Lamplighter Owners Blame Victim, Jury Deliberates in Eureka Shooting Case and More Inside Humboldt Courts

Humboldt County Superior Court handles a steady flow of criminal and civil cases each day, but most proceedings pass without much public notice unless they result in major developments.

In this column, Redheaded Blackbelt provides a regular look at what’s moving through the local courts—tracking hearings, trials, and filings in cases that are either well known or warrant closer public attention. As always, any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

IN THE CASE OF: Hanna v. Heer — Lamplighter Motel Owners Respond

Stock image taken at the Lamplighter Inn during a 2016 fire incident.

Four months after Samantha Hanna died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a Eureka motel room, the owners of the Lamplighter Motel are disputing claims that they were responsible for her death and have raised legal defenses that include allegations that Hanna’s own actions contributed to the fatal outcome. 

The complaint alleges Hanna died on February 26, 2026, after being exposed to lethal levels of carbon monoxide in her room at the Lamplighter Motel on Broadway in Eureka. It further alleges that just days earlier another woman died and a second occupant was hospitalized after a similar incident in the same room.

Defendants Harjinder K. Heer and Surinder S. Heer, represented by John S. Lopez of Harland Law Firm LLP in Eureka, filed their answer on June 4, formally contesting the lawsuit’s allegations. Particularly notable among the defenses is one asserting that Hanna herself was negligent and another claiming she accepted the conditions that led to her death…arguments likely to become focal points as the case moves forward.

In their filed answer to the civil complaint filed against them, the Lamplighter owners have asserted several affirmative defenses along with a general denial, which is a standard and routine response to a civil suit complaint. Affirmative defenses are legal reasons that a person, company or other entity can use to say to the court that the court should not entertain the lawsuit to begin with. 

Among the affirmative defenses listed by the Heers was “decedent’s negligence,” which basically asserts that Samantha Hanna’s own actions — or failure to act as a reasonably careful person — contributed to her death, and that any damages should be reduced accordingly. 

Another of the eleven affirmative defenses sticks out. A legal defense called “consent and ratification,” goes further, asserting that Hanna consented to or accepted the very conditions that killed her. 

Cover page of the civil suit filed against the Lamplighter Motel owners listed three causes of action related to the death of Samantha Hanna.

The defenses directly challenge allegations laid out in the wrongful death complaint filed by Hanna’s father, which paints a different picture of what occurred at the motel in the days leading up to her death. The complaint alleges the room had no carbon monoxide detector and no smoke detector, in violation of applicable health and safety requirements. 

The wrongful death complaint asserts that the Heers’ reaction was negligent, reading in part, “[R]ather than immediately shutting down operations, conducting a competent inspection, identifying and eliminating the source of carbon monoxide, installing and confirming the presence of required detectors, and ensuring the room was safe for human occupancy, Defendants failed to adequately remedy the condition and continued to expose unsuspecting guests to a known deadly danger.”

The three causes of action being filed for are: alleged negligence resulting in wrongful death, premises liability resulting in wrongful death, and a survival action on behalf of the estate.

The case is assigned to Humboldt County Superior Court. A case management conference is scheduled for September 28, 2026.

The plaintiff, the father and Estate of Samantha Hanna, are represented by the Los Angeles law firm Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP.

IN THE CASE OF: James Atkins Jr. — Jury Verdict Expected Soon

James Clayton Atkins [2023 Booking photo from Eureka Police Department]

More than three years after a late-night shooting in Eureka triggered a police pursuit through the city, a Humboldt County jury is expected to begin deliberating the fate of James Clayton Atkins Jr.

Prosecutors allege Atkins fired a handgun during an argument in Eureka in the early morning hours of May 11, 2023, shattering the rear window of another person’s vehicle before leading law enforcement on a pursuit that ended when his vehicle became disabled near Broadway and McCullens Avenue. No one was injured.

Now, after weeks of testimony in Judge Steven Steward’s courtroom, the case is entering its final phase.

Atkins has been held without bail at the Humboldt County Jail since May 2023 as the case made its way through the court process. He faces two counts of attempted murder of police officers and of other civilians, two counts of assault on a peace officer with a firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle, three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a misdemeanor drug charge. Firearm enhancements have been added to the most serious charges against him, and prosecutors are seeking to prove a prior strike conviction, which would add to his sentence. 

Atkins took the stand in his own defense.

According to case minutes, among the evidence presented at trial were eyewitness identifications, body-worn camera footage, a gunshot residue report which generated a mid-trial dispute over late disclosure, and a recorded jail call between Atkins and a woman who was also an eyewitness in the case. 

A potential defense witness was barred from testifying after the judge ruled that the testimony’s potential to mislead outweighed its value to the defense. 

Closing arguments concluded Friday, June 12. The jury was directed to return this morning for the People’s rebuttal closing argument, after which deliberations are expected to begin. 

The jury’s verdict could come any day. 

Senior Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is handling the prosecution for the People, and Atkins is represented by defense attorney Anthony Tall. Sentencing is not yet scheduled.

Earlier: 

• Law Enforcement Pursued Suspect in a Vehicle Shooting in Eureka During Early Morning Hours 
• San Francisco Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Firing a Gun at Individual After Argument, Says EPD 

IN THE CASE OF: Nichole Thorpe —  Not Guilty Plea Entered

Nicole Ann Thorpe Image from the Redkey Police Department

A Eureka woman extradited from Indiana earlier this month has been formally charged with second-degree murder, child abuse, and welfare fraud in connection with the 2022 death of a toddler in her care.

Redheaded Blackbelt covered this case in detail as news broke locally that a fugitive from Humboldt was arrested out of state. 

Nichole Ann Thorpe, whose case drew significant local attention when she was arrested in Redkey, Indiana in early June by local police and U.S. Marshals was arraigned before Judge John Feeney. 

Thorpe entered a not guilty plea to all charges and was ordered held without bail. She has been in custody at the Humboldt County Jail since her booking on June 7.

The complaint, filed by the Eureka Police Department and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, charges Thorpe with second-degree murder for the March 9, 2022 death of a toddler in her care (referring to her 20-month-old daughter whose body was recovered near Blue Lake), felony child abuse with an allegation of great bodily injury in a domestic violence context, and fraud to obtain public assistance benefits. 

Thorpe is represented by defense attorney Kathleen Bryson, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 10, 2026. 

NOTE: We believe local courts matter and that the community deserves to know what happens inside them. But independent courtroom reporting is expensive and time-consuming work. Until we can consistently fund a reporter in court every day, many of these updates rely on official court records and minutes rather than full live courtroom coverage. Reader donations help us move toward more firsthand reporting. Please consider clicking here to give us the resources to provide more details to our readers. 

Earlier:

• Law Enforcement Pursued Suspect in a Vehicle Shooting in Eureka During Early Morning Hours 
• San Francisco Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Firing a Gun at Individual After Argument, Says EPD

IN THE CASE OF: Cameron Christiansen — Child Sex Abuse Preliminary Hearing

A preliminary hearing is taking place this morning in the case of Cameron Kyle Christiansen, 25, of Arcata, who faces five felony counts of lewd acts on a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child in connection with alleged incidents involving a girl who was 11 years old at the time.

This hearing will present evidence to the judge in order to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to hold Christiansen to answer on the charges, and proceed to trial. According to the felony complaint signed by Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm, the charges stem from alleged incidents between June and July 2025 involving a girl born in 2013. Among the allegations described in the complaint are “the occasion when the defendant used his mouth on Jane Doe’s breasts in the living room” and an allegation of sexual penetration “when the defendant inserted his finger into Jane Doe’s vagina in [the] living room.”

Christiansen was arrested in April and arraigned on April 20, 2026. He has entered a not guilty plea and was offered $50,000 bail, but has not bailed out. Christiansen has been held at the Humboldt County Jail for 60 days as of this reporting. 

According to the complaint, the alleged offenses occurred between June and July 2025 across both Solano and Humboldt counties, including during what is described in the DA’s complaint as a work trip to Fairfield. 

A criminal protective order was issued at the time of arraignment, and Christiansen is represented by conflict counsel.

IN THE CASE OF: Daryl Jones —  A Motion to Remove Judge Neel

Booking photo of Daryl Ray Jones provided by Lawton PD

A motion to disqualify the assigned judge Kelly Neel is scheduled for this morning. 

Daryl Ray Jones, 32, of Arcata faces more than 30 felony counts stemming from an alleged campaign of stalking, harassment and criminal threats directed at multiple businesses and schools in early 2025.

Jones was held to answer for those allegations following a six-day preliminary hearing that concluded in March. Jones entered not guilty pleas to all counts. He has been in custody without bail since April 2025, more than 14 months.

A mental health diversion petition filed by the defense has been continued several times by the prosecution and remains pending, according to a review of the case file. Tuesday’s disqualification motion was set after the defense indicated it intended to file a challenge to Judge Neel, in whose courtroom earlier proceedings were held.

Jones was previously found mentally competent in July 2025 after a competency evaluation. Jones is represented by conflict counsel.

Humboldt County Correctional Facility. [Composite image by Ryan Hutson]

If you know of a case with significant public interest that you would like followed, email us at [email protected].

EARLIER:

• • Attempted Murder Trial Begins After Three Years in Jail; Hoopa Uncle Stabbing Reaches Court; New Child Sex Abuse Case; and More – Inside Humboldt Courts — May 27, 2026
  • Warning! Difficult Testimony in Child Molestation Trial; School Threat Defendant Seeks Diversion and More — Inside Humboldt Courts — May 28, 2026
  • Allegations of Animal Cruelty at Alexandre Family Farms; School Threats Case Update; and Child Sex Abuse Trial Continues – Inside Humboldt Courts — May 29, 2026
  • A Eureka Shooting Reaches the Jury; Public Defender Assigned in DV Case; and Child Sex Crimes Case Moves Forward — Inside Humboldt Courts — May 30, 2026
  • One Jury Deadlocked, Another Convicted, and Judges Keep Stepping Aside Inside Humboldt Courts — June 10, 2026