By Susana Jurado
HUMBOLDT, CA – Two murder suspects were caught on the run from Virginia by Humboldt County authorities last Wednesday—and Humboldt Superior Court moved quickly, ruling to set an identity hearing for both fugitives, held on no bail, when they denied all allegations accused against them during an arraignment Friday.
Wanted for a murder in Henry County, Virginia, that happened on June 5, Humboldt authorities found them sleeping on a stairwell, near a car with stolen plates on Wednesday.
According to the HC Sheriff’s Office, on the night of June 5, deputies found a man in the doorway of an apartment with multiple gunshot wounds at 7 Grace Dr in Basset, Virginia. He was declared dead at the scene, officials said.
Based on the information in the two felony complaints filed with the court, the pair of defendants, Ashleigh McCallister and Daniel Fish, were found to be fugitives because they had a warrant for a 2nd degree murder from Virginia General District Criminal Court out of Henry County.
A felony extradition complaint was filed by the court in Virginia as they found it appropriate to move the fugitives back to their home state to properly be served justice, based on the allegations accused against them.
The judge took the time to tell the defendants that they were entitled to an attorney and, as they both responded they could not afford one, he appointed one to each of them.
April Van Dyke, conflict counsel attorney, who stood in on behalf of McCallister, spoke confidentially with her client for a few minutes outside the court. After her brief moments with McCallister, she said, “At this time, we would be denying identity and asking for an identity hearing on a timely basis.”
Public Fefender Casey Russo, who sat in on behalf of Fish, provided all the information of the felony complaint and waivers to the defendant as they talked for a few minutes away from the courtroom.
“I don’t want to waive it. I don’t want to waive it. I want to do what my girlfriend is doing,” the defendant Fish yells at his attorney across the courtroom after their meeting is over.
“Ok, Ok,” said the public defender.
When the court asked how they wanted to proceed, Russo spoke up, “I guess we’re going to ask for an identity hearing now. I think this will be served by me going and seeing Mr. Fish again early next week, which I will do.”
The court responded by entering a denial to the extradition complaint for both defendants and setting the next court date for both identity hearings on August 12, at 9:15 a.m.
Afterward, the court ruled that McCallister be held on no bail out of the state of Virginia. However, the ruling held Fish on no bail out of the state of Virginia and no bail warrant out of Humboldt County as well.
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