Humboldt County Authorities Arrest Suspect in Connection with Fatal Shooting
Above: Jasen Coley booking photo (Credit: Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities in Humboldt County have announced the arrest of a primary suspect in connection to a fatal shooting on Silverbrook Court in McKinleyville.
According to a press release by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement authorities have arrested 26-year-old Jasen Dwain Coley in connection with a suspected homicide investigation that took place on Monday, July 3. The Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation after receiving reports of a firearm-related incident on the 2000 block of Silverbrook Court.
After the alleged homicide, the suspect reportedly fled the scene in a dark-colored compact sedan. Later that evening, deputies found the vehicle abandoned at the Frontage Road parking area of Strawberry Rock in Trinidad. However, Coley was nowhere to be found. Authorities also believed that Coley might still be armed, as it was suspected that a shotgun had been used in the crime.
Over the course of the next two days, an extensive search was conducted in the Strawberry Rock area and surrounding trail systems. Foot patrols, vehicle patrols, and the use of a UAV drone were employed in the search efforts. Coley could not be located during the operation.
On Wednesday afternoon, July 5, someone reportedly discovered a man lying in the brush along the trail system between Trinidad State Beach and College Cove. The person reportedly observed a shotgun next to the individual and immediately left the area to alert law enforcement. Based on the provided physical description, it was believed that the person they’d seen was Jasen Coley.
Shotgun believed to have been used in the crime (HCSO)
Responding to the report, deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, along with California State Parks Rangers, arrived at the specified location and located a male subject matching the given description.
The individual identified himself as Jasen Coley and was taken into custody without incident. A loaded 12-gauge Remington 870 shotgun was discovered at the scene and connected to Coley; investigators believe that this shotgun is the same firearm used in the homicide on Silverbrook Court. The shotgun’s serial number reportedly did not return a match for any registered owner.
Jasen Coley was subsequently transported to the Major Crimes Division of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed by investigators from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office. Coley has since been booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail.
The victim, Kenneth “Michael” Davis (25) of McKinleyville, was known to Coley.
The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Kenneth “Michael” Davis, and was reportedly known to Coley. A motive was not immediately clear, and the case remains under investigation.
