The suspect's vehicle in an armed marijuana robbery and high speed chase case

◼ Vehicle may be released in Humboldt murder, robbery case

The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office attempted to unload an expensive piece of evidence Wednesday -- the suspect's vehicle in an armed marijuana robbery and high speed chase case that ended with one man dead in May....

Since the District Attorney's Office had finished processing the Jeep, Deputy District Attorney Arnie Klein said it was not cost effective to hold the vehicle any longer.

”We have no need for the vehicle ...,” he said. “The District Attorney's Office is charged for every day it's ... (held by the county).”
Klein said it costs about $35 per day to hold the vehicle but he was unsure of the exact expense. Budget restraints in the county were making this arrangement detrimental to the District Attorney's Office, he said.

Defense attorney David Lee opposed the vehicle's release, stating that the defense had not had an opportunity to examine the vehicle. A funding request for a defense expert to examine evidence in the vehicle had been denied, Lee said. If the evidence is “destroyed or released,” Lee said they would be able to file an appeal.