Judge Rules Oklahoma Man to Stand Trial for Humboldt Threat Spree; Victim Calls for Full Justice

Stock image. [Photo by Mark Aliiev on Unsplash]

The preliminary hearing for Daryl Ray Jones reached its conclusion Tuesday morning in Humboldt County Superior Court, with Judge Timothy Canning finding probable cause to hold Jones to answer on 31 of the 35 charges against him — and at least one victim is calling on the court to pursue the full weight of the case at trial.

Court records show that proceedings began at 8:32 a.m. on March 10 in Courtroom Two, with Jones present in custody of the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees presented the prosecution’s closing argument, followed by Conflict Counsel Meagan O’Connell for the defense.

O’Connell sought to have a significant portion of the counts dismissed, arguing that a number of the alleged victims had not expressed fear meeting the legal threshold required for criminal threat charges. Judge Canning disagreed, ruling that the evidence presented was sufficient to move the case forward — dismissing only four counts, Counts 17, 22, 23, and 26, where investigators could not determine the origin of the calls.

A second case against Jones has not yet reached the preliminary hearing stage. The court noted that Jones is not held to answer on those charges at this time, though the People retain the right to allege them in the information.

Arraignment on the information is set for March 24, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. on the Felony Calendar.

The ruling brings a close to the preliminary hearing that unfolded across many months. Beyond the wave of threatening calls that disrupted schools, businesses, and day cares across Humboldt County in the spring of 2025, testimony revealed that Jones is also alleged to have carried out sustained harassment of former classmates. During the preliminary trial, one woman describing a pattern of threats that predated the 2025 incidents by years and continued despite prior law enforcement involvement.

In a statement provided to Redheaded Blackbelt after the preliminary trial, she wrote:

“As a victim of Daryl’s threatening behavior, I am glad Daryl is being held to answer on the 30+ charges against him. From here, I am strongly opposed to the idea of a mental health release or a lenient plea deal. This man’s pattern of behavior — years of sustained graphic, violent threats against local women (and most recently, horrifying threats to school children) — coupled with his documented obsession with guns and ammo, makes him a clear and present danger to this community. His release via a mental health diversion would be the worst-case scenario and would be an unacceptable risk to public safety. Similarly, any plea deal that minimizes the severity of his actions with a reduced sentence would be equally as disappointing. All of the victims in this case, including the children, their parents/guardians, school staffers, local business employees, individual victims, and anyone else impacted by this man’s actions, deserve nothing less than full justice.”

The concern about mental health diversion is not without context. Jones’ case was previously paused while he underwent a mental competency evaluation; he was found fit to stand trial. During the hearing, defense attorney O’Connell pointed to statements Jones made to police in which he said he was asking for help and that he was never given the help he needed. Detective Celeste Villareal of the Arcata Police Department testified in an earlier session that Jones told her he “wanted to make people afraid” and believed that calling schools would get him help — a set of statements the defense has highlighted throughout the proceedings.

Whether the case proceeds to trial, resolves via plea, or takes another path, remains to be seen. Jones’ arraignment on the information is scheduled for March 24 at 8:30 a.m. Redheaded Blackbelt will continue to report as the case moves forward.

Note: Ryan Hutson contributed to this and previous reports by providing court documentation and/or attending court proceedings.

Earlier:

• Lockdown at Eureka High School: EPD on Scene, Investigation Underway
• Sunny Brae Middle School Lockdown Believed to be Linked to Ongoing Series of School Threats
• Investigation Underway for Ongoing Threatening Phone Calls Targeting Humboldt Schools and Businesses
• Arcata Elementary Placed on Lockdown This Morning Following Anonymous Threat Amid Series of School Incidents
• [UPDATE 1 p.m.: Another School] Pacific Union Middle School Briefly Locked Down After Anonymous Phone Threat Amid Ongoing Series of Incidents Across Humboldt
• Oklahoma Man Arrested for String of Threats to Humboldt County Schools
• Oklahoma Man Arrested for Humboldt County School Threats Had Prior History of Harassment Here
• Daryl Ray Jones, Accused of Numerous Threats That Led to School Lockdowns, Now in Humboldt County Jail
• Daryl Ray Jones in Court Today for School Threats Case
• Content Warning: Preliminary Hearing Resumes in Daryl Jones Case with Graphic Testimony About Alleged School Threats
• Content Warning: Alleged Confession and Digital Evidence Highlighted as Jones Preliminary Hearing Continues
• Jane Doe Describes Years of Alleged Harassment in Final Day of Testimony