During the preliminary hearing for a foster mother accused of murder for the 2021 death of two-year-old Phoenix Jayden Asti, testimony from two expert witnesses cast doubt on the defendant’s story that the child caused his own head injuries.

Ashley Pearce-Pifferini was held to answer on all charges — murder and assault on a child causing death — on Friday. 

Judge Lawrence Killoran cited expert testimony finding a lack of basis for self-inflicted wounds caused by headbanging.

Killoran found enough evidence to hold her to answer on the charges filed in 2024, and to continue with proceedings against her.

Pearce-Pifferini has pleaded not guilty, and Killoran allowed her to remain out of custody on a $1 million bail.

Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm said there was “no question,” the boy was murdered.

She argued evidence — including medical testimony, Pearce-Pifferini being the only person with him when he became unresponsive, and changes to her story over time — showed her actions were “cold blooded and cowardly murder.” She accused the woman of bashing a two-year-old and waiting to call for medical attention until it was too late.

Because Asti was one of the most vulnerable types of victims, Timm argued Pearce-Pifferini should be held in jail.

Meanwhile, Casey Russo from the Public Defender’s office cast doubt on parts of the medical record, and said it remains a “real mystery” what occurred. He countered by pointing to efforts Pearce-Pifferini took to get medical care for the boy, along with her long record as a foster parent and lack of criminal or abusive record.

He described the case as complicated, and of a type fraught with wrongful convictions.

Witness testimony revealed key medical evidence found over the long and drawn-out investigation.

Dr. Evan Matshes, who performed Asti’s autopsy and spent dozens of hours examining parts of his body, testified the child could not produce enough force to cause a key injury found in his skull.

During a 911 call played for the court Thursday, Pearce-Pifferini told dispatch the child banged his head on a crib while he was mad, and could have fallen in the bath a few days before.

She told a similar story to medical professionals documented in hospital records prosecutors submitted as evidence.

Matshes, an expert in child abuse autopsies and the medical director of NAAG Forensic PC, testified the child died from impact blunt head trauma, stemming from blows on multiple parts of his head.

Asti’s internal injuries included bruising on the back and top of his head, tears in neck nerves and Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). DAI is a serious brain injury involving tearing of brain matter.

When Timm asked if the DAI injury could be accomplished by the force of a two-year-old, or a short fall, Matshes simply replied “no.”

He testified the nerve injuries in his neck were caused by a whiplash motion,  which would be similarly inconsistent with a fall.

During cross examination, defense attorney Russo pointed to the boy’s lack of skull fractures, and asked if the object could have been a wooden part of a crib or bed. Matshes said it could be consistent with many things.

Russo also probed other instances that could cause the boy’s injuries, including the possibility of an accident.

James Crawford-Jakubiak, the medical director of the Center for Child Protection in Oakland, similarly an expert in child abuse cases who cared for the child after he was flown to Oakland for medical treatment, testified Friday that Asti’s injuries were consistent with him being repeatedly slammed.

He called this the “most likely explanation,” for the head injuries Asti ultimately died from, when asked by Timm.

When asked about headbanging behavior in children, he testified he did not believe it was possible that the child caused his own death. He similarly testified DAI could not be caused by a short fall or could be self-inflicted. 

He said medical professionals at the Center who treated Asti believed he had blunt trauma to his head, which was confirmed by autopsy, despite a lack of external injuries.

He also testified that he believed there was a delay in reaching medical care, based on the level of swelling of the child’s brain from the first scan of his head.

When Timm asked if earlier care could have saved Asti, he said “we’ll never know,” but said doctors could have saved time by knowing the injury was caused by head trauma.

By the time Asti received medical care, he testified there was nothing medical professionals could do. He was declared brain dead on Nov. 23, 2021.

Another key piece of evidence was an image Pearce-Pifferini texted to her partner of Asti with bruising and discoloration on his face, about a month before the boy sustained the injuries that would kill him.

Crawford-Jakubiak testified the patterns on his face were consistent with a hand slap.

Humboldt County District Attorney Investigator Ryan Hill, the lead investigator who often takes on child abuse cases, testified that during interviews with the couple’s daughter, she told adults that Asti, alongside another foster child in the home, were hit and spanked with a wooden spoon.

He also learned through interviews with social workers that the couple informed professionals they decided they wouldn’t adopt the two foster children just weeks before Asti died.

A social worker was told this by Pearce-Pifferini on Nov. 8 during a monthly visit. Despite offering to take the children immediately, the defendant said she would wait until after Christmas for placement.

Pearce-Pifferini’s next appearance is April 17.

###

Eureka’s city council and mayor haven’t had a pay raise since 1988. The cost of just about everything has nearly tripled in the last 38 years, but the council’s monthly stipends have remained at a static $500. (The mayor brings in a little more dough at $625 per month.)

At a special meeting next week, staff will present proposed changes to the city’s charter that, if approved by voters, would give our elected officials a nice little pay bump, though the exact amount has yet to be determined.

“We’re not looking to make this a living wage job,” Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost. “This came up during strategic visioning, and the council included this as one of their goals for effective governance. … It’s been nearly 40 years, and with all the changes that have happened in our economy, we think it’s time for an update.”

The American Institute for Economic Research’s Cost of Living Calculator estimates that $500 in 1988 is equal to roughly $1,370 in today’s money, which represents a 174% increase in inflation.

Rather than a set monthly stipend, staff is looking to amend the charter to give the council periodic raises to keep up with inflation, similar to the City of Arcata. But because Eureka is a charter city, any proposed changes to the charter must be put to a vote of the people. 

The council will consider a few other small amendments to the city charter, mostly relating to “archaic language” and references to the Brown Act.

“It’s just a lot of procedural things,” Slattery said. “For instance, [the charter states] that ‘a special municipal election shall be had for not less than 88 days’ … but it doesn’t have a maximum. Things like that.”

If the council decides to move ahead with the changes, staff will draft a ballot measure that will be brought back to the council for review. If approved, the item would appear on the November 2026 ballot.

###

The Eureka City Council will meet for its special meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. The regular meeting will take place at 6 p.m. That agenda can be found here.

Human waste smells; lakes made of the stuff should reek. But unless you’re standing next to it, the Arcata wastewater treatment plant usually doesn’t. (Too badly.) That hasn’t been the case recently: the odor drifts over Highway 101, into drivers’ nostrils when they hit South G Street, out into Sunny Brae and into dozens of domiciles. 

The plant is the obvious mother of smells that have terrorized Sunny Brae recently, but it’s not the only parent. 

“Why does the Arcata sanitation plant smell so bad these days?” one person asked the Outpost a couple days ago. “Starting a month or two ago, the smell has been intense when driving north approaching Arcata. Today was particularly bad, but up until a few months ago I never noticed it.” 

“When I first began to smell it, I thought it was my vehicle burning coolant. Then I realized it wasn’t coming from my truck; it was everywhere,” said another in February. “I’ve asked everyone I can think of. Some people theorized that it’s the Arcata Marsh… but in twenty years of living around it, I’ve never smelled this, so I’m not sure that that is the answer.”

Well, my fetid friends, the facility is only partly to blame. Arcata’s director of environmental services Emily Sinkhorn told the Outpost that the facility had some of the highest levels of water inflow in a day ever recorded over the winter. Much of it was groundwater, funneled into the plant by aging sewer pipes. Expecting more heavy rain, city staff lowered the water levels in the oxidation ponds to ensure they had plenty of room; nature decided to throw their planning in the toilet and it hardly rained at all until Wednesday. The bacteria in the oxidation ponds, exposed to air, created a mighty stench and wafted for miles. 

But Sinkhorn said they managed to alleviate the problem during February and March. New and improved infrastructure at the facility gives the city greater control over where they send water, from treatment wetlands to UV disinfection basins to enhancement marshes, and they eventually managed to tamp down the smell. 

But residents in Sunny Brae kept on complaining, and Sinkhorn says the sources of these other smells are still unknown and likely outside city limits, perhaps a broken septic system. People described the smells as sulfuric or like sewage. They’re worse near Old Arcata and Golf Course roads.  

City staff are ensuring that there aren’t any problems with Arcata’s sewer system, which, so far, has held up under scrutiny. 

“We really appreciate detail when people call in,” Sinkhorn said. “‘I was here at this time, and the smell was coming from this direction.’ That is helpful for us. We will continue to follow up, particularly on the city’s infrastructure. We take that very seriously.”

Press release from the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission:

The Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is seeking applications from interested community members to serve as the Alternate Public Member on the Commission. This is an unique opportunity for a Humboldt County resident to contribute to decisions that shape local agency boundaries, service delivery, and governmental structure.

The Alternate Public Member participates in Commission meetings and serves as a voting member in the absence or disqualification of the Regular Public Member. The appointment is for a four-year term ending June 30, 2030. To obtain an application, please visit www.humboldtlafco.org or email info@humboldtlafco.org. The application submittal deadline is June 19th.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 2, 2026, at approximately 8:56 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Boiler Avenue and Eucalyptus Road in McKinleyville to investigate a report of gunshots.

Upon arrival, deputies contacted witnesses who provided an address in the 800 block of Eucalyptus Road and a description of a male subject reportedly firing a gun in the area. Deputies responded to the residence, where they located a 17-year-old male outside who matched the description and took him into custody. 

With assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division, deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence. During the search, they located multiple firearms, ammunition, and evidence indicating that firearms had been discharged in the area.

Deputies arrested 26-year-old Christopher Scott Thomson of McKinleyville, a convicted felon, on multiple weapons-related charges. He was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on the following charges:

• PC 29800(a)(1) — Felon/Addict in Possession of a Firearm 

• PC 30305(a)(1) — Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition 

The 17-year-old male, who was on active juvenile probation, was transported to Humboldt County Juvenile Hall and booked for PC 29820(b) — Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Ward of the Court.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539.

###

PREVIOUSLY: 

• This Summer, Let’s All Do Our Part to Keep These New, Nasty, Invasive, Infrastructure-Destroying Mussels Out of Ruth Lake
• A New Invader Threatens California Water Supplies. Can the State Stop Its Spread?

###

Press release from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District and the Ruth Lake Community Services District:

Protecting Our Water Supply and Natural Resources from Aquatic Invasive Species

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD) and the Ruth Lake Community Services District (RLCSD) are jointly announcing the implementation of a mandatory 30-day quarantine program for all watercraft entering Ruth Lake with ballast tanks or other components that cannot be drained. This measure is essential to prevent the introduction of Golden, Zebra, and Quagga mussels which are highly destructive aquatic invasive species that pose a serious threat to our water infrastructure, the lake’s ecosystem, and the region’s long-term water supply.

Why This Matters to Our Community

Ruth Lake is a critical water resource for the Humboldt Bay region. As your water wholesaler, HBMWD’s mission is to safeguard and sustainably deliver clean and reliable water to our community while protecting our natural resources and providing a resilient water supply for present and future generations. Invasive mussels have devastated water systems across the western United States, clogging intake infrastructure, degrading water quality, and costing communities millions of dollars in damage and remediation. Once established, these species are virtually impossible to eradicate. Prevention is our only viable defense.

How the Quarantine Program Works

All watercraft entering Ruth Lake are subject to the following requirements:

1. Watercraft Survey. All boat owners and operators must complete a Watercraft Survey form documenting vessel information and recent launch history.
2. Physical Inspections. All watercrafts will go through physical inspections to ensure they are completely cleaned, drained, and dried. If watercraft fails inspection, it must go through a mandatory 30-day quarantine.
   
3. 30-Day Quarantine for Ballast Tank Watercraft. Any watercraft with ballast tanks or components that cannot be fully drained (such as wakeboard boats) will automatically fail inspection unless the vessel already carries a BLUE exit band from Ruth Lake. This quarantine period is in lieu of your watercraft going through decontamination.
4. Clean, Drain, and Dry. All boaters are reminded to clean their gear, boat, and trailer; drain all bilge, ballast, wells, and buckets; and allow equipment to fully dry before launching in any water body.
   

Where to Obtain Quarantine Bands

RED quarantine bands are available at the Ruth Lake Marina and Ruth Recreational Campground for $10.00.

For boaters in Humboldt County, quarantine bands are also available at two convenient locations: Reynolds RV (646 Hwy 36, Fortuna) and Pacific Outfitters (1600 5th Street, Eureka). Signage with quarantine instructions will be posted at all major launch and access locations.

A Shared Responsibility

Protecting Ruth Lake is a community effort. We are asking every boater, angler, and lake visitor to do their part. Compliance with the quarantine program is not optional.

Failure to comply may result in revocation of boating privileges and potential citation or eviction from the lake. These measures are in place to protect the water supply that serves our entire region, both now and for generations to come.

For More Information

• Ruth Lake Community Services District: www.ruthlakecsd.org
• California Department of Fish & Wildlife — Golden Mussel Information:
  wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Golden-Mussel

###

The roadmap is set. After four years of planning and public outreach, the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA) has approved a master plan to guide the development of a 300-mile hiking, biking and equestrian trail along the abandoned railway between Humboldt Bay and San Francisco Bay. Once complete, the Great Redwood Trail is projected to be the longest rail-to-trail project in the nation.

Map of the envisioned path of the Great Redwood Trail. Click to enlarge.

The 738-page master plan — linked here — lays out a comprehensive framework for designing, constructing and managing the northern segment of the planned route, which follows the tracks of the defunct Northwestern Pacific Railroad through scenic stretches of rural Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties. (The southern portion of the trail is overseen by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit and isn’t covered in the GRTA’s master plan.)

The wide-ranging document sets standards and priorities for community engagement and government-to-government partnerships with North Coast tribes. The plan also looks at each section of the railway, outlining various “opportunities” for recreation as well as potential “constraints” that could interfere with the trail’s build-out over the coming decades. 

State Senator Mike McGuire, a driving force behind the monumental trail project, touted the approval of the master plan as a “major milestone,” but the real work has only just begun.

“This is a very momentous time, but it is also the beginning of a lot of work to come,” GRTA Operations Manager Bridget Nichols told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “This document is really a celebration of hundreds and hundreds of hours of so many different people coming together to help us guide this process and move forward with a lot of care and intention. … It outlines where we’re going to go and gives us guidance on how to best incorporate tribes, community members, ecosystems and recommendations from government agencies and local municipalities.”

Segment by Segment: Complexities and Opportunities Along the Great Redwood Trail

While some stretches of the Great Redwood Trail won’t see construction for at least another decade, several sections have already been built, are currently under construction or are deep in the project design phase. Of the 300-plus miles of envisioned trail, 47 miles are already open to the public, including nearly 12 miles along Humboldt Bay.

The master plan doesn’t set specific timelines for the completion of each stretch of trail, but it does rank the feasibility, impact and project readiness of the 43 segments on a scale of one to three stars. (Check out this table for a segment by segment breakdown.) 

An abandoned train car near Dos Rios.

“The [segments] with more stars tend to be tier one,” Nichols said. For example, the Alderpoint section, a five-mile stretch between Cain Rock Railroad Bridge and Steelhead Creek, is ranked “tier one” because the rail line will be easier to convert than, say, the southern portion of Eel River Canyon, which is riddled with collapsed bridges and decaying train cars. “The Alderpoint segment is very feasible, infrastructure-wise, and we have community groups that are ready for it.”

The GRTA is working with Revitalizing Opportunities for the Alderpoint Region (ROAR) to help plan the riverside trail segment and set up jobs for local folks once construction begins.

“They want a better community for their children and for their families to live in, so we’re looking at ways to plan this trail segment that brings life and vitality back to Alderpoint,” Nichols said. “Building the trails would give local contractors an opportunity to work in their own backyard. … We’re also looking at how they can build jobs around maintaining the trail and the surrounding area to keep [residents] employed and to give them something of value that they want to participate in.”

“A lot of times, when we develop one segment of the trail — like the connection between Arcata and Eureka — that the community really wants, we’ll have more help and drive to make it happen,” she added. “We anticipate things like that happening as more and more segments get built.”

Other potential opportunities along the Alderpoint stretch include a cycling loop along Carter Creek that would connect to Fort Seward and a 30-acre campground and day-use area on a piece of GRTA-owned property near Steelhead Creek. As far as complexities go, there is a damaged bridge just south of Steelhead Creek that may require retrofitting or reconstruction. 

Many of the bridges, trestles and tunnels located elsewhere on the trail may be subject to reconstruction or replacement depending on the severity of the damage. The Loleta tunnel, for example, will require “significant remediation” because it’s structurally compromised.

The most complex segments of the trail — including a remote 42.5-mile stretch from Longvale to Island Mountain in Mendocino County and another section between Holmes and Stafford in Southern Humboldt — will have to undergo significant environmental remediation before construction can begin. About a dozen “constraints” are noted along both segments, especially through Eel River Canyon, where numerous landslides have destroyed bridges and collapsed tunnels.

“We’ll have to remove the rail cars that have slid into the Eel River and other railroad-related infrastructure,” Nichols said. “These are large restoration projects, but they’re not unachievable. We have funding that’s dedicated specifically to restoring the Eel, which is a Wild and Scenic river. As a state agency, it’s our responsibility to leave this area in a better place than the railroad did, and we’re really looking at this ultimately as a restoration project.”

It’s a huge undertaking. That stretch through Eel River Canyon is about as rural as it gets, and there aren’t many roads out there. Much of the surrounding area is protected by the Wildlands Conservancy, which acquired the 26,600-acre Eel River Canyon Preserve a few years ago, and most of the rest is owned by old ranching families. 

Given the access limitations, Nichols said the GRTA will have to work with adjacent landowners to get the railroad ruins out of the canyon. 

“Now that we’ve completed the master plan, we can actually get into the nuts and bolts of how we’re going to do it, possibly through private access roads,” she said. “It’s going to be a huge project and a massive undertaking, that’s why we don’t have those segments of trail slated [for completion] for many years. There’s also a lot of cultural resources we want to address in the area, and work with tribes to make sure we’ve done our part before any of it is open to the public.”

Addressing Tribal Concerns

The envisioned path of the Great Redwood Trail passes through the ancestral lands of more than 20 tribal nations. Leading up to the public review process, a group of Wailaki descendants and their allies expressed concern about potential impacts to the Eel River Canyon Preserve and demanded a more prominent role in the decision-making process. 

During the development of the draft master plan, the GRTA sought input from 35 tribes across Northern California through in-person meetings with indigenous leaders, webinars and community workshops, and incorporated their feedback into the final document (section 2.2, pages 52-55). Several tribes expressed interest in either ownership or stewardship of segments of the trail that pass through their ancestral lands and asked for their leadership to be included in the design and planning process.

In the first few pages of its executive summary, the master plan underscores the importance of “early and ongoing collaboration with local tribes” to protect culturally significant resources. Still, GRTA Executive Director Elaine Hogan acknowledged that “deep and trusting relationships with Tribal Nations and members take time to build.”

“Therefore, it’s on us to reach out often and in as many ways as we can,” Hogan wrote in an emailed statement. “We’ve heard specific concerns, inspiration and excitement, and everything in between. Every relationship, perspective, and conversation requires individual respect and attention.”

The GRTA Board of Directors is looking to hire a tribal liaison who will help assemble a tribal advisory board that will ensure tribal concerns are top of mind throughout the trail development process, Hogan said.

“While many Native folks engaged early and often, the relationship- and trust-building doesn’t stop once the Master Plan is done,” she continued. “[I]t is most helpful when Tribal leaders are willing to have direct conversations with GRTA staff about their needs and wishes. We’re doing our best now with our lean staff to advance these conversations, and look forward to even more once our Tribal Liaison Consultant is in place. We’re also hoping to formalize more Tribal partnerships as we move forward with design and implementation.”

The board has also passed several actions to increase tribal involvement in the trail project, including a professional services agreement with the Wiyot Tribe for cultural monitoring and memorandums of understanding (a government-to-government partnership) with both the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians and the Blue Lake Rancheria.

In a statement issued following the board’s approval of the master plan, Jason Ramos, Tribal Chairman of the Blue Lake Rancheria, said the Great Redwood Trail provides a “critical opportunity to restore fish habitat, protect cultural resources, and build an economy that benefits the North Coast communities who have always called this place home.”

“The master plan for trail development represents a meaningful step toward ensuring that Tribal communities are not just consulted, but are genuine partners in how this land is stewarded and celebrated,” he continued. “Blue Lake Rancheria is committed to staying at the table every step of the way.” 

[DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

Improving Safety and Expanding Emergency Response

Yet another concern that’s been raised throughout the public review process is the issue of safety along the trail — especially on the remote, undeveloped stretches where emergency services are scant and cell service is nonexistent. Property owners along the trail have also expressed concerns about trespassing and other nuisance behavior from trailgoers.

In an interview with the Outpost last year, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said it would be “impossible for [HCSO] to enforce anything along that trail, yet it is going to be our responsibility to do so.”

Nichols, the GRTA spokesperson you heard from earlier in this story, clarified that the agency never expected the sheriff’s office to patrol the trail. “We’ve been in direct communications with Sheriff Honsal and other first responders, and we take his concerns seriously,” she said. “A formalized approach to emergency response and enforcement will be needed, and we’re planning for that now, before segments are open to the public.”

Last year, the GRTA board approved contracts with two community-based organizations — The People of New Directions in Humboldt County and Friend of Boon in Mendocino County — to provide property management and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness on the trail. However, those organizations are focused on trails that pass through urban centers that are already open to the public.

“We plan on building out our own field operations and staff to be stationed in the back country who are trained in wilderness first response. We also plan on creating formal agreements with local law enforcement and volunteer fire departments to strengthen the rural emergency response capacity,” Nichols said. “We’re looking at this as an investment in community resilience, not a burden on local agencies.”

The GRTA is using the Lost Coast Trail as a case study to understand how first responding agencies work together to patrol a remote region. The master plan notes that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses an overnight camping permit system that helps staff and emergency responders keep track of who is camping on the trail and where they may be located. When an emergency does occur, the responsibility is shared among the BLM, sheriff’s office and U.S. Coast Guard. 

“If the location [of an emergency] is close to a road or access point, the [HCSO] is the first responder,” the master plan states. “If it is easier to access from the water or by helicopter, the U.S. Coast Guard responds first. Humboldt County and the BLM also have an ATV that can be used to respond to incidents on remote portions of this trail.” 

This kind of model “really demonstrates how remote trail systems can operate successfully with the right planning partnerships and management structures in place,” Nichols said, noting that private property matters will be handled on a case-by-case basis. 

In the meantime, while the GRTA works out next steps for each segment, the agency is asking residents to avoid sections of the defunct rail line that aren’t officially open to the public.

“I know that there’s a lot of enthusiasm and people really want to get out there,  but … it’s not all open to the public yet,” Nichols said. “We really want to encourage people not to go on unopened segments of the trail yet because we want to be the agency that follows through with the neighbors, reviews the safety of the infrastructure in that area and works with the tribes to protect the cultural resources.”

###

If you’re still itching to make your thoughts known, the senior civics class at Redwood Montessori is conducting a survey on the Great Redwood Trail — linked here. The findings will be presented to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors in May.

And if you’d like to take it up a notch and have some decision-making power in the future of the trail, you might want to apply for the opening on the board of directors. More information here.