A McKinleyville man suspected of shooting two people to death and wounding two others pleaded not guilty today to charges that could put him prison for life without parole.

Albers.

Deputy Public Defender Casey Russo entered the pleas on behalf of 41-year-old Russell Martin Albers, charged with murdering Jennifer Paddock, 42, and Daniel Garcia, 51, on Tuesday morning in their home at 4800 block of Crane St. in Eureka. Two other women in the house were wounded by gunfire and are in local hospitals.

Paddock and Garcia were the parents of a 4-year-old girl who was there during the shootings but was not injured. Police said she was turned over to Child Welfare Services.

Judge Kelly Neel advised Albers today that he is charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a firearm. He is additionally charged with kidnapping (of one of the victims he dropped off at a hospital), domestic-violence battery, first-degree burglary, child endangerment, auto theft, recklessly fleeing from police officers and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Nearly all the charges carry special allegations involving use of a firearm or inflicting great bodily injury.

The District Attorney’s Office also alleges the special circumstance of committing multiple murders, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.

Today Albers, who was arrested Wednesday after a high-speed chase, sat with his head down during the entire arraignment.

Asked if he had the money to hire a lawyer, Albers said he was planning to hire local attorney Ben Okin. The court clerk then contacted Okin’s office.

“Mr. Albers,” Judge Neel said, “Mr. Okin’s office indicates that they will not be accepting the case.”

Outside court the assigned prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Luke Bernthal, declined comment on the relationship between Albers and the alleged victims. He also would not comment on why Albers is charged with stealing a white BMW when he was caught in a Toyota Tundra pickup truck.

Albers is being held without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9, though it’s highly unlikely it will proceed on that day. Bernthal told the judge the investigation is ongoing and new evidence will be coming in for some time.

The hearing is expected to take two days, Bernthal said.

PREVIOUSLY:

• HCSO: Two Killed, Two Injured in Pine Hill Shooting Early This Morning; Suspect Still at Large
• With Double-Murder Suspect Still At Large, St. Joseph Hospital Limits Public Access
• Wild Police Chase Through the North County Today; One Person in Custody
• Sheriff’s Office Confirms That Pine Hill Double Homicide Suspect is Now in Custody Following Today’s High-Speed Chase up 101

PREVIOUSLY:

• HCSO: Two Killed, Two Injured in Pine Hill Shooting Early This Morning; Suspect Still at Large
• With Double-Murder Suspect Still At Large, St. Joseph Hospital Limits Public Access
• Wild Police Chase Through the North County Today; One Person in Custody
• Sheriff’s Office Confirms That Pine Hill Double Homicide Suspect is Now in Custody Following Today’s High-Speed Chase up 101

# # #

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office this morning released the names of the two people who were shot to death shortly after midnight Tuesday in the Pine Hill neighborhood south of Eureka.

Following autopsies conducted by a forensic pathologist in the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Coroners division, the victims have been identified as Daniel (Danny) Garcia, age 51, and Jennifer Paddock, age 42.

“Garcia and Paddock were domestic partners with a 4-year-old child in common,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Garcia died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen and Paddock died from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the release.

The suspect in these killings, Russell Albers, was arrested on Wednesday after a high-speed chase in which more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles followed him for miles as he drove north from McKinleyville at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, often heading the wrong direction in the southbound lane of Hwy. 101, before being forced off the road north of Big Lagoon.

Albers has been booked into the Humboldt County Jail for two counts of homicide, two counts of attempted murder and child endangerment.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone with information about this case to call them at (707) 445-7251 or call the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

One click, one vote! That’s the longstanding rule here. When it comes to picking the most important Humboldt County stories of the year, we use The Only Metric That Matters™ — Lost Coast Outpost readership numbers.

And you know what? You guys didn’t do so badly this year. You can mark 2022 as the year when your tastes expanded well beyond the usual favorites — epic fails, beheadings, cute animals that have somehow been wronged — to all sorts of unexpected matters. Electoral politics! Building codes! Philanthropy! Anthony Kiedis!

That’s 2022 in the books, folks! Print this page out and emboss it onto titanium and launch it into space so the aliens will someday pick up on the groove we were laying down.

Without further ado … your Top 25 Stories of the Year! 

1. (UPDATING) Power Out Across the County Tuesday Morning, Schools Closed, Fernbridge Currently Closed Following Early Morning Quake

It may not have been “the big one,” but local earthquake guru Lori Dengler says that the Dec. 20 middle-of-the-night shaker was the most dramatic one most of us are likely to feel in our lifetimes. (Its suddenness — all that energy released at once — was more important than its magnitude, Dengler writes in the T-S.

For some reason Rio Dell took most of the damage, and that town is still piecing itself back together. But there were other casualties of the quake — most notably Eureka’s colorful but decrepit Lloyd Building, which has been shaky for a while now and will torn down very soon. Fernbridge was closed for a while, but engineers deemed it safe.

(Can anyone tell me why people have started calling the place “Rio Del” in the wake of the quake? See that Times-Standard story above, which is far from the only example I’ve seen. I know it’s low on the list at the moment, but maybe emergency personnel will eventually find time to tack that extra “L” back on.)

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers Interrupt Tour to Play Free Closed Concert in Hoopa Wednesday

The world went gaga for this cool and fun story, and the Chili Peppers went gaga for Hoopa. Flea in particular seems to be a Warrior for life.

3. OBITUARY: Hunter Nathaniel Lewis, 2000-2021

Lewis was the young man who went missing at sea while arranging an elaborate treasure hunt for his friends and family during last year’s Christmas break. His story was all over the internet, and this obituary introduced many people to his remarkable life.

The Outpost’s Stephanie McGeary caught up with Lewis’ father earlier this month, if you missed that.

4. COVID REPORT: Second Death in as Many Days, Plus Two More Hospitalizations and 24 New Cases Confirmed

One of those days when Google News decided that this was the most important COVID information in the world.

5. Saturday Morning Tsunami Advisory in Effect for Parts of U.S. West Coast Following South Pacific Eruption

An underwater volcano in Tonga sent a tsunami our way. It was tiny, but it was a tsunami.

6. Possibly the Largest Cruise Ship to Ever Dock in Humboldt Bay Will Arrive Next Week, Offloading Hundreds of Tourists Into Humboldt County

That was a big ship! Festivities ensued.

7. 15-Year-Old Arcata Resident Arrested For Attempted Homicide; Two Others Arrested on Lesser Charges

Kids packing loads of fentanyl and weed shot at people in Arcata, went on the lam, were found.

8. ELECTION NIGHT FINAL! Dillingham, Eads, Madrone, Stillman With Big Leads; Fourth District Supervisor Race Teetering on Runoff for Arroyo; Reports From Campaign Parties and More!

Pretty exciting election season all the way around, probably fueled by Auditor-Controller drama and (of course) the races for supervisor. The November sequel to this election night post didn’t rate near so high.

9. ‘It’s Gonna Look Like a Ghost Town’: Garberville Business Owners Sound the Alarm as Weed Industry Tanks

It’s been drip-drip-drip ever since decriminalization, but this year the wholesale cannabis price fell through the floor and the entire SoHum economy is in a very bad way. On this occasion, locals came to the Board of Supervisors to tell everyone about it and to plead for resources.

10. GROWING OLD UNGRACEFULLY: RIP, Christine McVie

Again: In a week of worldwide McVie mourning, the Goog decided that Barry’s eulogy was a can’t-miss. 

11. Jacoby Creek Students Taken for Medical Attention After Third-Grader Inadvertently Shares Weed Gummies

Nightmare for parents, or nightmare parents? Why not both? Keep your weed gummies safe and secure, people.

12. Two Killed on Highway 101 in SoHum After Vehicle Swerves Into Group of Oncoming Motorcycles

13. Arcata Mother Struck By Vehicle While Pushing Infant in Stroller Across Designated Crosswalk, Dies in Hospital, APD Says

Two of the many instances of senseless, stupid vehicular tragedy this year.

14. Largest One-Time Seizure in Humboldt Drug Task Force History: 30 Pounds of Meth, 5.5 Pounds of Cocaine, 3 Pounds of Heroin, 2 Pounds of Fentanyl, 50 Pounds of Weed

Size matters.

15. Donna Wright, Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Has Died

A shocking, sudden loss for the Eureka business community. Donna Wright was a hardworking and beloved Australia native who loved Humboldt. Humboldt loved her.

16. ‘It Was the Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Had to Do’: Singing Trees Owner Closes the Beloved Recovery Center After 31 Years Of Serving the Community

Singing Trees played a huge role in treatment for addiction, and so many people had such very fond and grateful memories of it. It’s hard to imagine how we’ll fill the space it has left.

17. OBITUARY: Annabelle June Snell, 2020-2022

Heartbreaker.

18. HCSO: Two Killed, Two Injured in Pine Hill Shooting Early This Morning; Suspect Still at Large

He is no longer at large. 

19. (PHOTOS/VIDEO) Your 2022 Kinetic Grand Championship Yearbook

Kinetics came back! You still liked them!

20. Local Couple Donates $2 Million to Cal Poly Humboldt

Friend o’ the LoCO Jerry Rohde — the county’s wonderful historian — is an even bigger friend o’ Cal Poly Humboldt! Humboldt is very lucky to have Jerry and Gisele for lots of reasons, including this one.

21. Fortuna Teacher Arrested for Alleged Sexual Battery on a Minor

The charges were later expanded to include more potential victims. The case is still working its way through court.

22. (VIDEO) Humboldt Looks Pretty Good in ‘The Sky is Everywhere’ Trailer

It did look good! Your reporter is still waiting for that movie to stream somewhere other than Apple+, though.

23. Former Fiscal Manager for Wiyot Tribe and North Coast Co-op Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud

Years of thievery finally landed one crooked bookkeeper in the big house.

24. A Tour Through the Half-Built Dream Mansion of Travis Schneider, Who Remains Hopeful Amid Mounting Permit Problems

This gigantic Indianola home under construction came to everyone’s attention when former planning commissioner Alan Bongio got very, very angry and not a little racist about regulatory hold-ups to its completion. That had its own repercussions: Bongio was removed as planning commission chair, lost his seat on the board of the Humboldt Community Services District and later resigned from the commission altogether.

In the meanwhile, everyone said: What’s this house, now? And it turned out that it was built (half-built) out of compliance with all sorts of environmental laws and issued permits. Finally, business owner Travis Schneider took the Outpost on a tour of his 20,000 square-foot dream house, which is no closer to completion, and likely much less close than before.

25. HARD TRUTHS: Everyone Please Stop Spreading the Lying Lie That Ferndale’s The Palace Bar is the Westernmost Bar in the Continental United States

Everyone in Ferndale read this 10 times. The level of denial around this issue continues to astound.

Theresa Lynn (Burgi) Guyer
June 17, 1968 — November 26, 2022

Theresa Lynn Guyer died unexpectedly at 54 years old on November 26 at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. She was born June 17, 1968 in Garberville to Otto Paul Burgi and Sonja Louise (Engen) Burgi.

Theresa spent most of her life living in Humboldt County. After losing her parents at a young age, she was taken in by David and Kathy Walters until she started a family of her own. Theresa had four children with Lee Conoboy and although they had separated, they were supportive in raising their kids. Her children were her world and before long, her grandkids were. Theresa had so much love for her family and close friends. In 2015, Theresa was married to Edward Guyer Sr. of Hoopa. She lived happily, making wonderful memories with her family. In 2019, after her husband lost his battle with cancer, she moved to Klamath near her sister and brother.

Theresa had worked hard all her life. She held several job titles, including baker, cashier, caregiver, and more. She had mostly enjoyed spending time volunteering at the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, acquiring the experience of an autopsy technician. Theresa was fond of the officers she worked with. She always had an inner detective and a nose for news.

Theresa is preceded in death by her parents, Otto and Sonja Burgi, her husband Ed Guyer Sr., and her adopted father David Walters Sr. She is survived by her daughters Natasha and husband Anthony of Willow Creek, Tanya and her husband Ken of Modesto, and Tonya and partner Craig of Eureka, and her son Kevin of Porterville, her 12x grandchildren, her sister Anna and husband Dennis of Klamath, her brothers Paul of LA and Michael of Klamath, her adopted mother Kathy and husband Ruckman of Modesto, her sister Kimmy of Modesto, and brother David of Modesto. Theresa is also survived by aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who she also loved dearly.

A memorial service will be held Saturday ,January 14 at 1 p.m. at the Eureka Women’s Club, 1531 J Street, Eureka. Please join in celebrating Theresa’s beautiful life. Sharing your memories and good times will be greatly appreciated.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Theresa Guyer’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

PREVIOUSLY

# # #

A Eureka teen accused of attempted murder and firing at an occupied vehicle is out of jail today on supervised release.

Judge Kelly Neel, who earlier this week set bail at $190,000 for Daniel Robert Logan Fernandez-Ralls, decided this afternoon to release him. Neel noted Fernandez-Ralls is employed, attending college and has no criminal record. He just turned 18 and lives with his family.

About 15 family members and friends, including Fernandez-Ralls’s employer, were in court today to support him. Also, the two alleged victims in the case appeared via Zoom to say they are not interested in pursuing charges and do not believe Fernandez-Ralls is a danger to them.

On the morning of Dec. 23, the alleged victims were driving on Highway 101 near the Highway 299 offramp when they came upon two vehicles that were side-by-side blocking both lanes so they couldn’t pass.

Deputy District Attorney Jessica Acosta told Neel that Fernandez-Ralls pulled over and waved them by.

As they were about level with him, Acosta said, the alleged victims saw a gun and Fernandez-Ralls fired a shot.

Deputy Public Defender Wade Orbelian responded that Fernandez-Ralls fired in self-defense because the driver (apparently of the third vehicle) had been screaming threats at him (“I’m going to kill you, motherfucker!”) and throwing objects at his windshield.

As to where Fernandez-Ralls got the 9mm Glock he allegedly fired, according to the California Highway Patrol report he borrowed it from a friend.

Acosta said Fernandez-Ralls fled the scene and went to the home of the friend who loaned him the gun, telling him, “The cops are after me.”

He was arrested later that day. No one was injured during the incident and no damage was reported.

Fernandez-Ralls was ordered to return to court Jan. 9 for his preliminary hearing.

Acosta said she expects the hearing — with two officers testifying — to last about 90 minutes. Fernandez-Ralls’s parents assured Neel today that they have no firearms in their home.

# # #

PREVIOUSLY: 

• (VIDEO) EPD Investigating Fight That Occurred After Eureka Fireworks Display, Captured in YouTube Video
• Two Suspects Sought For Assault Following Investigation Into July 4th Confrontation on Eureka Waterfront
• Suspect in Fourth of July Assault Arrested Near Garberville’s Tooby Park

# # #

Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:

Boxell

Today, 20-year-old Joseph Boxell received a 7-year prison sentence following his plea to a charge of Assault by Means Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury with a strike prior. Boxell committed the strike prior on Jan. 12, 2021 in Arcata, when he brandished a firearm at two people walking by (thereby committing another felony assault). He pled “open” to that case, meaning all sentencing options were left open to the judge, who chose to give him probation.

Boxell’s more recent assault occurred on July 4, 2022, while the victim was watching fireworks with his child in Old Town Eureka. The incident began with people verbally abusing the victim, including the use of racial slurs. Boxell then got out of his car, approached the victim from behind, and hit the victim twice in the head with a wine bottle. The victim required treatment at a hospital.

Boxell was sentenced to a total of 7 years in prison: the strike prior doubled the 3-year term for the more recent assault, and Boxell received an additional year for the probation violation. (The evidence did not support the application of hate crime statutes, in that Boxell did not personally use racial slurs and his motivation for committing the assault could not be linked beyond a reasonable doubt to bias against a particular group. [His prior assault did not involve possible hate crime issues.])

District Attorney Maggie Fleming thanked Assistant Chief Stephens and Officer Barrett of the Eureka Police Department and Deputy District Attorney Emily Norgaard for their diligent work on the case.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Recovery efforts continue for those impacted by the Dec. 20 earthquake. 

In partnership with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services will open a Local Assistance Center (LAC) to aid community members impacted by the earthquake in Humboldt County. 

LACs are activated following major disasters to support survivors and businesses suffering disaster-related losses or damages. Replace lost or destroyed vital documents (ID, financial information, etc.) and get connected with support services.

The Humboldt County Local Assistance Center will be open at Monument Middle School, 95 Center Street, Rio Dell, CA. on Friday, Dec. 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The Humboldt County LAC will provide information from participating state, local, and nonprofit agencies to residents who have been impacted by the earthquake. The LAC will provide the opportunity for residents to register to qualify for direct financial assistance. Goods such as water, food, or meals will not be distributed through the LAC.

Representatives from the following agencies organizations will be present:

State agencies:

• California Earthquake Authority (CEA)
• Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
• Department of Insurance (CDI)
• Employment Development Department (EDD)
• Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD)

Local representatives will be present from the following agencies:

• DHHS Social Services
• DHHS Behavioral Health
• DHHS Public Health
• Food for People
• Pay it Forward Humboldt
• American Red Cross
•  Catholic Charities
• Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)

If are in possession of these items, it is recommended that you bring them to the LAC:

• Photo ID
• Household income information
• Insurance documents
• Proof of address (utility bill, cell phone bill, etc.)

Services will be provided in English and Spanish. Agencies present will be providing services regardless of immigration status.

STAY INFORMED

The most important thing you can do while the community recovers is to keep informed.

• Sign up to receive Humboldt County Emergency Alerts at: humboldtgov.org/alerts
• Subscribe to OES news releases at: humboldtsheriff.org/subscribe

For updated information regarding the Humboldt County earthquake response, please go to humboldtsheriff.org/emergency and visit @HumCoOES on Facebook and Twitter.