Jason Garrett identified as victim in recent Ryan Tanner arrest

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the remains recovered on Feb. 18, 2020, in the Ettersburg area as that of 33-year-old Jason Todd Garrett of Southern Humboldt County.

Garrett’s cause of death has been determined to be a gunshot wound.

Ryan Tanner was arrested for this homicide.

PREVIOUS 2/19/2020 press release:

On Feb. 18, 2020, Humboldt County Sheriff’s crime scene investigators continued their investigation of a property on Crooked Prairie Road associated with a reported homicide.

While on scene, investigators located and recovered human remains.

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office is working to confirm the identity and gender of the decedent. An autopsy has been scheduled for Saturday, February 22. A cause of death determination is pending an autopsy.


--PREVIOUS 2/18/2020 press release:

In the evening of Feb. 16, 2020, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding a possible homicide occurring at a property on Crooked Prairie Road in the Ettersburg area, with the suspect being identified as 32-year-old Ryan Anthony Tanner.

Upon further investigation, a warrant was obtained authorizing a search of the property.

Due to information indicating Tanner to be armed and dangerous, a SWAT operation was conducted to carry out the service of the warrant.

Humboldt County SWAT, in addition to sheriff’s investigators and detectives, responded to the Ettersburg area at about 11:30 a.m. on February 17 to serve the warrant.

During a search of the property, crime scene investigators discovered evidence indicating a homicide had occurred.

Deputies searched for Tanner throughout the day in the Ettersburg area. A California Highway Patrol helicopter assisted deputies in this search. At about 7:15 p.m., Tanner was located at a residence on the 6300 block of Briceland Road. He was taken into custody without incident.

Tanner was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of murder (PC 187), exhibiting a firearm (PC 417(b)), false imprisonment (PC 236) and criminal threats (PC 422). He is being held without bail.