far, justify a charge of murder, for Edward Steele.
And commenters are calling for him to be “shanked”, and “shanked with broken glass”, before he is even arraigned.
That shows pretty clear prejudice.
I strongly object.
I’d have to be shown more real evidence, before I would agree with him even being charged, let alone convicted and punished capitally.
I will reserve judgement until such time as the evidence merits it.
So far it doesn’t, in regards to what little if any has been disclosed to the public.
Some people are good at making excuses…
California Penal Code 11166: Google it folks, pretty common and very routine State law applies upon arrest of the mother. While you at it, try spellchecking negligent homicide…now Google that too 😊
That was helpful…..:)
Here is a link to a pertinent article the press democrat…
The difference is that it reports that Edward Steele retrieved the kids and then left them one mile south of where the mother was arrested…
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/suspect-in-toddlers-death-watched-child-after-mom-arrested-investigators/
‘Suspect in Mendocino County toddler’s death watched child after mom’s arrest, investigators say’
Why has none else reported this?
“Investigators say Steele retrieved the children and on Wednesday morning left them by railroad tracks near the 300 block of Brush Street, about a mile south of where the mother was arrested.
The mother contacted investigators around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday regarding her missing children. She advised officials the children were with Steele.”
She hadn’t seen her infant and toddler for 27 hours when she was released, and then waited another 8 1/2 hours of not finding them to report that they were missing and that they were with Steele?
Something ain’t adding up…
“Best make no statement till all facts in….
Charlie Chan—
In the article, I find the words alleged and allegedly strangely missing.
Interesting…
Here are some comments from the press democrat…
“Napanative”
“The mother was arrested on domestic violence battery, therefore there should have been CPS invol[v]ement automatically and they did not do their job.
When a claim of domestic violence has been made and there are children involved or living in the household, Child Protective Services will be alerted. The CPS must follow up and investigate the claims immediately.”
Neither do I see a disclaimer like RRBB has of innocent until proven guilty…. hmm
It’s more like an opinion piece than a news article.
Hmmm…
RHBB, usually does include such a statement…
But the author is Matt LaFever.
I think that Mendo fever also usually includes such a statement…
Here is one from RHBB, August 5, 2022.
“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:”
Mendo Fever may not always include such a statement…
But here is one from Mendo fever, also from August 5th, 2022…
“Remember, these charges against Edward “Two Feathers” Steele have not been proven in a court of law. In accordance with the legal principle of the presumption of innocence, any individual described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
It seems to be hit and miss…
It’s MendoFever which is put out by Matt LaFever.
Cont.
“Why didn’t the police and cps make sure these kids were safe when the mom was arrested. This is a complete breakdown of our system and they need to be held accountable. When vulnerable populations need us in our society our systems need to step up. This is disturbing.”
“Madre Especial”
3 DAYS AGO
“I don’t understand why the Mendocino county Sheriff’s Office didn’t do a child welfare check on these two babies immediately! That should be standard practice. They could have prevented the death of this child. Even if the buyer didn’t kill the baby, wouldn’t it be obvious that he’s in no state to watch them? Why is there no safety plan for the children when parents get arrested?”
Apparently, I’m not the only one that is thinking along those lines…
At this point, I’m just trying to take it all in and sort through it.
I find all the reporting inconclusive and lacking relevant verified facts.
I also find witnesses and observers strangely quiet and in the shadows.
There is no timeframe that I know of as to what time 2F showed up in Hopland.
Did CPS ever go to the motel and check out if the kids were ever there?
Etc.
I’m pretty sure procedures will be adjusted by the time this is over.
I will also say I cut MCSO some slack as last week was a doozy, arsonists, the video shooters and the babies, and just the regular idiots we didn’t read about jeez.
They are human.
I’m not excusing them, just trying to put myself in their shoes.
This may also be relevant…
The MCSO may have been criminally negligent…
https://aizmanlaw.com/violent-crime/manslaughter/
“Proving “criminal negligence”: Criminal negligence involves more than ordinary negligence. A person acts with criminal negligence when:
He or she acts in a reckless way that creates a high risk of death or great bodily injury; AND
A reasonable person would have known that acting in that way would create such a risk.
“In other words, a person acts with criminal negligence when the way he or she acts is so different from the way an ordinarily careful person would act in the same situation that his or her act amounts to disregard for human life or indifference to the consequences of that act.5”
An ordinarily careful person would never have entrusted the care of that infant and toddler to Edward Steele and would have checked on them under those circumstances.
Whoever it was must just not given a shit about those kids, or they were setting Edward Steele up for a fall, and they didn’t care how it turned out for any of them.
I think this mishandling by the MCSO clearly qualifies.
To a “T”.
I think the procedures were in place, they just weren’t followed…
Law enforcement was supposed to notify the DA, and CPS, and they didn’t…
Maybe that’s why the judge is pissed off at the DA.
Because she knows law enforcement screwed up, and didn’t do a welfare check on those kids or notify CPS, and they didn’t immediately do a welfare check on the kids immediately either, like they are required to do by law…
https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-11166.html
“(1) For purposes of this article, “reasonable suspicion” means that it is objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion, based upon facts that could cause a reasonable person in a like position, drawing, when appropriate, on his or her training and experience, to suspect child abuse or neglect. “Reasonable suspicion” does not require certainty that child abuse or neglect has occurred nor does it require a specific medical indication of child abuse or neglect; any “reasonable suspicion” is sufficient. For purposes of this article, the pregnancy of a minor does not, in and of itself, constitute a basis for a reasonable suspicion of sexual abuse.”
I agree that their decision had tragic consequences. I don’t think they know the nuances of the laws.
Not sayin that’s an excuse, but it may be a fact.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorantia_juris_non_excusat
“In law, inorantia juris non excusat (Latin for “ignorance of the law excuses not”),[1] or ignorantia legis neminem excusat (“ignorance of law excuses no one”),[2] is a legal principle holding that a person who is unaware of a law may not escape liability for violating that law merely by being unaware of its content.”
This should also hold true if you are the law.
Maybe especially so…
I believe that they likely coined the phrase…
Once again wild speculation,
How do you know the judge was pissed at the DA?
You have no idea what the DA and judge thing was about.
You thought the DA was representing Steele..
Could have been a myriad of things.
Try sticking to known facts. Which you seem to be in short supply of.
Not to mention, it’s clearly decided here:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1805344.html
This is akin to a lifeguard who, after swimming out half the distance to their intended drowning victim, suddenly decided to turn back to shore for NO particular reason. A lifeguard is more than an ordinary bystander to the drowning, which is why it’s criminal negligence, and not ordinary negligence. If the bystander, in this lifeguard scenario, were to then start trying to swim out, and was too unsuccessful, then manslaughter for the bystander is appropriate. These are ALL mandated reporters.
Let’s also recognize the mother’s arrest, whilst lawful in its execution (blah, blah, blah), may NOT displace the unlawful negligence leading to an at-risk child’s death. We cannot allow both an indifference toward institutional failures AND a blatant indifference toward human life! #PC11166 #Free2Fux 🍀
Sadly, the most likely end result is that he will plead guilty to negligent homicide and serve a very short, token sentence. Once he is released he will pick up right where he left off with substance abuse and the associated crime and parole violations. The system will allow him to remain free in spite of his behavior until/unless he does something else unbelievably reprehensible.
I hope I’m wrong.
I still want to see some follow up on the Mom and this babysitter, because if there was no babysitter, she abandoned her children at the motel to chase 2F down the road and should at least be charged with child endangerment.
And if Mendocino Mamma is correct, and He was high and angry, he should have never been given her purse or sent to take custody of the kids. Just being high would have been a violation of probation.
Cops are pretty good at detecting if someone is high, and with his arrest record should be familiar with his record as well, especially since he was just released.
Where’s mom? If my child was in the hospital, that’s where I would be.
It’s also curious that no press seems to have interviewed the motel manager whether the mom had a voucher there, or other residents if they saw her or the kids.
People love to talk.
I’m afraid you are right. Only in Mendocino County could law enforcement we so callous and cruel. Leaving children unattended in a hard scrabble vacant lot in 100 degree weather is clearly cold-blooded murder.
🤔🧐There seems to be some inconsistency on when exactly, the mother was released from jail. It has been reported as 5:00 AM, but also mentioned elsewhere as “4:49 AM”.
Why the discrepancy?
Can this be confirmed???
You see, there was that mysterious phone call, implicating Edward Steele, albeit dubiously, at 4:50 AM…
So the significance of whether she was released at 4:49AM or if she was released at 5:00 AM becomes clear…
So which was it?
The significance of the discrepancy, and the reason for it, is for another story…
I wonder, from where, exactly, was that phone call made???
That would be significant.
the neck tat says he identifies as a GIRLY MAN!! :):):)
Hardly. He is homophobic and was arrested in 2013 for randomly punching a gay man in the face while the man was out walking his dog. He is a dangerous p.o.s. and the cops should have known that when they gave him permission to take the kids by giving him her purse.
Well, there you go.. You know what they say about homophobics..
Nobody addressed the freshly shaved head. Days before he was arrested had the long hair all knotted up. Many Indigenous cultures shave their heads, cut their hair off when they’re in mourning for a loved one. He had a day or so to contemplate his situation. Wherever he was hanging in Hopland and cut his hair off hopefully those were some real deep conversations. No dobit that resulted in him being turned in.
Many criminals shave their heads when they know they’ll be incarcerated soon. It’s a prison hygiene thing.
He just got our of prison around the first, I thought, I kind of doubt that he had dreads recently.
That mugshot of him with long hair was maybe from a previous arrest?
I could be wrong.
Or he didn’t want to be recognized….
Kinda hard with that gigantic neck tattoo blinging on front street. 🤡
No follow up on this story?
He was not compelled to attend court AGAIN?
*DISGUSTING*
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/suspect-in-ukiah-babys-death-has-arraignment-postponed-a-second-time/
WHY do I have to log in EVERYTIME I want to comment; or, like/dislike??
Help please Kym!!