Friends and family of the late Taevonne “Tae” Latimer assembled in courtroom six Tuesday afternoon to seek whatever justice the court could offer before it released 19-year-old Logan Rain Brewer-Hearst back into the community.
It has been just three years and eight months since Logan-Hearst, then 16, fatally shot Latimer, 18, three times in the back.
During the weed deal gone bad, Brewer-Hearst also shot Latimer’s 18-year-old cousin, Daylyn Prudhomme, in the leg.
The District Attorney’s Office pushed for Brewer-Hearst to be tried as an adult, where, if convicted of murder, he would have been sentenced to life in prison. But Judge Gregory Elvine-Kreis denied that request, and in December 2020 Brewer-Hearst was sentenced to 15 years in a detention center of the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice.
Per the terms of a plea deal, the sentence included four years for the involuntary manslaughter of Latimer, 10 years for using a firearm, and one year for shooting Prudhomme.
It was understood, even at the time, that Brewer-Hearst would not serve all 15 years. Under California law the maximum sentence that can be imposed on juvenile ends incarceration at age 25 — or when rehabilitation is achieved.
But no one expected his incarceration to end this soon.
No one in the Latimer family expected the state to close all of its juvenile detention centers.
The law calls for people aged 14 to 24 who committed serious offenses as minors to be returned to their home counties and either placed in county juvenile halls, which were built for short-term pretrial stays, or, if they’re deemed rehabilitated, released back into the community under probation.
That’s what’s happening with Brewer-Hearst, per the direction of a state advisory board, and the victim’s family is not happy about it.
“I’m confused, in my head; I can’t wrap my mind around this,” said Gary Thompson, Latimer’s great uncle, who was one of two family members who addressed Judge Lawrence Killoran at Tuesday’s hearing.
Thompson said he spent more than 20 years as a corrections counselor, racking up more than 50,000 hours with juvenile offenders, and he said, “Something in this doesn’t seem to feel right.”
He said that never during his career did he see someone convicted of such serious crimes get rehabilitated in just three and a half years. As Thompson addressed the judge, Brewer-Hearst sat nearly immobile at the defense table, staring straight ahead, away from the assembled family in the courtroom.
“Where can we get justice?” Thompson pleaded. “Where’s our justice? That’s all we’re asking for.”
After he sat down, Melissa Hall, Latimer’s aunt, said the family found out a year ago that the state’s juvenile justice detention centers would be closing and that Brewer-Hearst would be coming back to Humboldt County to serve the remainder of his sentence.
“We accepted that,” she said. “We understood. We understand this is rehabilitation. This is a juvenile case.”
But the family didn’t find out until this past Friday that Brewer-Hearst would be released so soon.
“That gave us four days,” she said, “to speak to younger siblings. To accept this as a family. To try to find the peace that we need to have in order to coexist in this community with the offender.”
Hall said the family trusted in the justice system and that they’re aware that their “side” played a role in the incidents leading up to the 2019 shooting, but what’s difficult, she said, is that Brewer-Hearst doesn’t seem sorry.
“There has been a lack of remorse from the beginning,” she said as Brewer-Hearst continued to stare straight ahead. “There has never been an apology, and maybe Mr. Brewer-Hearst isn’t sorry. But when you take a life — even if you do somehow [decide] in your head [that] you’re defending yourself — you’d think that you’d be able to look, you know, even at us when we’re talking and just show the remorse. So that makes me fear that perhaps a high-risk, dangerous offender is being placed back into our community, not rehabilitated.”
She asked the judge to add some restrictions to the terms of Brewer-Hearst’s probation and said the family has no ill will toward the state review board, the District Attorney’s Office or anyone.
“We don’t even have ill will with Mr. Brewer-Hearst,” she said. But she called on him to remake his life and said the family believes in him — because they have to.
Hall said this has been hardest on Latimer’s younger siblings, who are now 10 and eight years old and who think of Brewer-Hearst as a boogeyman. She read a note from each of them aloud. Hall’s 10-year-old niece (Latimer’s younger sister) had written, “He [Brewer-Hearst] affected my life because I cry myself to bed most nights and I’m really sad. Most of the time I’m really more sad than happy. Please have a good day, Your Honor.”
And Hall’s nephew (Latimer’s younger brother) had written, “I thought he was supposed to be in jail until I was 14 years old. I’m only eight. I am sad, mad and very scared.”
Judge Killoran thanked Hall, saying the family’s pain was “palpable.” Unable to prevent Brewer-Hearst’s release, the judge then proceeded to add a number of restrictions to Brewer-Hearst’s probation, as requested by the prosecution.
Brewer-Hearst will be returning to Southern Humboldt to live with family for the time being. Among the terms of his probation he must check in weekly with his probation officer and submit to a drug and alcohol test with each visit. He must also obey all laws and:
Be placed on an electronic monitor for at least six months
Notify the probation officer prior to any change in residence
Not leave the county without consent
Seek and maintain employment or vocational training
Perform 20 hours of community work per week
Not contact, annoy or harass Prudhomme
Submit to search and seizure any time day or night without a warrant
Never possess firearm or live anywhere with them in the house
Never consume alcoholic beverages or other intoxicating substances
Attend counseling program
Pay restitution in the amount of $77,790
Stay away from all K-12 schools in Eureka as well as the Eureka Costco to avoid interacting with the victims’ families
Obey a curfew between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless working a job during those hours, and
Not associate with any known drug traffickers, users or associates
After these terms were read, Latimer’s family filed quietly out of the courtroom while Brewer-Hearst, still clad in his orange, jail-issued jumpsuit was led through a side door. His attorney, Andrea Sullivan, had told the judge that he likely wouldn’t be released until after business hours.
Brewer-Hearst was instructed to check in with the probation office by noon today.
Eureka City Schools (ECS) is aware of the arrest of Thomas Harlan Gowing. Gowing was a former coach and volunteer for wrestling at Eureka High School (EHS). Gowing has not worked in a paid or volunteer capacity in ECS since June 2022.
ECS supports the investigation with the Arcata Police Department, as student safety is the District’s top priority.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students is paramount,” said Rob Standish, EHS Principal. “Any EHS student who may be directly or indirectly impacted by this incident is encouraged to contact the EHS Counseling Office at 707-441-0262 for support.”
Inappropriate relationships between minors and adults will not be tolerated. ECS supports the efforts of law enforcement to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.
Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Arcata Police Department at 707-822-2428. All further inquiries should be directed to the Arcata Police Department.
Judge John Feeney has dismissed four felony child-molestation charges against Gary Frankland Landergen, a former Fortuna High School math teacher and track coach accused by three teenage girls.
After hearing hours of preliminary-hearing testimony from Fortuna police Detective Ryan Richardson, who interviewed the three Jane Does, Feeney ruled there was not enough evidence to hold Landergen to answer for lewd or lascivious behavior with a child aged 14 or 15.
Landergen.
Landergen, 57, was held to answer on two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery and two misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child.
“The court does not condone the alleged actions of Mr. Landergen,” Feeney said, noting that Landergen was in a position of trust at the high school.
“However, (his behavior) does not constitute felonious conduct.”
One of the girls told Detective Richardson that Landergen put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, said “I love you” and then slid his hand down to grab her butt.
When Richardson spoke with Landergen after his arrest, he adamantly denied the butt-grabbing. The detective then told him, falsely, that the act was caught on video. Landergen insisted he didn’t recall it, “but if it’s on camera it must have happened.”
Another girl said that at a track meet in Redding, Landergen hugged her and then patted her butt twice as she was leaving. She described it as a “good-bye pat” or “a little smack on my ass.” There were no witnesses to that alleged incident.
And a third girl reported that, while the track team was practicing stretches in the high school gym, Landergen touched the back of her thigh and the side of her butt. She said “Hey! Hey! Stop!”
But the student who had been her stretching partner said Landergen was just walking around the gym, making sure the girls were stretching properly.
Feeney, when making his ruling Tuesday afternoon, noted none of the allegations involved “skin-to-skin contact.”
In addition to the complaints about inappropriate touching, there were many reports about Landergen’s behavior in the math classroom. Students said he was fine during the first semester, but in the second semester he frequently told off-color jokes and made sexual comments.
“He began making inappropriate jokes of a sexual nature,” Richardson testified under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm.
Once, one of the girls reported, Landergen overheard a male student say the word “fucking.” He allegedly responded “I don’t know why you all look so sad. I’m always happy when I’m fucking.”
Other alleged comments:
Wrestlers are good in bed “because they know all the moves.”
“I would fuck anyone as long as I had someone to do it with.”
When a boy in class mentioned “wet dreams,” Landergen reportedly said “Oh yeah, I have wet dreams all the time.”
If the subject of “length” came up during math class, “He would turn it into a comment about penis size.”
Landergen’s defense attorney, Conflict Counsel Meagan O’Connell, noted that the three alleged victims talked to each other before any of them spoke to police.
Richardson testified that when he asked Landergen why the girls would make false accusations, “He told me that because he had made them run barefoot around the field.”
During cross-examination, O’Connell pointed out there were no adult witnesses to any of the alleged incidents.
“Correct,” Richardson said.
Asked if any of the girls believed Landergen was touching them for a sexual purpose, the detective said “None of them indicated that.”
Landergen must still deal with the misdemeanor charges. His trial is scheduled for May 1.
Landergen remains out of custody on bail. He posted bond when arrested in April 2022, and again a few months later when his bail was raised and he was re-arrested. The first bond was exonerated; the second was not.
Landergen was accompanied to court by three male supporters.
On October 22, 2022, at approximately 1:40am, a felony assault and battery resulting in great bodily injury occurred in the 600 block of 10th Street in Downtown Arcata. One 28-year-old male and one 30-year-old male, both Arcata residents, were physically confronted by members of a larger group of males, as both parties left a downtown music venue. A physical altercation ensued and both victims were punched and kicked by members of the opposite group after the victims went down during the fight. One victim sustained a traumatic brain injury and underwent emergency surgery. The second victim suffered loss of consciousness as well as bruising and swelling of the body, face, and head. Both victims survived the attack.
APD identified the individuals involved and developed two primary suspects as 21-year-old Fortuna resident Aldair Ramirez-Vera and 21–year-old Fortuna resident Emmanuel Herrera-Cortes.
On January 25, 2023, APD took Herrera-Cortes and Ramirez-Vera into custody without incident. Both suspects were booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:
Emanuel Herrera-Cortes:
· PC 245(a)(4)-Felony Assault
Aldair Ramirez-Vera:
· PC 245(a)(4)-Felony Assault
· PC 243(d)-Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Arcata Police Department’s Investigations Unit, at 707-822-2424.
Low water in Lake Mead in 2010. Photo: Cmpxchg8b, via Wikimedia. Public domain.
California and six other states that import water from the parched Colorado River failed to reach an agreement today on how to cut their use despite a deadline from federal officials.
Six states presented the federal government with a proposal to slash the lower basin’s use by 2.9 million acre-feet — including more than 1 million acre-feet from California, or 25% of its historic entitlements. But California, the largest user of Colorado River water, refused to sign onto the proposal and, instead, hours later issued its own — which mirrors its offer last fall to cut imports by 9%, or 400,000 acre feet.
The impasse is over water delivered to Imperial Valley farmers and cities in six Southern California counties.
A severe mega-drought — the driest conditions in 1,200 years — has forced the states to find ways to reduce their imports since they are now consuming far more water than the river contains: Allocations to the United States and Mexico based on historic rights total 16.5 million acre-feet a year, and in most years, they are using around 13 million acre-feet — significantly more than the river’s 11 million acre-feet. Its reservoirs are at record low levels and are expected to keep dropping.
U.S. Interior Department officials, who enforce the river’s allocations, did not weigh in on the proposals today or even mention the deadline. Spokesperson Tyler Cherry said in a statement that Interior “remains committed to pursuing a collaborative and consensus-based approach.” He called it the “strongest immediate tool” to reach an agreement to sustainably manage the river’s water supply.
The dispute pits the Imperial Irrigation District, the Metropolitan Water District, the Coachella Valley Water District, the Palo Verde Irrigation and the Quechan Tribal Council against Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. The Imperial Irrigation District is by far the largest user in California, with senior rights to 3.1 million acre-feet per year.
Imperial Valley growers have resisted fallowing their fields, saying they have rights to the water and already have cut their usage.
In a statement, JB Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, said the proposal from the other states “is inconsistent with the Law of the River and does not form a seven-state consensus approach.” Hamby also serves as vice-president of the Imperial Irrigation District’s Board of Directors.
The Law of the River refers to the system of allocating water to each state based on decades-old agreements and court rulings. That process favors California, since its users have senior rights.
By importing Colorado River water, Imperial County has become the ninth largest agricultural producer in California, reporting $2.3 billion in sales in 2021, led by cattle and lettuce.
Alfalfa and other forage grasses — water-intensive crops used to feed dairy cows and cattle — dominate the acreage, carpeting more than half of the farmland. Imperial also produces two-thirds of the vegetables consumed in the U.S. during winter months.
Instead of signing the proposal from the other states, the Imperial Irrigation District and the other Southern California water agencies presented their own plan today. It closely resembles a similar offer they made in October to cut annual withdrawals by 400,000 acre-feet per year at least through 2026. That 9% reduction is much less than the 15% to 30% cuts that federal water managers are waiting for.
Hamby said California’s proposal is “based on what is practical, voluntary, and achievable through 2026 in a way that works within the existing body of laws, compacts, decrees, and … the Law of the River.”
The steep decline in the river’s supply has induced an escalating panic during the past five years. Last summer, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton asked the states in the Colorado River basin for a plan to reduce use of the river’s water by 2 to 4 million acre-feet each year within 60 days. The soft deadline passed quietly. In December, Touton repeated the order at a water users conference in Las Vegas, calling on the seven states for a plan to cut their use of Colorado River water “before the end of January.”
Some water policy experts consider it fair for California to give up more water that it has agreed to since it uses the most. John Fleck, water policy expert at the University of New Mexico School of Law’s Utton Center, said the six-state proposal “broadly shares shortages across all the water users. California would prefer to stick with their interpretation of old legal agreements, because they come out on top.”
The six-state proposal suggests that lower basin states – California, Arizona and Nevada – plus Mexico cut their usage by 1.5 million acre-feet when the elevation of Lake Mead drops below 1,145 feet, to account for water lost to evaporation, which current allocation systems do not consider. Mead currently stands at 1,046 feet and by volume is three-fourths empty.
The proposal suggests further water cuts as the lake declines past specific trigger points. At a level below 1,020 feet, California would retain 3 million of its full 4.4 million acre-foot entitlement.
Fleck said past Colorado River water management has been hasty and haphazard.
“We’ve avoided legal conflict by just allowing California and Arizona to take a whole lot of water, and now Lake Mead is at these low levels,” he said.
Cuts have occurred in the past, he said, though usually with little impact on California. “They were the best we could do without triggering this sort of conflict,” Fleck said.
Now unrelenting drought, combined with overuse of the river, have taken things to the next level.
“What we’re seeing is a real manifestation of the urgent need to solve this problem, one way or another,” Fleck said.
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Steven Kyle Buckingham passed away on January 16, 2023 at St.
Joseph’s Hospital at the age of 38. Steven was born in 1984 to Ronald
and Debra Buckingham. Steven quickly became a big brother to Laura
when he was 18 months old. He was a dedicated big brother and
truly looked after his little sister. Unfortunately the parents
divorced and Steven and his sister moved to many new homes.
Steven
was fortunate enough to move to Eureka from Florida in 1999, when he
started into Eureka High school. He graduated from Eureka High in
2003. Steven was always very active outside and looked forward to
hiking, camping and fishing. Sometimes mischievous, his thinking
outside the box landed him in trouble a couple times but definitely
earned him life long friends. It was during his high school years
that Steven began dating Julianna Breen. She would become his first
wife later. Steve was always into his cars and proudly had a Mustang
that he enjoyed driving his friends in.
Steven
joined the Navy out of the Eureka recruiter office and became a Navy
Corps Corpsman in 2003, spending his time attached to Marine Corps
units in Iraq, Afghanistan and across various waters and continents.
His natural leadership and likability has left many of his friends
and family in tremendous grief as his death was too very soon and
unexpected. Steven finished his tours in 2011 and returned home to
Eureka. Steven was employed at the local VA office and very involved
with veteran affairs, like placing flags on the vets headstones on
Memorial days. Steve was also involved in many other groups and
organizations. He met many friends while he was active in his fitness
journey between CrossFit classes, Spartan races, and boxing. He
enthusiastically joined the local Masonic lodge #79 in 2019. He was
dedicated to their weekly meetings and community outreach programs.
Steve was well known for his friendly, energetic conversations and
being a trustworthy network amongst friends. Steve was the “Hey,
I know a guy” person and would actually get you connected!
Steven
leaves behind his 9 month old daughter Stephanie, 9 year old step-son
Jayden, and 13 year old daughter Alexis. Steven was an excellent
father, very dedicated to his children. He would beam with pride when
telling of his daughter Alexis’ cheer competitions, volleyball games
and track tournaments. His very active/ involved baby could finally
rest her eyes on daddy’s chest and let herself have some sleep.
Steven leaves behind his new bride Danielle Buckingham, 33, of
Eureka. They met training for Spartan races and their enjoyment of
being outside hiking, attending church services, and planning a life
together was the cement of their too short relationship. They had
just married in December of 2021.
Steven leaves behind his father
Ronald Buckingham of Pleasanton Iowa. Steve was fortunate enough to
spend some summers with his Dad in Iowa where he held a job as a corn
picker and learned to drive on a farm. Steven leaves behind his
sister Laura Buckingham, 36 of Tennessee. They had served together
and Laura is a USMC veteran. Many friends in Eureka are now left
without their passionate, selfless, energetic and fun loving buddy
who always wanted to help a friend in need.
Services
are open: Thursday, February 16, 10:30 at Oceanview Cemetery (3975
Broadway, Eureka) including an Honor Guard presentation. We will then proceed
to Faith Center Foursquare Church (1032 Bay St., Myrtletown) at noon.
Some of Steven’s artwork and memorabilia will be on display at the
Church. A potluck luncheon will follow as the Memorial service will
blossom into a Celebration of Life and friends wishing to tell tales
of Steve are encouraged to join. This location will be announced at
the Foursquare Church.
Steven’s
tragic death will not be forgotten. His relentless dedication to the
government and community will be honored. The family request all his
friends to attend as a remembrance that Steven was in fact not alone.
In lieu of flowers, plants that can be re planted or small fruit tree
that can be planted in the backyard that Steve spent hours pruning,
hedging and mowing. For a more unique dedication or gift in Steven’s
honor anyone with time to help promote suicide prevention and
awareness would be most appreciated.
A
special thank you to Ming Tree, Masonic Lodge and local friends for
their awesome support to Steven’s widow and their children.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Steven Buckingham’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Nellie Marie Tucker passed to her rest on January 5, 2023 in Eureka, at the
age of 95. She was a long-time resident of Arcata, where she had lived with her
late husband, Joseph Henry Tucker, Sr., with whom she raised a family of six
children for 56 years of marriage.
Nellie was born on October 11, 1927, in Laverne, Oklahoma, but had been raised
in Ontario, California, where her family moved when she was four years old. Early on, she learned to contribute to the family of eight children and developed a strong work ethic that carried her throughout life. Right up to within three weeks of her death, Nellie could be found indulging in her passions of quilting, sewing, embroidering, doing word searches, and caring for her plants and herself in her own home.
Nellie lived a busy, full life: raising her children as a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs of the 1950s and 1960s; keeping up with the extended family, both hers
and Joe’s; moving the family to Redwood Country and eventually working as a
nursing home aide and CNA. She was a caring friend, compassionate caregiver,
and loving mother.
For the last 20 years of her life she terribly missed her husband, Joe, a lifelong truck driver whom she had loyally supported. Together they had loved to go on road trips seeing the country and visiting family and friends. Being a part of the “Talk to America” Truckers Convoy of 1977 was one of many highlights in their lives.
Nellie was a long-time member of the Arcata-McKinleyville Seventh-day
Adventist Church, where she was involved with many activities and greatly
loved by the members. She had also given much time and energy to the Arcata
Senior Center, where she was proud to be a member of Katie’s Krafters, making
quilts for local resident care homes.
Nellie will be remembered for her fun-loving spirit, her generosity, her genuine
love for people, her ability to laugh at herself, and her love and loyalty for
family.
Nellie is survived by her son Joe Tucker Jr. and Ann of Hartselle, AL; four
daughters: Susan Hansen and Alan of Madera, CA; Mary Earhart and Blake of
Eureka, CA; Connie Reynolds and Edwin of Collegedale, TN; and Barbara Marinand Gary of Arcata, CA. She adored her grandchildren Michelle (Greg), Michael
(Jana), Jeana, Donald (Brooke), Beth (Jeremy) , David (Tiffany), and Brandon;
and enjoyed the great-grandchildren Wesley (Taylor), Luke, Case, Austin, David,
Dennis, Joseph, Jocelyn, Emily, Amber, and Joey. Nellie will also be missed by
her surviving sisters Pauline Righetti of St. George, UT, and Elsie Remke of
Fresno, CA, and numerous nieces and nephews spread throughout the States.
Nellie’s husband Joe Tucker, son Richard Tucker, and grandson Michael Alan
Hansen have predeceased her.
Nellie now rests at the Oceanview Cemetery in Eureka with her husband,
Joe, both of them waiting to arise on the resurrection morning.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Nellie Tucker’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
