◼ Fourth arrest made in Sanders slaying
An alleged fourth perpetrator in the February killing of a McKinleyville man was arrested on a $1 million murder warrant in Crescent City Tuesday.

Tracy Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka, was arrested without incident by Crescent City police at 2:30 p.m. on suspicion of murder at an A Street apartment there. She was booked into Humboldt County jail Tuesday night.

Humboldt County District Attorney and Sheriff's Office investigators issued a warrant for Williams' arrest early this month. Williams was allegedly among four people who were involved in killing 30-year-old Ezra Sanders at his residence in the Widow White Creek RV Park in McKinleyville.

Investigators believe Williams acted as a lookout as her three male companions went to Sanders' trailer to allegedly rob him of money and drugs on Feb. 24. Sanders was shot once in the chest and died of his injuries.

The three other suspects are still in custody on suspicion of murder. Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 33, of Ukiah and Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Arcata, are in Humboldt County jail on suspicion of murder and attempted armed robbery. The three have each pleaded not guilty to the charges.

John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or
jdriscoll@times-standard.com.

TS - Fourth suspect sought for Sanders killing

◼ Fourth suspect sought for Sanders killing
Investigators are looking for another suspect believed to be involved in the Feb. 24 slaying of Ezra Sanders in McKinleyville.
After announcing it had three suspects in custody over the weekend, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said today that it is seeking Tracy Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka, a fourth suspect who is still at large and alleged to have been involved in Sanders' killing. Williams stands about 5 feet 1 inch tall, with blue eyes and blonde hair, weighing about 120 pounds.

An arrest warrant for murder has been issued in Williams' name.

Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka, is alleged to have killed Sanders, but Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, and Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka, join him in facing a Tracey Williams (Courtesy of the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office)
murder charge in the case, which a legal expert said is common.

Sanders, a 30-year-old McKinleyville man, was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24 lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park, dead of a single gunshot wound. Witnesses told investigators they heard a vehicle pull up to Sanders' trailer before hearing a gunshot, followed by the sound of a vehicle speeding away.

Appearing in Humboldt Superior Court for a Wednesday arraignment, Burgess pleaded not guilty to murder, with special allegations that the murder was committed during the course of an attempted armed robbery and that he discharged a firearm, killing Sanders. Burgess also pleaded not guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a handgun.

At the same hearing, Peredia pleaded not guilty to murder, and a special allegation that the murder was committed in the course of an attempted armed robbery.

Mace's arraignment was continued to today.

Garey said investigators have reason to believe that Burgess, Peredia, Mace and Williams traveled from Eureka to McKinleyville in a stolen truck, armed with a handgun and a knife, with the intent of robbing their acquaintance Sanders for cash and drugs.

After arriving at the trailer park, Peredia, Burgess and Mace allegedly attempted to rob Sanders while Williams remained in the truck as a lookout, according to Garey.

When Sanders resisted the robbery, raising his fists to fight, Burgess allegedly shot him in the chest and the suspects fled the scene without taking anything. Garey said a large sum of money and a small amount of illicit drugs were found in Sanders' possession.

Even though Burgess allegedly fired the fatal shot, Peredia and Mace are also currently facing murder charges and, if taken into custody, Williams is expected to face the same.

University of California Hastings School of Law professor David Levine said it doesn't matter who pulled the trigger, killing Sanders, if all of the suspects knew they were participating in an attempted armed robbery.

”It's called felony murder, and the idea is that if you participate in a felony, and a killing results, than you are as responsible as anyone else for the killing,” Levine said. “Once you start down the road of participating in a felony, you are responsible for whatever results ... . The chain of causation just gets started, and you are responsible for getting it rolling.”

After Wednesday's arraignment, Burgess, Peredia and Mace were returned to Humboldt County jail where they each remain held on $1 million bail. As of the Times-Standard's deadline, Williams remained at large.

Garey said he believes Williams was still in the area as of Tuesday night. Anyone with information regarding Williams is asked to call Garey at 268-3643 or Dunn at 445-7411.

John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or

TS - Three in custody in Sanders case

◼ Three in custody in Sanders case
Thirty-nine days after Ezra Sanders was gunned down in his McKinleyville trailer, three suspects are in custody and suspected of committing his murder.

Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 33, of Ukiah and Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Arcata, were all booked into Humboldt County jail Friday on suspicion of murder and attempted armed robbery, according to investigators on the case.

Sanders, a 30-year-old McKinleyville man, was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24 lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park, dead of a single gunshot wound. Witnesses told investigators they heard a vehicle pull up to Sanders' trailer before hearing a single gunshot fired, followed by the sound of a vehicle speeding away.

Early in the case, investigators looked into the possibility that Sanders' alleged ties to a motorcycle gang may have had something to do with the shooting, but investigators said Saturday that proved not to be the case. Humboldt County Sheriff's detective Troy Garey, the primary investigator on the case, and District Attorney's Office investigator Steve Dunn said Saturday that, after more than 40 interviews, they have determined that Sander's death was the result of an attempted robbery gone wrong.

”Through the interviews, we found three primary suspects involved who conspired to contact (Sanders) and rob him for cash and drugs,” Dunn said. “In the course of that robbery, (Sanders) was shot once n the upper torso, which led to his death.”

Both the Sheriffs Office and the District Attorney's Office poured massive amounts of manpower and resources into the case, according to Dunn and Garey, with the District Attorney's Office even assigning Dunn to assist with the investigation.
”It's been kind of a tag-team effort between both agencies,” Dunn said.

A detective familiar with the case referred to it early on as a “stone-cold whodunit” with no obvious suspects or leads. Garey and Dunn said Saturday that they spent the 39 days after Sanders' murder talking to dozens of witnesses, fielding anonymous tips and chasing down countless leads.

”We have worked on this case every day, and it's been part of our lives for the last 39 days,” said Dunn.

Garey said, in recent weeks, he's lost sleep over the case, waking up in the middle of the night to mull over leads.
”It was a tough one -- one of those ground-and-pounds, where you just take it day by day,” he said.

Dunn said he and Garey initially broke the case down into portions, one for each of Sanders' groups of friends and acquaintances.

”We basically had four scenarios and lots of potential suspects because (Sanders) knew a bunch of people and had a lot of enemies,” he said, adding that he and Garey simply worked the case one scenario at a time.

Early on, the investigators said they received a pair of anonymous calls saying that Burgess had been involved in Sanders' killing, and had used a stolen truck. Garey and Dunn then turned to the California Highway Patrol for help in sifting through stolen vehicle reports.

The case caught a break late last month when the Fortuna Police Department recovered a stolen green GMC truck. When Garey and Dunn looked through the stolen/embezzled vehicle report from CHP, they found Burgess listed as the primary suspect.

Mace and Peredia were both taken into custody in March on unrelated cases.

On March 13, Garey and Dunn served a search warrant on a home on Eureka's Lewis Avenue for the Sanders case, and took Mace into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant.

Similarly, Peredia was taken into custody March 1, after he was involved in a car crash on Kneeland Heights Road that led to his arrest on two outstanding felony warrants, and suspicion of theft. In relation to the Sanders case, investigators also served a search warrant on Peredia's Higgins Street home in Eureka.

Then, this past Friday, after re-interviewing a number of witnesses, Dunn and Garey had Burgess come in for an interview, and they said the picture began to become clear.

”That interview led to his arrest for being the primary person involved (in Sanders' murder),” Dunn said, adding that after Burgess' arrest, Peredia and Mace, both already in custody, were also booked on suspicion of attempted robbery and murder for the Sanders case.

The story that Dunn and Garey have pieced together is that Mace, Ruben and Burgess allegedly conspired to drive from Eureka to McKinleyville in order to use a gun and a knife to rob Sanders, whom they knew, for drugs and money. When Sanders resisted, raising his fists to fight the three men, they allegedly shot him and fled the scene in a panic without taking anything.

Throughout the case, Dunn and Garey said they conducted surveillance on Peredia and Burgess, served several search warrants and eventually uncovered evidence leading to three other, unrelated, felony arrests for possession of stolen property and drug possession.

Both Dunn and Garey said assistance from a variety of agencies -- including CHP, the Arcata Police Department, the Trinidad Police Department, the Eureka Police Department, the Fortuna Police Department and the Department of Justice -- was integral in making the case.

But, the investigation is ongoing.

Dunn and Garey have recovered the truck allegedly used in the murder, which they said is awaiting forensic testing by the Department of Justice, but the search continues for the murder weapon.

Despite having spent countless hours over the last 39 days working the case from all angles, Garey said nothing fancy led to Mace, Peredia and Burgess' booking.

”It just boils down to ordinary, good cop work: Talk to people, hit the streets and work long hours,” Garey said. “We said from the beginning that one piece of information would come in and it was going to be a domino effect, and that's pretty much what happened.”

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

TS - Two suspects in February murder headed to trial

◼ Two suspects in February murder headed to trial
Jeffrey Allan Burgess and Tracey Joleen Williams, suspects in the February shooting death of Ezra Sanders, 30, of McKinleyville, are likely headed to trial later this fall.

On Monday, Burgess, 39, and Williams, 35, both of Eureka, reaffirmed their not guilty pleas before Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson, and were assured the continued service of public defenders after confirming their incomes had not changed.

Both have been charged with Sanders' murder, while Burgess is also charged with a special allegation of firing the bullet that killed Sanders.

Burgess' trial is set to begin Nov. 30 at 8:30 a.m., with a trial readiness conference scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. Codefendant Williams' trial is set for Oct. 19 at 8:30 a.m. with a trial conference scheduled for Oct. 5.

Two other defendants in the shooting -- Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka and Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans -- have entered into plea deals.

Peredia was sentenced to 13 years, four months, in state prison last week. Mace pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in early August and agreed to testify against his co-defendants. He faces a maximum of six years in prison.

On Feb. 24, just after 1 a.m., Sanders was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park off of McKinleyville's Murray Road.

Since accepting the plea deal's provision to testify against his co-defendants, Mace has told the court he heard a single gunshot at the scene that he believed to have been fired by Burgess.

Both Burgess and Williams face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of murder.

TS - (Lukus Mace) Suspect pleads in McKinleyville murder case

◼ Suspect pleads in McKinleyville murder case
One of the four suspects accused of murdering a McKinleyville man in February has reached a plea deal and agreed to testify against the other defendants in the case.

Late Wednesday, Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, agreed to plead guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the Feb. 24 killing of Ezra Sanders and agreed to testify against the other three defendants in the case, according to prosecutor Ben McLaughlin.

”Mr. Mace will be testifying as a witness of the people against the remaining co-defendants,” McLaughlin said, adding that, if he follows through with his part of the deal, Mace faces up to six years in prison.

Mace's attorney, Marek Reavis, did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.

Sanders, 30, was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24, lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Witnesses told investigators they heard a vehicle pull up to Sanders' trailer before hearing a gunshot, followed by the sound of a vehicle speeding away.

In April, Mace, Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka; and Tracey Joleen Williams, 35 of Eureka, were arrested and charged with Sanders' murder. Burgess, Peredia and Williams have all pleaded not guilty.

Investigators have said Sanders was found with $3,000 in cash and a small amount of drugs in his possession, and that they believe the murder was the result of an attempted robbery gone bad. Testimony at a preliminary hearing Thursday supported that belief.

Sandra Adams testified that she met Williams while the two were in custody at the Humboldt County jail. Adams said that, over the span of a couple of weeks, Williams told her about the Sanders case.

”She started volunteering information,” Adams testified about her conversations with Williams. “She pretty much said that it was her idea and that she set the whole thing up.”

Adams testified that Williams said she noticed a large amount of money in Sanders' wallet when he was at her house Feb. 23 looking to buy some methamphetamine. She said Williams told her she thought Sanders would be an easy target.

Adams said Williams told her she stayed in the car as a lookout while the three men she was with approached Sanders' trailer, armed with a knife and a gun, to rob him. From the truck, Adams said Williams told her that she heard some arguing and someone yelling “shoot him” before the three men came running back to the car.

”(Williams') comment (to the men) was, 'Did you get anything out of it?' and they said 'no,'” Adams testified. “And, her comment was, 'You guys can't do anything right.'”

Adams testified that Williams told her she returned to Sanders' home later that night with the hopes of following through with the robbery, but police were on scene when she arrived. She also testified that Williams told her that she and Sanders had a sexual relationship, and that they had had sex the morning of Feb. 23, less than 24 hours before Sanders was found dead.
At points, Adams' testimony was inconsistent with that of other witnesses in the case.

She testified that Williams told her the suspects drove two different cars to Sanders' home, while other testimony indicated the four suspects drove to the scene in a stolen truck. Similarly, she testified that Williams told her she was present when Sanders purchased an ounce and a half of methamphetamine the day before he died. Other witness accounts stated that Williams was not present, and that Sanders only purchased an ounce of the drug.

While she had been in custody for violating her probation by possessing speed, Adams testified that the District Attorney's Office agreed to reduce that charge to a misdemeanor and release her for time served in exchange for truthful testimony in this case.

Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Detective Richard Schlesiger also took the stand Thursday, testifying about an interview of Burgess he conducted with Detective Troy Garey in April. Schlesiger testified that he and Burgess had been friends in high school, and that he thought Burgess would be honest with him.

Shortly after McLaughlin began questioning Schlesiger about the interview, Burgess' attorney, Neal Sanders, objected, saying that, even though his client was not under arrest, he did not feel free to leave the interview and that he had been coerced into making statements that day.

While being questioned by Neal Sanders, Schlesiger testified that at one point during the interview, he and Burgess went outside during a break. While outside, Schlesiger testified that he asked Burgess if he shot Ezra Sanders, to which he said Burgess responded: “What if I said yes?”

After that, Schlesiger testified that he asked Burgess if he shot the .45-caliber handgun and that Burgess said he did.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna said, at that point, Burgess should have been read his Miranda rights. Because Garey and Schlesiger did not read Burgess his rights until later in the interview, Cissna ruled that everything in the interview that came after Burgess' admission that he shot the .45-caliber handgun be excluded from court.

Burgess was taken into custody immediately following the interview with the detectives.

After court Thursday, McLaughlin indicated he intends to challenge Cissna's ruling regarding the admissibility of Burgess' statements.

The preliminary hearing, which is being held to determine whether there is enough evidence to hold the defendants to stand trial, is expected to continue today.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

TS - Testimony dives into tangled web of drugs and sex in Sanders' case

◼ Testimony dives into tangled web of drugs and sex in Sanders' case

A friend of 30-year-old McKinleyville man Ezra Sanders, who was shot and killed on Feb. 24, testified that she began to believe that her roommates were behind his death when investigators raided her Eureka house looking for stolen goods weeks later.

Ana Rooney said that during the search, investigators asked her if she knew Sanders, and she recalled hearing her “best friend” Jeffrey Alan Burgess talking about burning his clothes the day of the killing. Rooney testified that she began to feel responsible for Sanders' death because, if it weren't for her, he would not have become acquainted with her roommates and friends who investigators claim killed Sanders.

”I was sick to my stomach,” Rooney said in tears. “I wanted to die ... . I am not a monster and I do not believe this was right.”

Rooney said she had stayed at the Lewis Street house after Sanders' death because she didn't want to believe her friend Burgess was involved in the killing. She testified Wednesday that she moved out of the house after the search.

Sanders was found dead of a single gunshot wound outside his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park in McKinleyville around 1 a.m. Feb. 24. Investigators say the murder was a botched robbery, as Sanders' body was found with large amounts of money and some drugs.

Burgess, 39, of Eureka, is charged with Sanders' murder, along with Lukas Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka, and Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka. The four have pleaded not guilty.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Rooney said that the day before the killing, she had sold Sanders an ounce of methamphetamine for $1,400, and that he repaid a long outstanding debt of $300 to her, and loaned her $1,200 to pay off a drug debt. Rooney said that Sanders had been quoted a higher price for an ounce of meth by Williams, after which he came to Rooney for a better deal. Rooney said that Williams may have felt slighted by the transaction.

Rooney also testified that Sanders wasn't treated well at the Lewis Street house, where he showed up to buy and use drugs, and meet with Williams. She described Williams as flaunting herself and engaging in sex to secure drugs from a number of men.

Rooney said that she never told anyone at the Lewis Street house that Sanders was carrying a large amount of money, because she was afraid he might become a target.

”He liked (Williams), but he didn't trust her,” Rooney said, “and he had very good reason not to.”

Attorneys for the defendants on Wednesday questioned Rooney about her memory of the events leading up to Sanders' killing.

Under cross-examination, Rooney repeatedly said Mace was a nice guy who'd begun to stay at the Lewis Street house before the shooting, though she could not recall exactly how long he'd been there. She also said that she believed Mace was merely “caught in the crossfire” of the crime, and that he was likely unaware of the intent of Burgess, Peredia and Williams when they picked him up and drove to Sanders' trailer on Feb. 24.

Defense attorneys also asked Rooney about why she left a volunteer position as a resident advisor at a halfway house before she moved into the Lewis Street residence in December.

Rooney said she left after she broke the rules of the program by allowing a friend of hers to hang out at the house, and decided to resign. Rooney, who is on felony probation, said she began using and dealing drugs when she moved into the Lewis Street house. Rooney also testified that she'd helped Williams' mother bail Williams out of jail after her arrest. When Williams returned to the house, Rooney confronted her about property she believed Williams had stolen from her.

”I came back and I socked her right in the lip,” Rooney said, “yes I did.”

The preliminary hearing continues today.

John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.

TS - Preliminary hearing gets under way in Sanders case

◼ Preliminary hearing gets under way in Sanders case
Ezra Sanders allegedly had a large amount of cash on him and had purchased an ounce of methamphetamine the day he was shot and killed in front of his McKinleyville home, a friend of his testified at a preliminary hearing Monday.

Sanders, 30, was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24 in sweat pants and a T-shirt, lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park dead of a single gunshot wound in what investigators have described as a robbery attempt gone wrong.

Witnesses told investigators they heard a vehicle pull up to Sanders' trailer before hearing a gunshot, followed by the sound of a vehicle speeding away.

Back in April, four suspects were arrested in the case and charged with Sanders' murder: Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka; and Tracy Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka. All four have pleaded not guilty.

Investigators believe the four suspects traveled from Eureka to McKinleyville in a stolen truck, armed with a handgun and a knife and with plans to rob their acquaintance Sanders of cash and drugs. After arriving at the trailer park, Peredia, Burgess and Mace allegedly attempted to rob Sanders while Williams remained in the truck as a lookout, according to Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Garey.

When Sanders resisted the robbery, reportedly raising his fists to fight, Burgess allegedly shot him in the chest and the suspects fled the scene without taking anything, according to investigators. Garey said a large sum of money and a small amount of illicit drugs were found in Sanders' possession.

Monday, Ana Rooney, who described herself as a friend of Sanders' and Burgess', as well as a housemate of Williams', said she saw Sanders early in the morning of Feb. 23 when the two got high together, and that Sanders had a lot of cash on him at the time. Rooney testified that she also acted as a middle man, helping Sanders buy an ounce of methamphetamine for $1,400 that day. After meeting Sanders to give him the methamphetamine around 10 a.m. on Feb. 23, Rooney said she never saw Sanders again, telling the court she learned he had been shot and killed the next day when told by a friend.

While on the stand, Rooney also testified that Williams and Sanders were involved in a relationship together around the time of his death.

”Their relationship was of a sexual nature,” Rooney testified.

After testifying at length about drug use and sales, under cross-examination Rooney accepted an offer from Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna to appoint her an attorney with whom she could discuss her rights. Patrik Griego was then appointed to represent Rooney, who is expected to retake the stand this morning.

Garey also took the stand briefly Monday, testifying about arriving at the crime scene in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, and of his initial interviews with Burgess and Williams. He is also expected to retake the stand today.

Even though Burgess allegedly fired the fatal shot, there is nothing unusual about Peredia, Mace and Williams also facing murder charges, according to University of California Hastings School of Law professor David Levine. He said it doesn't matter who fired the shot that killed Sanders, if all the suspects knew they were participating in an armed robbery.

”It's called felony murder, and the idea is that if you participate in a felony, and a killing results, then you are as responsible as anyone else for the killing,” Levine said in a previous interview with the Times-Standard. “Once you start down the road of participating in a felony, you are responsible for whatever results.”

The preliminary hearing, which is held for a judge to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial, is scheduled to continue today.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

TS - Friend testifies against McKinleyville murder suspect

◼ Friend testifies against McKinleyville murder suspect
One of the suspects accused of murdering a McKinleyville man in February during a botched robbery attempt allegedly returned to the scene of the crime hours later looking to steal what was missed in the first attempt, a friend of hers testified Friday.

Ezra Sanders, 30, was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24, lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators have said they believe Sanders' death was the result of an attempted robbery gone bad.

In April, four suspects were arrested and charged with Sanders' murder: Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka; and Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka.

Thursday, the prosecutor in the case, Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin, announced that Mace had reached a plea deal with the District Attorney's Office, under which he agreed to testify against his co-defendants and to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter. If he follows through with his part of the deal, Mace faces up to six years in prison, according to McLaughlin.
Burgess, Williams and Peredia have all pleaded not guilty to the charges facing them.

Friday, Anthony Pratt Jr. testified that Williams called him in the hours shortly after Sanders was shot, and confessed to being involved in the crime.

Pratt, who appeared in court after being taken into custody because he failed to appear to testify Thursday, said he could tell by Williams' voice that something was wrong, and agreed to meet her to talk about it.

When the two met, Pratt testified that Williams appeared “confused” and “scared,” and that she told him Sanders had been shot during an attempted robbery, and that she had been involved. He said she did not know at the time whether Sanders had survived the shooting.

Further, Pratt said that Williams told him she intended to “go back (to Sanders' trailer) and get what they didn't get the first time.”

Pratt testified that Williams later told him that when she returned to Sanders' RV park, police were on the scene and she left.
Over the ensuing days, Pratt said Williams further confided in him that Burgess and Peredia were involved in the shooting, but Pratt had a hard time remembering when Williams told him of Mace's involvement.

Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Garey testified Friday that he was called after Pratt was arrested for possessing methamphetamine in April, and told that Pratt had information regarding the Sanders case. Garey said that in exchange for the information, Pratt wanted to be released from custody and to have the charges against him dropped.

Garey said he made no promises, and that Pratt told him of his conversations with Williams during an interview.

Garey also testified Friday about what he found when he arrived on scene at Sanders' body in the early morning hours of Feb. 24.

When he arrived on scene, Garey testified that he found Sanders body lying about seven feet from his trailer door, lying on his back with his fists raised and clenched. Garey said a pool of blood was found inside the trailer, indicating that Sanders likely was shot inside the trailer and fell to the ground before getting up, exiting the trailer and collapsing where he was found.

Garey also testified that no fingerprints were found in the stolen truck believed to have been used in the crime that matched any of the four defendants. Other items from the truck were sent to the state Department of Justice for forensic testing, Garey said.

Garey said he and District Attorney investigator Steve Dunn re-interviewed Mace Thursday night.

At the conclusion of Friday's proceedings, McLaughlin said he may call Mace to testify Monday, when the preliminary hearing -- held to determine if there is enough evidence to hold the defendants to stand trial -- is scheduled to continue.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

TS - Witness: Sanders' alleged killers involved in meth

◼ Witness: Sanders' alleged killers involved in meth
One of the four suspects accused of killing a 30-year-old McKinleyville man described in detail to law enforcement the events leading up to the February shooting, an investigator testified Tuesday.

Ezra Sanders was found shortly after 1 p.m. Feb. 24, lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park dead of a single gunshot wound. Witnesses told investigators they heard a vehicle pull up to Sanders' trailer before hearing a gunshot, followed by the sound of a vehicle speeding away.

Investigators have said they believe the murder was the result of an attempted robbery gone bad, and that Sanders was found with a large sum of money and a small amount of illicit drugs in his possession.

In April, four suspects were arrested and charged with Sanders' murder: Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka; Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans; Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka; and Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka. All four have pleaded not guilty.

Tuesday, the second day of the case's preliminary hearing, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Garey retook the stand, testifying about an April 9 interview with Mace. He said he'd already interviewed Mace, who was in custody for an unrelated matter, but that Mace contacted him saying he had additional information regarding Sanders' death.

Garey testified that, during the interview, Mace told him that he'd accompanied Burgess, Peredia and Williams to Sanders' trailer park in the early morning ours of Feb. 24. Garey said Mace told him that after entering the park, Peredia exited the vehicle they were riding in to dismantle a streetlight in the park, before they made their way to Sanders' trailer.

Garey said Mace told him that Burgess, who was driving, cut the lights on the truck before pulling up to Sanders' trailer, at which point he, Mace and Peredia got out of the vehicle to approach Sanders' trailer, leaving Williams in the truck as a lookout.

Prosecutor Ben McLaughlin didn't continue with this line of questioning Tuesday, but investigators have previously said they believe that when Mace, Burgess and Peredia allegedly attempted to rob Sanders, he resisted, raising his hands to fight. Burgess then allegedly shot Sanders once in the chest, according to investigators.

Garey also testified Tuesday that, during the investigation, a number of items were seized from Sanders' trailer, including $3,000 in cash, Sanders' cell phone, a spent .45-caliber shell casing, a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Sanders' friend Ana Rooney, who also lived with Burgess and Williams, also retook the stand Tuesday, testifying about the world of methamphetamine that surrounded Sanders, and the suspects in the case.

Rooney said she moved into a house on Eureka's Lewis Avenue where she lived with Burgess and Williams from December 2008 until shortly after Sanders' death. She testified that both she and Williams sold methamphetamine at the house. Injecting, smoking and snorting methamphetamine were common occurrences there, she testified, and the house was frequently full of people coming and going, many of them looking to get high.

Rooney testified that she saw Sanders the morning before he was killed, and that he had a lot of cash on him at the time. She testified that on the morning of Feb. 23, she sold Sanders an ounce of methamphetamine for $1,400, and that he repaid her $300 she'd lent him and that he loaned her an additional $1,200 to help her pay off a drug debt.

Previously, Sanders had never bought more than $20 of methamphetamine at a time, Rooney testified, adding that Sanders told her he was buying the ounce to give to a woman who owed him money with the hope that she could sell it, repay him and also earn some extra money to provide for her children.

The morning that Sanders was shot, Rooney testified that she noticed Peredia, Mace and Williams return to the house, noticed them stripping off clothing and overheard Burgess say they had to burn what they had been wearing. Rooney said she initially thought Burgess was joking.

”I was in my room doing drugs and I wasn't too into what everyone else was doing,” Rooney said.

Rooney said she moved out of the Lewis Avenue home shortly after Sanders was killed and started to get clean.

”I left and went to (Narcotics Anonymous),” she said. “I got my head out of my a--.”

The preliminary hearing, which is being held to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant the suspects' standing trial, is scheduled to continue today with Rooney retaking the witness stand.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com

◼ Three to answer for murder in Sanders' case
Three suspects in the shooting death of 30-year-old Ezra Sanders will stand trial for his February murder during a botched robbery.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna ruled today that there is sufficient evidence to hold Jeffrey Allan Burgess, 39; Tracey Joleen Williams, 35; and Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, all of Eureka on charges of first-degree murder. The three have pleaded not guilty.

The fourth suspect, Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter last week as part of a deal that will have him face a maximum of six years in prison. Mace completed his testimony today, reiterating that he believed it was Burgess that shot Sanders at his trailer in a McKinleyville RV park at around 1 a.m. on Feb. 24, as part of an attempted robbery.

Investigators say that Burgess, Williams, Peredia and Mace went to rob Sanders of cash and drugs. Williams remained in a truck while the other three approached Sanders' trailer, they say.

Mace testified that Peredia knocked on the door, and when Sanders opened it, Mace was shoved from behind by either Peredia or Burgess. Mace said he then stepped out of the way. Peredia threatened Sanders with a large knife, Mace said.

When Sanders appeared to reach for something, someone yelled, “Shoot him, shoot him,” and then Mace said he heard a gunshot. The three retreated to the truck and sped off, he testified.

Mace said he later witnessed Burgess cleaning handgun at his Lewis Avenue house in Eureka.

Mace testified that he didn't know the group was going to rob anyone until they pulled into the RV park that February night. He also said that when he asked Burgess to go along for a ride, Burgess told him to ask Peredia, since it was “Ruben's deal.”

Parts of Mace's testimony ran counter to that of another key witness for the prosecution, Ana Rooney, who lived at the Eureka house where investigators say the plan to rob Sanders was hatched. Rooney had testified that Mace had begun hanging around the Lewis Avenue house days or a week or so before the shooting.

Mace, though, testified he'd just showed up for the first time that day to get some heroin from another acquaintance.

An arraignment for Burgess, Williams and Peredia is set for Aug. 31. They face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Burgess will also stand trial for additional special allegations that the murder was committed in the course of an attempted armed robbery and that he discharged a firearm, killing Sanders. He will also face a charge of being a felon in possession of a handgun. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

TS - 'Shoot him, shoot him': Murder suspect describes robbery attempt gone awry

◼ 'Shoot him, shoot him': Murder suspect describes robbery attempt gone awry
One of the four suspects accused of murdering a McKinleyville man in February took the witness stand Monday, describing in detail the botched robbery attempt that allegedly led to the shooting.

Having accepted a plea bargain, Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, fingered Jeffrey Allan Burgess, 39, of Eureka, as the man who likely shot Ezra Sanders, 30, at Sanders' home.

Sanders was found shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24 lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park, dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Humboldt County District Attorney Investigator Steve Dunn testified Monday that a witness told him she was awakened by a loud bang that morning, and looked out her window in time to see a pickup truck speeding from the scene.

In April, Burgess and Mace were arrested and charged with Sanders' murder along with two other suspects: Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, and Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, both of Eureka. Mace reached a plea deal last week in which he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and agreed to testify against his codefendants. Under the deal, Mace faces a maximum of six years in prison, according to Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin.

Williams, Burgess and Peredia have all pleaded not guilty.

During a preliminary hearing Monday, Mace described in detail the events that led him to Sanders' trailer in the early morning hours of Feb. 24.

Mace said he first met Burgess 15 or 16 years ago, but didn't see him again until the evening of Feb. 23, when a friend brought him to Burgess' Lewis Avenue home in Eureka looking to buy heroin. Mace said he met Peredia and Williams that night.

Informed there was no heroin for sale at the house, Mace said Burgess agreed to drive him and his friend to a house where the friend believed she could purchase heroin. His friend left Burgess and Mace waiting in the car and entered the house with $40 or $60 of Mace's money, Mace said. His friend didn't return to the car and, eventually, he and Burgess left to return to the Lewis Avenue house, he said.

Mace testified that after he spent some time at the house, and ingested methamphetamine, Burgess, Peredia and Williams prepared to leave. Not wanting to be left in a house he didn't know and not knowing where the group was headed, Mace said he asked Burgess if he could come with them.

”Burgess said: 'You need to ask Ruben. It's Ruben's deal,'” Mace testified, adding that when he asked Peredia if he could come along, Peredia asked him what he wanted out of the deal. “He said, 'What do you want, a couple of hundred bucks out of the deal?' I said, 'No, I just want to get out of the house.'”

Mace said he thought the three were going to “take some wheels or something,” but did not know what their plans were when he left the house. He said all four of them got into a bluish-green, four-door Chevrolet pickup truck and started heading north to McKinleyville.

Peredia was driving the truck, Mace testified, until Jacobs Avenue, where he pulled over to let Burgess drive, saying he was tired.

Mace said it wasn't until they got to the McKinleyville trailer park, and Peredia disabled the dome light in the cab of the truck, that he asked what was going on.

He testified that one of his cohorts then told him they were going to rob someone.

Mace testified that Burgess then pulled the truck up next to Sanders' trailer, and Mace, Burgess and Peredia got out, leaving Williams alone in the truck. Mace said he approached Sanders' trailer with the two men, and Peredia knocked on the door.

When Sanders answered, Mace said Peredia set foot on the trailer's steps, threatening Sanders with a knife, at which point Sanders stepped back into the trailer and appeared to reach for something.

”That's when Ruben stepped back and said, 'Shoot him, shoot him,'” Mace testified, adding that he then heard a gunshot go off behind him, from where Burgess was standing, and saw Sanders fall back into the trailer and out of sight. “Jeff and Ruben took off running and I kind of stood there in awe. Then, I started running right behind them.”

In the truck on the drive back down to the Lewis Avenue home in Eureka, Mace said Williams said she was going to return to the scene.

”On the way back down she said she's going to go back,” Mace testified.

”For what?” McLaughlin asked.

”To rob him or to try to rob him,” Mace answered.

After arriving back at the Lewis Avenue home, Mace said Peredia left to take the truck somewhere and that Williams left to return to McKinleyville, leaving him and Burgess behind. He said Burgess dismantled and cleaned the .45-caliber handgun that Mace believed he'd used to shoot Sanders.

Mace's testimony conflicted slightly with that of Ana Rooney, who testified earlier in the preliminary hearing that she was friends with Sanders and lived with Burgess and Williams. Rooney testified that Mace began to stay at the Lewis Avenue home before the shooting. Mace testified that he'd never been to the house until Feb. 23, when he was brought there by his friend.

”She just simply brought me there to buy some drugs,” Mace testified.

Mace is expected to retake the stand this morning when the preliminary hearing -- held to determine if there is enough evidence to hold the defendants to stand trial -- is scheduled to continue.

Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or tgreenson@times-standard.com.

TS - Burgess sentenced to 30 years in Sanders killing

◼ Burgess sentenced to 30 years in Sanders killing
Another person believed to have taken part in the killing of Ezra Sanders outside his McKinleyville home last February has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin confirmed that Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka, was sentenced Tuesday.

Burgess agreed to the 30-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery with special allegations that include acting in concert with two or more persons and personally discharging a firearm during the commission of a felony last month.

Last summer, Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka, and Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, entered guilty pleas to voluntary manslaughter. Peredia was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison. Mace made a plea agreement to testify against his codefendants, and, after all the cases are finished, he will be sentenced to six years in prison.

A fourth suspect, Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka, has a trial confirmation hearing scheduled for Feb. 24.
The killing is believed to be the result of a marijuana deal gone wrong.

Burgess pleads guilty to robbery, faces 30 years

◼ Burgess pleads guilty to robbery, faces 30 years

Another defendant in the killing of Ezra Sanders entered a guilty plea in Superior Court on Monday and is looking at a sentence of 30 years in prison.

The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office said Jeffrey Alan Burgess, 39, of Eureka, entered the plea to first degree robbery with special allegations that include acting in concert with two or more persons and personally discharging a firearm during the commission of a felony. Burgess' murder trial was in the jury selection process when he changed his plea.

He will have to serve 25 years of the sentence before being eligible for release, Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin said, adding that 30 years is the largest determinant sentence possible.

McLaughlin said that, throughout settlement talks, he was in close contact with the victim's father, Charles Sanders.

”Every substantive discussion I had with defense counsel, I always checked with Mr. Sanders,” McLaughlin said. “We had an idea of where Mr. Sanders wanted to see the case resolved in terms of years of incarceration, and that's what we tried to accommodate. ... I had always thought that 30 years sounded appropriate for Mr. Burgess, given his age.”

Ruben Anthony Peredia, 32, of Eureka and Lukus Larry Mace, 31, of Orleans, entered guilty pleas in August to voluntary manslaughter. Mace and Peredia face up to six years in prison, but part of Mace's plea agreement requires him to testify against the others.

A fourth defendant, Tracey Joleen Williams, 35, of Eureka, is scheduled to stand trial Jan. 4.
Burgess' sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12.

Sanders was found lying in front of his trailer in the Widow White Creek RV Park in McKinleyville shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 24. He was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Mace's testimony at a preliminary hearing in the case indicated that he and the other three drove to McKinleyville to rob Sanders. Sanders resisted and appeared to be reaching for something inside his trailer. That is when Burgess shot him, Mace testified.

McLaughlin said there were some concerns regarding the admissibility of a confession Burgess gave law enforcement officers before his arrest, as Burgess' defense attorney, Neal Sanders, had argued that Burgess wasn't properly Mirandized during the interview. Much of the confession was thrown out during Burgess' preliminary hearing, and McLaughlin said there was a concern that ruling would have been upheld, or even extended, at trial.

”It would have been tough going,” he said of trying the case without Burgess' confession.

Neal Sanders said his client ultimately opted to take the plea deal because he, one day, hopes to walk out of prison a free man.

”It is a determinant term for him, which means he will actually be able to get out of custody,” said Neal Sanders, adding that would not have been the case if Burgess had been convicted of any degree of murder charges. “Nowadays, people with life sentences don't walk out of prison, ever.”

Staff writer Thadeus Greenson contributed to this report.

Chris Durant/The Times-Standard
Posted: 12/16/2009 01:21:20 AM PST