Sheriff’s investigation continues into Lucerne man’s murder; men charged in homicide to return to court next month
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKEPORT, Calif. – As the Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues to follow up on leads in the murder last month of a Lucerne man, the two men charged with the homicide are scheduled to return to court next month to enter pleas in the case.
Daniel Wayne Ford, 49, of Lakeport, and Michael Sean Shaffer, 35, of Upper Lake, were in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday to enter pleas, but didn’t do so, according to District Attorney Susan Krones.
The men were arrested on Nov. 23, the same day that authorities found the body of 70-year-old Nicky Dale Smith on the side of the road in the 4550 block of Scotts Valley Road near Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.
Smith’s autopsy concluded that he died of blunt force trauma and gunshot wounds, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges so far filed against Ford and Shaffer indicate that it was Ford who used a flashlight to beat Smith and a handgun to shoot him.
Krones has charged both Ford and Shaffer with murder, attempted robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and a host of special allegations, including committing a murder during an attempted robbery, an attempted kidnapping and a carjacking, and inflicting great bodily injury on a person who was 70 years old.
Ford alone is charged with assault with a firearm, with a special allegation of using a handgun; assault with a deadly weapon, a flashlight; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and additional special allegations of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury and death, and personally using and firing a handgun.
Both men have previous felony convictions, Ford for reckless evading in Mendocino County in 2007, possession of methamphetamine for sale in Mendocino County in 2011 and for criminal threats in 2015 in Del Norte County, and Shaffer for assault with a deadly weapon in 2012 and for reckless evading in 2017, with both convictions in Lake County.
In a court appearance last month, Ford and Shaffer indicated they planned to hire their own attorneys and didn’t enter pleas then, either.
At the Tuesday hearing, Krones said Mitchell Hauptman and Edward Savin made special appearances on behalf of Ford and Shaffer, respectively, with both attorneys in the process of being hired.
“So they have not made general appearances yet,” Krones said of Ford and Shaffer.
Krones said they will return to court at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, in Department 3 for entering of pleas and appearance of counsel.
Both men remain in custody at the Lake County Jail on no-bail holds.
Krones said the sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation into the homicide, noting it’s still early in the case’s development.
Krones said there could be another potential suspect who was involved in the murder.
However, Krones said that the possibility of another suspect hasn’t so far exonerated either Ford or Shaffer.
“The sheriff’s office is still investigating all leads,” Krones said.
She declined to discuss a possible motive, explaining that it’s too early to say what it might be.
However, Krones added that Ford and Shaffer didn’t randomly pick up Smith; she stated in a previous interview that the men had prior contacts.
She also said she wasn’t at liberty to discuss whether or not Smith’s pickup had yet been located, deferring comment at this time to the sheriff’s office.
Paulich wasn’t available on Wednesday to offer further comment on the case.
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