That's a relief. Mikal X. Wilde guilty of six felonies

◼ Kneeland Man Found Guilty of Murder for 2010 Marijuana Farm Slaying - Lost Coast Outpost

From the press release: ...Evidence at trial showed that Wilde, 33, of Kneeland, Calif., began a large marijuana grow with more than 1500 plants on over 800 acres of mountain property in Kneeland, California – close to Eureka – during the summer of 2010. In the course of his marijuana cultivation operation, Wilde hired three workers to water and care for the plants, including Mr. Juarez-Madrid and Mr. Lopez-Paz, both from Guatemala. During August of 2010, Wilde provided the workers with firearms to protect against robbery of the marijuana grow. In late August, the workers became unhappy and wanted to leave with payment for the work they had already performed after Wilde altered their work conditions. Rather than paying the workers, Wilde took the firearms away from them, and on August 25, 2010, returned to the property armed, and shot them. Wilde shot Mr. Lopez-Paz in the face, but he survived, hiding in the woods all night until he found help the following morning. Wilde shot Mr. Juarez-Madrid three times and hunted him down, with the final shot a contact wound to the back of Mr. Juarez-Madrid’s head. The third worker, Christopher Bigelow, also fled into the woods and hid until he was found by a jogger the following morning. The jury found the defendant guilty of a premeditated first degree murder, in addition to the other charges listed above.

Driving around hunting down the victims, shooting them in the face - Insane? Or what?

◼ Possible Insanity Defense in Marijuana Murder Case - Thadeus Greenson/The Journal

Allegedly, of course.

It must be crimes of 2010 day.

REMEMBER?

◼ Kneeland Man Taps Eccentric, Powerhouse Lawyer for Murder Defense - Thadeus Greenson/The Journal Jun 10, 2014

Mikal Xylon Wilde, 32, was indicted federally March 1, 2012 on six counts, including murder in the commission of a narcotics offense, for the Aug. 25, 2010 fatal shooting of Mario Roberto Juarez-Madrid, of Santa Rosa, Guatemala, on a large-scale marijuana growing operation near Kneeland. Wilde — the first Humboldt County resident to be federally prosecuted for murder in decades — began working toward a plea agreement with the feds in December, after they decided not to seek the death penalty in the case.

...The interesting about face is made all the more so by Wilde’s choice of attorney. The long-haired Serra is a bit of a cult figure in the legal profession.

◼ Shooting victim expected to testify against his attacker - Sep 14, 2011
◼ Horror - Sep 21, 2010

On Aug. 25, they went to the Kneeland Airport to call someone to pick them up, the statement reads. Later that day, Wilde came to the property and got into an argument with the two men who had protested, and said he was mad that they had left the property. Wilde left, then came back, driving up to a travel trailer on the property where the two men were standing outside. The other man was inside the trailer, according to the documents.

Wilde pulled out a revolver and fired six shots, the man who was inside the trailer told deputies, and the other two ran. Wilde ran after them, and 20 minutes later, the man in the trailer heard three shots. The man in the trailer hid in the woods the remainder of the night, the statement said, and saw Wilde driving along the roads in his truck, shining a spotlight into the woods. The next morning, the man contacted a jogger, who led deputies to him.

◼ .four gunshot victims - Aug 26, 2010

Cal Fire News: Eureka: Humboldt SO SWAT Responding, 10-20 in a remote area not accessible to patrol vehicles, nothing has been confirmed yet. #PotGrow
about an hour ago
Cal Fire News: Eureka: 3 reported deceased GSW victims have not been located, the RP was shot in face, helicoptered to a hospital #PotGrow
about an hour ago
Cal Fire News: #BreakingNews - Eureka area - LEO/EMS - 3 unconfirmed DOA gunshot vics at a marijuana grow, 4th civ victim at Kneeland Helitack base. 154.74

◼ Do you get the feeling the Feds are here to do the job Gallegos won't do? - Mar 12, 2012
◼ Mikal Xylon Wilde pleads not guilty - Sep 30, 2011

Do you get the feeling the Feds are here to do the job Gallegos won't do?

◼ Wilde to make first federal court appearance; records indicate defendant was under financial pressure at time of shooting - TS

For the first time in recent memory, the U.S. government is taking on the prosecution of a Humboldt County murder case.

Mikal Xylon Wilde is scheduled to make his initial federal court appearance today -- three days after charges were officially dismissed against him in Humboldt County Superior Court. Wilde remains held in the Humboldt County jail on a federal detainer, more than a year and a half after he allegedly shot and killed Mario Roberto Juarez-Madrid at the scene of a Kneeland marijuana grow.

When the U.S. Attorney's Office unsealed a six-count indictment against Wilde last week -- charging him with murder, drug and weapons violations -- it represented the first time in decades that the federal government has taken over the prosecution of a local murder case, according to numerous officials in the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office and local law enforcement agencies.

The situation might, however, occur more often under the direction of Northern California U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, who is in her first term after being appointed to the office by President Barack Obama in August 2010, according to Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos.

”We have a new U.S. attorney, and she's being a good partner, and I appreciate that,” Gallegos said. “I think people are going to see more federal intervention here. I'm hoping that this sends a message that the federal government is committed.”

Mikal Xylon Wilde pleads not guilty

◼ Wilde pleads not guilty - Times-Standard

A 29-year-old Eureka man again pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder Thursday, a week after a judge held him to stand trial in a case stemming from a shooting at a Kneeland marijuana grow operation last summer.

Thursday, Wilde again pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment in the case. Wilde is due back in court Dec. 19 for a pre-trial hearing and is tentatively scheduled to stand trial beginning Feb. 20, 2012.

◼ Shooting victim expected to testify against his attacker; Hearing moves forward in Kneeland marijuana murder case - TS
◼ Horror - Fight over supplies led to shooting Sep. 21. 2010
◼ Fight over supplies led to shooting TS
◼ The details emerge - Marijuana grow operation shooting leaves one dead, one wounded near Kneeland; 28-year-old man held on suspicion of murder, investigation remains ongoing Aug. 27, 2010
◼ ...four gunshot victims... UPDATES on Blogthing Aug. 26, 2010

Shooting victim expected to testify against his attacker; Hearing moves forward in Kneeland marijuana murder case

◼ Shooting victim expected to testify against his attacker; Hearing moves forward in Kneeland marijuana murder case - TS

A Guatemalan man is scheduled to take the stand in Humboldt County Superior Court today to testify against the man who allegedly shot him in the face and back last year after a dispute at a marijuana grow operation near Kneeland.

Mikal Xylon Wilde, 29, of Eureka, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder and cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale. A preliminary hearing this week will culminate with a judge determining whether there is enough evidence to hold Wilde to stand trial.

Wilde is accused of shooting and killing Mario Roberto Juarez-Madrid, 40, of Guatemala, and seriously wounding Pedro Fernandez, also of Guatemala, at the scene of a marijuana growing operation with more than 1,500 plants on Aug. 25, 2010. The shooting allegedly stemmed from an argument over payment and supplies that started when Wilde informed Juarez-Madrid, Fernandez and another man -- all his employees -- that he would no longer be providing them with food at the remote grow site where they were living, which was located about two miles from the Kneeland Cal Fire air station.

On Tuesday -- at what was scheduled to be the beginning of Wilde's preliminary hearing -- District Attorney Paul Gallegos told Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson that he planned on calling Fernandez and another man, Chris Bigelow, to testify. Gallegos suggested that both men be appointed attorneys by the court and said he would be entering into immunity agreements with the witnesses because he expected them to testify about their roles in a marijuana cultivation operation and there may be issues regarding self-incrimination.

◼ Horror - Fight over supplies led to shooting Sep. 21. 2010
◼ Fight over supplies led to shooting TS
◼ The details emerge - Marijuana grow operation shooting leaves one dead, one wounded near Kneeland; 28-year-old man held on suspicion of murder, investigation remains ongoing Aug. 27, 2010
◼ ...four gunshot victims... UPDATES on Blogthing Aug. 26, 2010