Eureka Police Department issued a press release this afternoon about two arrests yesterday for felony vandalism, felony charge of conspiracy to commit a crime and entering an animal enclosure. One of the suspects, a minor was also arrested for petty theft. This is from a February 16 incident at the Sequoia Park Zoo.
The former Marcelli's location on 5th street in Eureka has been empty for years. Smalls, a new eatery, has applied for a wine license. From the sign and furniture inside, it looks like they are close to opening.
3/3/25 was a busy day in the Brandon and Jesse Widmark jury trial. The People had rested their case on Friday. Evidence has concluded in the trial this morning. Closing arguments are expected to start Thursday and then after jury instructions; deliberations should start at the end of this week.
Jesse Widmark's defense case proceeded before Brandon Widmark's case.
Judge Steven Steward is presiding over the trial in this lead case. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor for the trial. Ms. Andrea Sullivan is Jesse Widmark's attorney. Ms. Rebecca Linkous is Brandon Widmark's attorney.
On 3/3/25, Ms. Linkous' motion to dismiss the attempted murder charge against Jesse Widmark was denied. Brandon Widmark did not testify. Jesse Widmark chose to testify. Brandon Widmark did not look at Jesse Widmark while he testified.
Big mistake by Jesse and he has only himself to blame. Ms. Sullivan can only do so much. Like Demetrius Coleman, Jesse Widmark made a stupid choice. Let's see how that works for him. I know how I felt, I looked around the room to see how others, including the jurors responded to Jesse Widmark. I have details and notes from the argument on the motions, Ms. Sullivan's opening statement and Jesse Widmark's testimony. Some of the graffitti and testimony is graphic and includes insulting nicknames. This is court testimony and evidence. If your PC sensibilities are offended by language people use in real life all the time; don't read the detailed testimony.
Jesse and Brandon Widmark did not grow up together. Jesse Widmark was in foster care. They got to know each other as adults. After their father passed away, they got closer. Jesse was doing meth, fentanyl, was depressed. Ms. Sullivan said instead of being a big brother, Brandon Widmark led Jesse Widmark to make destructive choices.
There is no rush to update those because no media has been in court. There will be plenty of time this week and weekend to add details. I will be adding updates and court minutes from all week to this post. This is a very serious case, there is always the issue of an appeal which was already mentioned during Ms. Sullivan's argument on the second amended motion. You can chose to check this post daily or not or wait until the weekend.
Today, jurors were let go at 10:15 and asked to return on Thursday, March 6. The People are requesting to file a second amended information. The defense attorneys asked for time to respond to the People's proposed second amended information. After arguments on that request and Judge Steward's ruling; jury instructions will be finalized.
One of the changes requested by the People is to amend the information to charge both defendants with attempted murder and also charge both defendants with the attempted murder of inmate and alleged victim Shawn Gallagher. Mr. Rees mentioned co-conspiracy and abetting. Mr. Rees told Judge Steward he has two drafts if the second amended information and one of them is without the Shawn Gallagher attempted murder charge.
On 3/5/25, after arguments from all attorneys which were all persuasive, convincing with case law cited and Judge Steward asking important questions, the People's request for second amended information was granted. Ms. Linkous's request to reopen Brandon Widmark's case was granted due to the second amended information. Jurors will now return on March 7 instead of March 6. Ms. Sullivan said Jesse Widmark will not be re-opening evidence.
3/6:
Jury instructions are being finalized today. Tomorrow morning, Brittaney Nunes will appear via Zoom. She is being recalled by Ms. Linkous. She has already testified and been cross examined. Nothing she is going to say is going to make a difference because Brandon Widmark's goose is cooked.
I am not sure what the point is of wasting more time but that has been the pattern throughout this trial by Ms. Linkous. I agree with Mr. Rees that there is no need to delay the trial for another week. Judge Steward had a brief ex parte hearing with Ms. Linkous to ask for proof about the witnesses Ms. Linkous intends torecall. That transcript is sealed until further order of the court. Nunes was the only witness discussed this morning.
Jesse Widmark's aunt has been at the trial every day. We had a brief respectful conversation. She basically confirmed a couple key facts from Ms. Sullivan's opening statement that Brandon and Jesse only shared a father. Jesse Widmark's mother is a member of a local tribe as was his foster family. She confirmed her sister was a drug addict and that Jesse Widmark had a rough childhood. She told me there were no issues with Jesse until high school and until.he started hanging around with Brandon Widmark. All this was covered in Ms. Sullivan's opening statement and Jesse Widmark's testimony in court. The aunt is not a witness. There were no jurors present. The aunt is a regular reader and follower of my blog. My readers know me and trust me and most familes are very respectful because they understand I am doing my job, appreciate the coverage. Still, I would like to thank Jesse's aunt for being so cordial because it isn't easy to read blunt facts and observations about family. Brandon's mother in Arizona and could not be here for the trial but she is following my coverage.
Fortuna Police Department issued the following press release a couple of minutes ago.
Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steven Steward is presiding over Brandon and Jesse Widmark's jury trial. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor for the trial. Ms. Andrea Sullivan represents Jesse Widmark. Ms. Rebecca Linkous is Brandon Widmark's attorney.
The People's witnesses in the last couple of days are the deputies who pursued the Widmark brothers as they fled all over Eureka on April 18, 2023 terrifying those in the truck with them which include a baby, damaging property and endangering the community.
HCSO Deputies Raleigh Willoughby, Chad Crotty, Luke Mathieson and HCSO Sgt. Conan Moore were all at Harris and Dolbeer when the suspects were finally apprehended. All officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing.
Today, Sgt. Moore testified. The People rested their case.
If you read my blog, I have done a few posts on Moore about lawsuits, settlements, excessive force and being involved in other OIS. My personal opinion of Sgt. Moore is different than the two other deputies mentioned above. However, in this instance, Sgt. Moore's actions in any other incidents are irrelevant.
Brandon and Jesse Widmark created a dangerous situation, pointed weapons at law enforcement, endangered civilians and it is time for them to show they have a pair, own up to what they did and take the consequences.
I cannot recall any interaction with Deputy Crotty before seeing him testify. He is a co-defendant with Sgt. Moore in one lawsuit. I have reported on that Greenleaf Nurseries lawsuit.
I know Deputies Mathieson and Willoughby from the courthouse and the field and think highly of them. They have been commended.
Yesterday, Deputy Crotty testified. Ms. Linkous only had one question for him. Ms. Sullivan had none. After Deputy Crotty's testimony on 2/27, you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom. The jurors had no questions for him.
You may have watched the video HCSO released but it isn't the same as sitting in a courtroom with the one of officers involved describing the scene and the man who got shot, Jesse Widmark, shaking his leg and body uncontrollably.
Deputy Crotty testimony gave a rare insight into the anxiety and trauma officers experience when they have to shoot someone pointing a gun at them and in an area where innocent civilians are around.
Deputy Crotty didn't look at Brandon and Jesse Widmark except for a brief second to identify Jesse Widmark. I have seen witnesses do this but never law enforcement.
You had to be in the courtroom to fully grasp what it was to watch a grown man; a law enforcement officer fight back tears as he answered Mr. Rees' questions about what happened and watch the video. I could tell it had an impact on the jurors.
I reported about Brandon Widmark's Arizona connection and Brandon and Jesse Widmark being former employees of Don's Rent-All in April 2023. My first two posts were on April 18 and April 19, 2023 and I observed law enforcement vehicles on different streets in Eureka. This was all before any information was released by HCSO.
Pimping and pandering suspects Sunshine Massage owner Rongqiu Li and alleged cohort and co-defendant Xiao Wang's cases were on for setting of preliminary hearing on 2/21. Yet another hearing was continued for the nth time to 4/25 for the same reason with the only difference being instead of possible resolution; it is listed as setting of prelim/change of plea.
I have been the only one reporting regularly on their court cases since their arrest.
This morning preliminary hearing was scheduled for alleged molestor and child pornography suspect Joseph Shinn. The Humboldt District Attorney's Office charged him with 25 felonies including possession of over 600 images of child pornography.
The local case was dismissed by the DA because charges have been filed in federal court.
Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer was the prosecutor on this case. Shinn had retained Mr. Michael Robinson. Shinn was in custody on a no bail status. Today, he was ordered to be released from the Humboldt jail by Judge Kaleb Cockrum.
On 2/25, jurors in Brandon and Jesse Widmark's trial were excused at lunch while Judge Steven Steward, Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees, Ms. Andrea Sullivan and Ms. Rebecca Linkous went over some evidence hearings and motions.
The last People's witness today before lunch was DA Investigator Greg Hill. He testified about the firearms in this case.
On 2/21, Joseph Larue's cases were on for OR bail and setting of preliminary hearing. Release was denied by Judge Kaleb Cockrum. A review hearing is scheduled for 2/28. Preliminary hearing is on 3/5/25. He has two 2024 cases and one 2025 case. I only included court minutes for one of the cases since the dates are the same with the only difference being that in the 2025 case an identity hearing is scheduled for extradition on his out of county warrants.
This morning, there were a number of cases on for preliminary hearing for Dauwin Poe, Cotc Lincoln and Joseph Lenhart.
Christina Higgins was arrested by Probation yesterday for PC 1203.2(a)(1) violation of probation. I have covered repeat offender Higgins since 2014 and the last post I did on her was in 2022.
She has 36 search results that come up in Humboldt Superior Court. These are the open cases that were on calendar on 2/13. CR2500187B, CR2403521A, CR2403958 and CR2002275.
Juror # 6 is a number that is cursed. First, a juror in the convicted molestor Steve Boudreaux's trial caused problems. Then this morning, before jurors heard evidence in the Brandon and Jesse Widmark trial, there was a possible issue of juror misconduct raised by Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees on 2/21. Ms. Andrea Sullivan who represents Jesse Widmark filed a motion for mistrial. Judge Steven Steward ordered transcripts of the voir dire of juror #6. The male juror was questioned this morning.
It turned out to be much ado about nothing. The juror was not replaced. There wasn't a mistrial.