Ranch Owner Calls For Independent Investigation –
At the same time, authorities found it somewhat easy to ignore these complaints. But the shooting death of Wayne King, an employee on the Historic Nelson Ranch, will likely change all of that.
Even Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto, in an interview with CBS-13 in Sacramento, acknowledged that the circumstances were strange.
“We thought initially that it was a homicide,” Sheriff Prieto told CBS-13 in Sacramento on Tuesday, saying it was a method that surprised him. “It was something I’ve never experienced, or even witnessed or even heard of, but his goal was to take his own life and he did accomplish that.”
As the news anchor said in his lead-in, “Frankly, what the Yolo County Sheriff told us today makes this more perplexing.”
Friends and ranch owners are not buying the story. CBS-13 talked to ranch owner Ted Wilson, who told them that there were no signs Wayne was suicidal, but there were signs of trouble ever since the ranch started a legal battle to save farmland from further development.
Ted Wilson told CBS-13, “I’m not a policeman, I’m not an investigator. I’m just a country boy, but I know Wayne.”
Sheriff Prieto told CBS-13, “We have received complaints from the owners in the past making allegations of threats to their personal safety. We have responded to each of those allegations, we’re unable to substantiate that their life is in jeopardy.”
According to the Sheriff, this investigation is now closed.
Ted Wilson asked for someone outside of Yolo County to take a look at this before they close the case.
In closing, the CBS-13 news anchor remarked, “Strange case and a very strange explanation from the Sheriff.”
The Vanguard requested the coronor’s report and received it. The press release was issued at 5:30 pm on Monday evening, calling it suicide:
“The Yolo County Sheriff’s Department has determined that Wayne Henry King, 53 years old, died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as determined by a forensic autopsy.
Cause of Death: Gunshot Wound to the Head
Manner of Death: SuicideOn November 19, 2010, Friday evening at approximately 6:00 pm, Yolo County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Woodland Fire Department responded to a ranch on County Rd 18C north of Woodland, to a call of a man not breathing. King was located on the stairs leading to the mobile home he lived in at the ranch and was declared dead at the scene. Wayne King was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head. King’s body was found on the stairs leading to his residence, a single wide mobile home.”
However the coroner’s report itself that was attached indicated the cause of death was “homicide” and the injury description was “decedent shot at the hands of another.”
The strangest part of this is that no gun was found, but they did find him with a hammer in his right hand.
The report reads, “Decedent found with hammer in right hand and what appeared to be an entrance wound to right side of head with brain avulsing out.”
Commentary
The Sheriff is offering up an explanation, and he acknowledges that it was a method that surprised him, but perhaps that is a reason to do a longer and more full investigation. Or at the very least, release more information because right now, the report has generated far more questions than answers.
Their report is not going to satisfy anyone who believes that there is even the remotest possibility that something else happened here other than suicide. Certainly, for the people who knew Mr. King, those who worked with him, they deserve a clear answer as to exactly what happened and why the Sheriff’s Department would move from a homicide conclusion to a suicide conclusion in very rapid fashion.
Moreover, given Brenda Cedarblade’s very high-profile status, her outspokenness at the county level and her consistent series of complaints including against the Sheriff’s Department and the County, it would seem logical to heed the calls for an outside investigator to assure an impartial view bears out the final conclusion.
It is easy to dismiss Ms. Cedarblade, but the fact remains that you have had two years’ worth of complaints about harassment and now a suicide that, at the very least, your own sheriff is calling unusual. Seems logical to cross those last “T’s” and dot those last “I’s” and have an outside agency just make sure there was not something missed.
That only seems reasonable, unless the Sheriff has something to hide and Ms. Cedarblade’s allegations are correct. The only way to put this to rest is to open this up to full transparency, or at least as much as the law will allow.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
A suicide that is a shot to the head and no gun in the vicinity makes absolutely no sense. I cannot imagine how the sheriff has determined this. I would like to know more.
dmg: “The Sheriff is offering up an explanation, and he acknowledges that it was a method that surprised him, but perhaps that is a reason to do a longer and more full investigation.”
What is the Sheriff’s explanation? I’m totally perplexed…
As much as this does not make clear sense, my question is what is the motive to cover up a death and say it is a suicide? This would take a lot of people going to a lot of trouble for what reason?
This however, does not excuse law enforcement from doing a good investigation and making their case clear to the people on why they reached the conclusion they reached.[quote]Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.[/quote]
The bigger problem is Yolo Justice system has been in questions since the election of DA Reisig. Constant complaints of injustice, over charging, pay to play, money for charges, withholding evidence, false and misleading press releases, lack of cooperation from the DA and his office, cases over-turned, in-fighting between the DA’s office and local police departments, and the “secret society type environment” surrounding Mr. Reisig all create an picture of corruption, back door deals and unethical actions.
Since the DA is supposed to be the over sight of county Law Enforcement, most faith in any outcome from Mr. Reisig is suspect at best. Which is why we see protest and constant request for outside investigations and other oversight over the DA. Most reasonable people would think if Mr. Reisig had nothing to hide, why wouldn’t he be more open, transparent and forthcoming with his office and findings? On the other hand, the more he tries to conceal, lie, mislead and hide behind his position, it just increases the distrust of him and his office.
Here again, unless people, the press and other elected officials speak out and demand accountability, Yolo Justice will continue to be questionable and apparently for sale or trade.
“What is the Sheriff’s explanation? I’m totally perplexed… “
Me too!
As the news anchor said in his lead-in, “Frankly, what the Yolo County Sheriff told us today makes this more perplexing.”
“As much as this does not make clear sense, my question is what is the motive to cover up a death and say it is a suicide? This would take a lot of people going to a lot of trouble for what reason? “
The problem is that it does not make sense right now, nor does a conspiracy make a lot of sense unless Ms. Cedarblade is right about what has happened in the last two years.
I’m pursuing this at this point because the official explanation as it has been explained doesn’t make sense. Maybe if I knew what the Sheriff knew it would, and I think that’s a good reason to release as much information as they can.
dmg: “As the news anchor said in his lead-in, “Frankly, what the Yolo County Sheriff told us today makes this more perplexing.””
Is the Sheriff giving any details on how he thinks the victim could have shot himself, and yet no gun would be found nearby?
Prieto: “”We thought initially that it was a homicide,” Sheriff Prieto told CBS-13 in Sacramento on Tuesday, saying it was a method that surprised him. “It was something I’ve never experienced, or even witnessed or even heard of, but his goal was to take his own life and he did accomplish that.””
What “method” is Sheriff Prieto talking about?
Is the Sheriff entertaining the theory that the victim wanted to make his own suicide look like a murder?
There is so little in the way of facts to go on here (and why so few facts?), I am completely baffled…
Disregarding the conspiracy, I would think that a gun would be present. Did someone remove it before the Sheriff arrived? Maybe this is something for the Grand Jury? If the Coroner determined it to be suicide, then he should be able to give an explanation of what he thought happened or what was the evidence that lead him to this conclusion.
The hammer was required for suicide by bullet (or even accident by bullet) if no traditional weapon is available to fire the projectile. Elementary.
David: [i]”I do not understand how a suicide could occur via a gunshot wound to the head without a gun being present on the scene. The Sheriff is offering up an explanation …”[/i]
You never said what explanation he offered up as to “how a suicide could occur via a gunshot wound to the head without a gun …” Please [u]tell us what the Sheriff’s explanation for that is[/u].
One other thing which has not been explained is the timeline. How long was it from the time Mr. King was shot (or shot himself) and he was reportedly found bleeding?
If this was a substantial period of time–say an hour or more–then it seems possible (though still unlikely) that a passerby found him dead and stole his gun. And then (even more unlikely) placed a hammer in his hand where his gun had been.
I would also guess that, for them to conclude he shot himself, they found gun powder residue on his right hand. Has the Coroner said anything of that kind?
Re: the Coroner report saying, “Decedent Shot at the Hands of Another.” This must have been composed before Sheriff Prieto determined that it was a suicide. So has a new report by the Coroner been issued?
A final thing I find strange is that in your story yesterday, you quoted Brenda Cedarblade saying she thought it was possible that Mr. King killed himself, due to his frazzled state of mind: “… she also felt that Mr. King was despondent about a series of events and about being included on some anonymous Google blog.”
But today, Brenda’s husband seems to feel just the opposite: “CBS-13 talked to ranch owner Ted Wilson, who told them that there were no signs Wayne was suicidal.”
Perhaps Ted and Brenda need to talk to each other to decide which one is right.
[b]JS:[/b] [i]”The hammer was required for suicide by bullet (or even accident by bullet) if no traditional weapon is available to fire the projectile. Elementary.”[/i]
Are you suggesting he placed a bullet on a hard table of some sort, positioned his right temple in line with that bullet, and then with a hammer his right hand pounded the bullet so that it would “fire” into his head and kill himself (on purpose or accidentally)?
That may have happened, but it strikes me as an ever odder supposition than having a third party steal the gun after the suicide and replacing the gun with the hammer.
FWIW, I Googled the question of whether you can fire a bullet without a gun and I found this response ([url]http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1289679[/url]), which I guess is what Just Saying said above: [quote]PUT THE SHELL PART OF THE BULLET INTO A VISE AND LOCK IT, THEN PUT ON GOGGLES, PUT A LONG ABOUT A FOOT LONG FLAT CHISEL ON THE SMALL PART OF THE BACK OF SHELL. THEN HIT CHISEL WITH HAMMER. IT SHOULD FIRE OFF THE BULLET. COMMON LOGIC. [/quote] If that is what happened in this case, my guess is that was not suicide per se, but an accident due to idiocy.
Except that he was on a porch so where would the vise be?
According to the Daily Democrat, “Yolo County officials say a Historic Nelson Ranch resident shot himself with a homemade gun last Friday, despite some questions which arose because initial reports pegged the death as a homicide.”
“Asked whether the hammer was part of a homemade gun, LaBrash declined comment. Suicide details are usually withheld out of respect for the family, he said.”
Not sure if that clears anything up, though.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_16702660
Maybe Just Saying’s theory is correct…
Interesting note from the Daily Democrat Editor
“The Editor Responds:
A new story has been posted which hopefully will clear up some of the confusion regarding this tragic event. In the meantime, I recommend that people (unless they have any proof to the contrary) accept the coroner’s findings of suicide out of respect for those members of Mr. King’s family who survive him.
Jim Smith, editor, Daily Democrat”
David, you are spot on with your reporting; I think we both smell a rat. This has been going on for over two years I know of. Knowing the history of the ranch; the Sheriff should be a lot more open and honest. I heard him tell a boldface lie in one report on TV.
Only in Yolo County, can you shoot yourself without a gun.
Steve
I can see how some of the initial reports could confuse some people. Even I was a little curious. I never met Mr. King and have met Brenda only a few times so I won’t weigh in on their personalities or claims against the Sheriffs Department.
What I will say is this. It appears many people are getting their news from this site. At noon today this was posted on the DD site,
[quote]”Yolo County officials say a Historic Nelson Ranch resident shot himself with a homemade gun last Friday, despite some questions which arose because initial reports pegged the death as a homicide.”[/quote]
What I do have experience with is firearms. I’ll take to items into account when stating taking ones life with a homemade gun would very easy. Item one would be that ranches usually have all kinds of hardware and miscellaneous tools lying around. The second item I would look at is someones ability to make a home made firearm. It would take very little skill to accomplish making a homemade firearm. Given this fact that Mr King was the manager it is safe to say he knew how to work with his hands. His duties would include at least minor maintenance work. All one would need would be a bullet.
I know certain rounds can be made to fire with only a plastic straw. I won’t post the method as I would hate to have a child learn how to do so.
I won’t share my opinion on what actually happened but will say based on what was posted on a news source I will say committing suicide by making something that will fire a bullet (especially when a hammer is present) is very possible.
Committing suicide with a homemade gun is a new one on me. Must have been a new one on the Sheriff too. Weird but obviously possible…
I find it interesting though that the Cedarblades would turn a suicide around and use it to their “advantage” to claim it was more harassment from county officials.
By the way, does anyone know what the victim was despondent about – there was mention of a Google site? Anyone know anything about that?
HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN COOKING UP A STORM AND HOPE TO ENJOY PIGGING OUT THE ONE DAY A YEAR IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT TO DO SO!!!
ERM,
“I find it interesting though that the Cedarblades would turn a suicide around and use it to their ‘advantage’ to claim it was more harassment from county officials.”
But initially it wasn’t deemed a suicide and the circumstances surrounding the incident were bizarre to say the least, so perhaps that is why she spoke out as she did. Since it was unequivocally ruled a suicide (with some explanations regarding the confusing info released by the SO), do we know that she has continued to take ‘advantage’ or (attempted to in anyway) of this tragedy?
“By the way, does anyone know what the victim was despondent about – there was mention of a Google site? Anyone know anything about that?”
In the Democrat article I quoted from earlier, it was claimed that he had had a dispute with someone earlier in the day about “Mexican” music, I think. I can’t provide the exact quote for the article has been removed from the Democrat’s online site or some other glitch has caused it to no longer be accessible.
DMG’s previous article mentioned him being despondent over some words on a website. I don’t think we ever got any clarification as to which websites upset him or what was even said.
Mr. Obvious,
“I will say committing suicide by making something that will fire a bullet (especially when a hammer is present) is very possible.”
Your poster moniker fits your comment here. Engineering a weapon that can fire a bullet could provide someone with the means to shoot oneself, thus ending their life.
Regarding the homemade gun; where is it? Even if it exploded; there shoud still be some fragments from it.
One interesting note:
Brenda Cedarblade’s Facebook site was taken down overnight; I fail to understand why Brenda would take her site down. It gives the impression Brenda, is panicking over something.
[quote]Your poster moniker fits your comment here. Engineering a weapon that can fire a bullet could provide someone with the means to shoot oneself, thus ending their life. [/quote]
All of my posts are obvious. Some lack the ability to recognize it.
For someone to commit suicide with a hammer and a bullet, there are a few key things that would be needed:
1. In order to make this work, there needs to be a thick metal tubing to hold the bullet (or something like it). The primer in the bullet has to be crushed (hard enough to ignite it). The tubing would hold the bullet still so you can hit it. A pipe will also hold the explosion long enough to allow for the bullet to move forward. Was there a pipe nearby or something else similar to hold the bullet.
2. There should be powder burns all over the person’s face. Were there powder burns?
3. Was the person’s hands blown apart from the explosion?
These are questions that should be asked.
SM: “But initially it wasn’t deemed a suicide and the circumstances surrounding the incident were bizarre to say the least, so perhaps that is why she spoke out as she did. Since it was unequivocally ruled a suicide (with some explanations regarding the confusing info released by the SO), do we know that she has continued to take ‘advantage’ or (attempted to in anyway) of this tragedy?”
I had the impression Cederblade accepted the suicide theory, bc she made some mention the victim was despondent about his life, then started up with the conspiracy theories after the fact. That is why I said what I did. Of course it is sometimes hard to tease out exactly what happened when from blog/news accounts, so perhaps I have misunderstood the sequence of events, but I don’t think so…
To FAI: You make some interesting points. Bc the Sheriff/coroner are not releasing all the details, it is hard to know what the actual evidence was to be able to assess if we think the verdict of suicide was a reasonable one under the circumstances…
Isn’t it amazing how informed a free society is even if it has a Gov that works for the people, yet the people are not entitled to know what the Gov knows that works for them?
Perhaps in Yolo County the Gov does not report to the people?
I’m not sure I fully understand you post, Rabbit. However, my view is that the voters would be better served by having department heads (Sheriff, DA, Tax Collector, Assessor, etc.) who had to answer to our full-time Board of Supervisors. Because the department heads are elected independently, they don’t have to answer to anyone, not even the public, in between elections. And because the information is often hard to decipher, or the office so obscure, the people don’t generally have the information or motivation to demand answers, even when elections come around. But if the Sheriff’s job and pay depended upon approval of the 5 full-time members of the BoS, I think he (and other dept heads) would be more responsive to the public concerns.
ERM,
“I had the impression Cederblade accepted the suicide theory, bc she made some mention the victim was despondent about his life, then started up with the conspiracy theories after the fact. That is why I said what I did. Of course it is sometimes hard to tease out exactly what happened when from blog/news accounts, so perhaps I have misunderstood the sequence of events, but I don’t think so…”
Here’s what the previous article on the subject states re: Cederblade/cause of death:
“She added that while she is somewhat confused about the official explanation, she would not discount the possibility that the wound was self-inflicted.
She indicated that she wanted to look at the reports before making a determination herself, but she also felt that Mr. King was despondent about a series of events and about being included on some anonymous Google blog.”
That sounds to me as though Ms. Cederblade drew no conclusions as to the cause of death. Further, it’s reported that she was not willing to rule out suicide, which is quite different from accepting the suicide theory.
The remainder of the article primarily discusses past events surrounding the Cederblades/their property and their complaints to various government entities. In fact, Ms. Cederblade doesn’t have much to say about this man’s death (as reported in the article anyway) and how it relates to her past problems with the county/state.
What we read was David’s reporting on past issues pertaining to the Cederblades and the Sheriff’s Dept. Given the circumstances of this case and the history between the two parties, DMG feels it’s necessary for an independent investigation to be conducted, which he believes may help put to rest any doubt the public has about the SD’s impartiality/investigative findings.
Rifkin,
“Because the department heads are elected independently, they don’t have to answer to anyone, not even the public, in between elections. And because the information is often hard to decipher, or the office so obscure, the people don’t generally have the information or motivation to demand answers, even when elections come around.”
So the problem is the electorate, then? Not capable and/or willing to hold these elected officials accountable? There’s always the Grand Jury…
“But if the Sheriff’s job and pay depended upon approval of the 5 full-time members of the BoS, I think he (and other dept heads) would be more responsive to the public concerns.”
We have several Yolo County department heads, do you believe they have been more responsive the public’s concerns? Do you think the BoS have responded appropriately to concerns regarding our sitting dept. heads?
To SM: Here are the passages that made me think the Cedarblades are using this incident to bolster their worldview that this death was somehow connected to harassment of them:
“Written by David Greenwald
Wednesday, 24 November 2010 05:51
Ranch Owner Calls For Independent Investigation –
For two years, ranch owners Ted Wilson and Brenda Cedarblade have complained about a bizarre series of events that includes harassment and even a shooting on their land. They believe it has to do with their opposition to county land use policies that has made them a target.
At the same time, authorities found it somewhat easy to ignore these complaints. But the shooting death of Wayne King, an employee on the Historic Nelson Ranch, will likely change all of that.
Everyone admits the circumstances here are bizarre. There was no gun found near the body and yet the Coroner’s Office believes that Mr. King died from a self-inflicted bullet wound.
Even Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto, in an interview with CBS-13 in Sacramento, acknowledged that the circumstances were strange.
“We thought initially that it was a homicide,” Sheriff Prieto told CBS-13 in Sacramento on Tuesday, saying it was a method that surprised him. “It was something I’ve never experienced, or even witnessed or even heard of, but his goal was to take his own life and he did accomplish that.”
As the news anchor said in his lead-in, “Frankly, what the Yolo County Sheriff told us today makes this more perplexing.”
Friends and ranch owners are not buying the story. CBS-13 talked to ranch owner Ted Wilson, who told them that there were no signs Wayne was suicidal, but there were signs of trouble ever since the ranch started a legal battle to save farmland from further development.
Ted Wilson told CBS-13, “I’m not a policeman, I’m not an investigator. I’m just a country boy, but I know Wayne.”
Sheriff Prieto told CBS-13, “We have received complaints from the owners in the past making allegations of threats to their personal safety. We have responded to each of those allegations, we’re unable to substantiate that their life is in jeopardy.””
THE SENTENCES “Friends and ranch owners are not buying the story. CBS-13 talked to ranch owner Ted Wilson, who told them that there were no signs Wayne was suicidal, but there were signs of trouble ever since the ranch started a legal battle to save farmland from further development.” IS PARTICULARLY TELLING.
[i]So the problem is the electorate, then? Not capable and/or willing to hold these elected officials accountable?[/i]
Yes. And if you don’t think I’m right, ask yourself who you last elected as our Auditor? Or who currently is our Assessor? Even if you happen to be among the 0.05% who knows their names, how closely have you monitored their actions in office? Is each man (they are both males) really earning his $137,678 annual salary (plus about $70,000 extra per year in benefits or other costs to the County)?
FWIW, you should know that Yolo County has no choice to hold elections for these department head jobs. State law now requires it. A number of times counties have tried to make these positions appointed, but the interest groups involved–the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA), for example, or the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors–has lobbied hard to make sure they retained their independent source of power.
Elaine might be onto something… suppose the possibility that the employee was ‘collateral damage’ in an attempt to “prove” harassment… just as logical as some of the other theories presented… and possibly bolstered in some of the disappearance of web pages, etc.
[quote]Elaine might be onto something… suppose the possibility that the employee was ‘collateral damage’ in an attempt to “prove” harassment… just as logical as some of the other theories presented… and possibly bolstered in some of the disappearance of web pages, etc.[/quote]
I have known Brenda since she was 18; I hate to say this; but Elaine’s theory has crossed my mind too more than once. Brenda & my own mother are a lot a like: If there is no drama in their life; they create some; or it manages to find them somehow. I’m still trying to give Brenda the benefit of the doubt; but she has done somethings lately that have left me really questioning who the real Brenda Cedarblade is.
If Wayne, killed himself on Brenda’s property; he had to know that was going point the spotlight back on Brenda and her difficulties in getting along and working with others. I get the feeling he was making a statement about dealing with Brenda’s management style or the lack of it. I know for a fact! It’s Brenda’s way or the highway; or in this case the highway to heaven.
Brenda, your silence in this matter is causing even your friends to speculate what really happened behind the scenes at the ranch. Lets face it: You have been know to bury people who don’t see it your way; or at very least put them through a living hell; and that’s how you treat your friends. I can only imagine how you treat your enemies!
A lot of good people have stood by you Brenda over the years; through thick and thin. You need to learn how to treat people a lot better than you do, they are not to be used; then tossed aside when they no longer suite your needs.
Eyes wide open and very disappointed.
Interesting where this might lead… suspect this blog will “drop” the ‘thread’ as it may lead away from an “indictment” of the police & DA as part of the conspiracy theory… now, I actually am looking forward to further investigation… if it was a suicide, details should be suppressed to spare remaining family… add the coroner’s office to those who should be investigated in ANY event… if it was “death at the hand of another”, let’s make sure that individual(s) are removed from society…
Forgot to add… the Grand Jury should be charged with looking at this incident, including the possible culpability of the victim, the Cedarblades, sheriff’s office, DA’ office, and the coroner… “something” is wrong. I’ll write the letter to the Grand Jury… I invite others to do the same…
ERM,
“THE SENTENCES “Friends and ranch owners are not buying the story. CBS-13 talked to ranch owner Ted Wilson, who told them that there were no signs Wayne was suicidal, but there were signs of trouble ever since the ranch started a legal battle to save farmland from further development.” IS PARTICULARLY TELLING.”
I can see where you’re getting the impression that they are attempting to benefit from this man’s death. However, it would seem that it depends on which owner you talk to-Ted or Brenda. Sounds like Ted saying, “Gee, I don’t know. A lot of fishy things have been happening out here.” On the other hand, it sounded as Brenda was less inclined to use this death to their advantage, based on what I’ve read.
Rifkin,
You’re right, few (if any) voters are closely monitoring what goes on in those offices. Have you been closely observing their actions? Do you have reason to believe they are acting unlawfully, unethically, etc? Perhaps it would be a good idea for someone to start a project similar to the YJW? The point is that there is little oversight and maybe alternative media outlets can assist in holding these elected and high paid officials accountable.
That said, can’t you make the argument that the electorate doesn’t know who’s in what office, doing this or that and so forth across the board (local, state, fed)? How is your example any different (not knowing or knowing very little about who’s in office and what kind of job they’re doing in YC)?
You never did address my question from earlier. We do have dept heads in this county. Do you believe that they have responded better to the public’s concerns than those in elected office?
hpierce,
“if it was a suicide, details should be suppressed to spare remaining family…”
That’s exactly what the coroner is doing in this case, according to quote in the Democrat.
There’s one of the disconnects… “died by hands of another” & treating the case as a suicide, don’t mix
The assessor has lowered people’s property taxes because of the downturn in real estate. He even had to reduce his own staff as a result of the shortfall in revenue as a result of his actions. Although not directly linked the resulting layoffs came from all department including his own. So what is your complaint?
Hpierce,
“There’s one of the disconnects… ‘died by hands of another’ & treating the case as a suicide, don’t mix”
I understand that the authorities released conflicting and confusing information earlier. I posted above the coroner’s clarification and most recent explanation of his death, as reported by the Democrat.
“According to the Daily Democrat, “Yolo County officials say a Historic Nelson Ranch resident shot himself with a homemade gun last Friday, despite some questions which arose because initial reports pegged the death as a homicide.”
Furthermore, “Asked whether the hammer was part of a homemade gun, LaBrash declined comment. Suicide details are usually withheld out of respect for the family, he said.”
Toad,
Who are you referring to?
I have actually seen this same exact type of thing happen right in front of my eyes in Santa Rosa about ten years ago. I was at an intersection (conducting surveillance) and saw a truck plow through traffic and crash into several cars. When I ran up to help him, he was dead. A gunshot to the head. Of course everyone was freaking out thinking he got shot while driving down the road. What really happened was he shot himself in the head with a low powered weapon, while at home. When it did not kill him, he freaked out, jumped in the truck and tried driving to the hospital, dying from his wounds in route, where I found him.
Whether suicide or accident, if it was a low powered weapon, he could have been alive for sometime, trying to run back to his trailer to callf or help, dying on the stairs.
Just a possibility??
I think given the spatter that it’s unlikely that he shot himself else where and tried to run back to his trailer… also it would make more sense to head to the barn where other people were, than to his trailer where no one would find him.
Also I have no problem finding Brenda’s Facebook page. As far as I can tell it hasn’t been taken down.
I found your site looking for answers about Wayne. Some of the posts up are pretty mean. He is a person and a friend. I can tell you he loved his job. He is my friend and we were roomates. He was part of my recovery. I know him well and I find it hard to believe Wayne would do this. He thought he was a part of the ranch and he said he protected it with his life if he had to. He even hired a frined of ours to look into who was doing all this to them after he and the owner got shot at last year. When I saw him later in a meeting he said Brenda had gotten death threats and the sheriffs dept was not doing much to help them. He said in group that he was upset he could not be there to protect them.
I remember he thought a guy named Steve from a radio station was involved with the people and hired to stalk Brenda and her husband. I am concerned because I googled trying to find info about the post Radio brandy above is a site by Steve and may be the same person he was afraid of. He said the people that built a website against him were dangerous.
I can tell all of you he loved it there, he loved his job and said Brenda and Ted saved him. None of us buy the story, it does not make sense. I just saw him and he was happy. I do not believe he would do this.
John: Thanks for your post, it adds a lot to this discussion, most people here are a bit baffled by what happened and by the official explanation.
Here are some of my thoughts as the author of this piece now coming back from vacation.
First, Jim Smith indicated that we ought to accept the coroner’s findings out of respect for the family, the problem is the family is not accepting those findings. I doubt very much that Mr. Smith has spoken to Wayne King’s family, so I find that an odd statement.
Second, and I don’t know what I can or cannot say, there are a lot of questions and problems with the suicide theory. One problem is that according to one investigator they doubt someone would commit suicide in front of their home like that. Inside the home, perhaps. Behind it perhaps, but not in front of it.
Third, there are still questions about the method of death and the improbability of pulling it off.
Fourth, there are still questions about the investigations itself whether it was carried out too quickly and by people lacking experience to draw the conclusions they did.
I’ll add to JohnW’s post. I saw Wayne a week before his death and he seemed happy to me. He took his job seriously and he loved the animals and I find it strange that he would leave with them unfed. It just isn’t something he would have done.
CBS 13 had a story on this shooting. A few things came out. First, there was an investigator from Santa Clara that tried to use the method that the sheriff’s office claim happened. He found this to be highly unlikely that someone could shoot themselves this way.
Second, the reporter says that there is a witness that heard three shots at that time.
The link to the report is:
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2010/11/30/investigator-questions-suicide-ruling-in-rancher’s-death/
[quote]I remember he thought a guy named Steve from a radio station was involved with the people and hired to stalk Brenda and her husband.[/quote]
I don’t know who made up that story John W! Fact is Brenda Cedarblade spent time on the Radio Brandy west coast broadcast campus at the beginning of the year. There are four witnesses to that fact; so she could not be to afraid of the radio guy. She was also seen in Tehachapi with the same radio guy and his family.
To hire six private eye’s is very costly at $275hr a pop; somebody with very deep pockets was involved in going after Brenda & Company. Clearly she was getting in the way of Clark Pacific; and the multimillion dollar project.
The story on Radio Brandy, was very supportive of Brenda Cedarblade at the time. It was only realized recently that Brenda, may not be the person they thought she was or pretended to be.
Happy people don’t blow their brains out on a ranch; where the owners character is often brought into question.
For the record: We have e-mails from Brenda Cedarblade, dating back to Nov 2008. You might be real surprise how much we know and have documents to prove it.! Staffers knew someone was trying to pin Brenda’s problems on our radio guy a year ago, when in fact many of the problems were self created by Brenda; back when she tried to stop Clark Pacific from building next door.
Brenda knows for a fact, Steve of Radio Brandy; had nothing to do with her problems. However Brenda, decided to let the folks of Woodland think that was the source of a website, which ticked off a lot folks in the Woodland area, she does business with. When in reality; it was Brenda, who financed its creation and operation. I don’t think she planned on the site blowing up in her face the way it did! That is when Brenda, had the site trash her in the worse way; hoping to publicly distance herself from it and make it like she had nothing to do with it.
Funny thing is: Steve told a dozen staffers and students, that when the website went south and blew up in her face; Brenda would try to pin it and any other problems she created on him or someone else.
Brenda, is too predictable in that way! She has no problem throwing her friends or business partners under the bus for her personal gain! The site that was having a go at Wayne; maybe another Cedarblade creation and not the first smear site she has created.
In reading the post on this and other sites; it looks like a lot you already know what Brenda is made of.