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Forest-death probe urged by Suzanne Zalev The Times Standard EUREKA - Several Southern Humboldt County residents and environmentalists want an independent investigation into the death of an Earth First activist last week. "We do not believe that the company and [Sheriff Dennis Lewis] can be trusted to honestly investigate this tragedy and in fact feel that they may be suppressing and neglecting key evidence in this case," Environmental Protection Information Center spokesman Kevin Bundy told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Activist David "Gypsy" Chain, 24, of Coldspring, Texas, was killed last Thursday when a tree fell on him at a Pacific Lumber Co. logging site near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park. The Sheriff's Department is in the midst of an investigation and PL is conducting its own investigation. Preliminary reports say the death is accidental, but Earth First activists have said loggers were deliberately falling trees in the direction of Chain and other protesters, who were trespassing on PL land. Sheriff's Detective Juan Freeman said officials flew over the Grizzly Creek area Tuesday and took photos and video footage. he couldn't draw any conclusions until the photos and videos are analyzed, he said. "We wanted to find the scene of the death and we found that and photographed," he said, adding he's not sure how much evidence it will provide. Freeman wanted to see the pattern of timber falling and said he'll consult with experts. The ground investigation is finished, he said. Freeman has interviewed about 15 people and has about eight more to interview. Results of the investigation will not be released until it's finished, Freeman said, and this could take several weeks. He'll turn the results over to the District Attorneys Office, which will decide whether to press charges against anyone. Activist Mark "Rainbow Bridge" Knipper, 43, of Blue Lake. came close to being escorted out of the Supervisor's Chambers during the public comment period of Tuesday's meeting. Knipper was not signed up to give comment but wanted to speak when someone on the list declined. Knipper gave names of several activists he said were hurt by loggers in past protests and accused officials of being complacent with the investigation into Chain's death. "This is blood money that you have accepted (for the agreement to purchase a portion of the Headwaters forest)," Knipper said. Board Chairman Paul Kirk adjourned the meeting and called authorities. He said later that Knipper was disrupting the meeting and knew he was not on the list of speakers. He was taking time away from other residents who were signed up to speak, he added. Sheriff's deputies showed up shortly after the brief adjournment, presumably to escort Knipper from the chambers, but he had already left. Eureka resident Kay Brown, 62, a member of People Against Crime and Corruption Today, asked Coroner Frank Jager to conduct a public coroner's inquest. It would be a good healing process, she said, and there was distrust of law enforcement voiced at the supervisor's meeting. "If we do not do the right thing, the faller and his family will be haunted by this tragedy through innuendo and gossip. the dead man's family will be haunted by the uncertainty," Brown said in her request. "The public support for either side will fan the flames of discontent and the citizens of Humboldt County will end up more impoverished by a lack of leadership." Jager said he's not "real keen on the idea" of a coroner's inquest. Its an old system of investigating an accidental death and costs money far a jury, a court reporter and to bring in expert witnesses. "Nobody has formally requested it and it's certainly something we'll consider," Jager said Tuesday. PL spokesliar Mary Bullwinkle said Tuesday that the company's investigation is still underway. A video, which Earth Firsters say was taken the morning Chain died, captures a man swearing at protesters and saying he wished he'd brought his pistol. Earth Firsters claim this was a logger, but Bullwinkle said as far as she knows, that wasn't the voice of the logger who fell the tree that killed Chain. "We still don't know if that is actually one of our loggers," she said. It is difficult to identify anyone from the video, and Bullwinkle said she doesn't know if the video was authentic and filmed when Earth First said it was. "I think that we need to wait and see what the investigation results are," she said. ###
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