Friday, 28 March 2025

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UPDATE: Just after 7:30 p.m. March 20, CPD reported that Matthew Vicchione has been located.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is asking for the community’s help in locating two individuals.

The first is George Guardino, 15.

He is described as a white male juvenile, approximately 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, with red or brown buzz cut hair, brown eyes, and possibly wearing a white tank top and black checkered pajama bottoms.

The second case is that of 43-year-old Matthew Vicchione.

Matthew Vicchione. Courtesy photo.

Vicchione was last seen in the area of College Access Road and Dam Road Extension.

He is described as a white male adult, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds. He is bald with brown eyes.

Vicchione was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and tan boots.

If anyone has any information on George's whereabouts, please contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1.
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Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) have joined 36 Democratic colleagues in expressing outrage at what they say are “reckless and illegal” firings the Trump Administration is carrying out in cutting in half the workforce of the U.S. Department of Education.

The senators said the actions by President Trump and Elon Musk are an attack on public education in America by closing offices and laying off 1,300 workers at the Department of Education.

They said it will cripple America’s education system and impact students in California and across the country.

California’s public education system, supported by the Department of Education, is the largest in the country. There are about 10,000 public schools in California serving over 5.8 million students.

If the department is dismantled, the nearly $8 billion in federal funding that California receives annually to support low-income students, students with disabilities, and more could be at risk.

California also has the most extensive higher education system in the nation, including the largest number of Pell Grant recipients who rely on Education Department staff to help them attend college.

Abolishing the Department of Education would have devastating impacts on California schools, students, faculty, communities and the economy, the group warned.

“At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60 percent of people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans cannot afford higher education, and 40 percent of our nation’s 4th graders and 33 percent of 8th graders read below basic proficiency, it is a national disgrace that the Trump Administration is attempting to illegally abolish the Department of Education and thus, undermine a high-quality education for our students,” wrote the senators.

The senators noted that these layoffs and closures will have devastating effects on the nation’s students, including by limiting the Department’s ability to guarantee that federal funding reaches communities that rely on it, ensure students can access federal financial aid, and uphold students’ civil rights.

Not even 24 hours after the staff reductions were announced, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, experienced a glitch that prevented students and families from accessing the application. Education Department workers responsible for fixing it had reportedly been fired.

“[The layoffs] would also mean decreased enforcement of rights for children with disabilities and fewer resources for students from low-income backgrounds and children with disabilities, like the 26 million students from low-income backgrounds and over 100,000 public schools in every community across this country that rely on Title I funding; the 7.5 million students with disabilities who benefit under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the 7 million students who receive Pell grants to help access higher education,” continued the senators.

“We will not stand by as you attempt to turn back the clock on education in this country through gutting the Department of Education,” concluded the senators. “Our nation’s public schools, colleges, and universities are preparing the next generation of America’s leaders—we must take steps to strengthen education in this country, not take a wrecking ball to the agency that exists to do so.”

California, 19 other states, and Washington, D.C. have sued the Trump Administration for these cuts and are pushing a federal judge to reinstate the 1,300 fired Education Department workers.

The letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. In addition to Padilla, Schiff, and Sanders, the letter was also signed by senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Last month, Sen. Padilla blasted President Trump’s nomination of Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education, underscoring the enormous threat the Trump Administration poses to the education of millions of students in California and across the country.

Sen. Padilla joined Sen. Warren and his Senate colleagues in launching a probe into reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, infiltrated the Department of Education and gained access to federal student loan data, which includes millions of borrowers’ personal information.

The senators sent a follow-up letter raising concerns about the Department of Education’s “woefully inadequate,” “misleading” response to their inquiry.

The full text of the letter is published below.

Dear Secretary McMahon:

We write to express our outrage that you, President Trump, and unelected billionaire Elon Musk are taking steps to abolish the Department of Education (“the Department”) and eliminate educational opportunities for millions of students across the country, something that 61 percent of Americans oppose. This most recently includes a 50 percent cut to the workforce, resulting in the termination of over 1,300 workers at the Department of Education, as well as the abrupt, last minute closure of all Department of Education buildings beginning at 6:00 PM on the same day that these terminations were announced.

At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60 percent of people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans cannot afford higher education, and 40 percent of our nation’s 4th graders and 33 percent of 8th graders read below basic proficiency,3 it is a national disgrace that the Trump Administration is attempting to illegally abolish the Department of Education and thus, undermine a high-quality education for our students.

As Secretary of Education, you are the foremost public servant responsible for carrying out the Department of Education’s mission to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Despite that responsibility, your first act as Secretary was announcing it was your “final mission” to dismantle the Department of Education, fire the public servants who keep it running, and terminate opportunities for students in public schools, colleges, and universities across the country.

The false claims of financial savings by dismantling the Department of Education so that billionaires can receive huge tax breaks is bad public policy and morally reprehensible. The billionaires that are in charge of our federal government right now will not be harmed by these egregious attacks: wealthy families sending their children to elite, private schools will still be able to get a quality education even if every public school disappears in this country. But for working-class families, high-quality public education is an opportunity they rely on for their children to have a path to do well in life.

Defunding federal support for public education would result in either higher property taxes or decreased funding for public schools, including in rural areas. It would also mean decreased enforcement of rights for children with disabilities and fewer resources for students from low-income backgrounds and children with disabilities, like the 26 million students from low-income backgrounds and over 100,000 public schools in every community across this country that rely on Title I funding; the 7.5 million students with disabilities who benefit under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the 7 million students who receive Pell grants to help access higher education.

It is undeniable that terminating 50 percent of the Department of Education’s workers will have harmful effects on public education in this country. The Department of Education already has the smallest staff of the 15 Cabinet agencies despite having the third largest discretionary budget, behind only the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services. These reductions will have devastating impacts on our nation’s students and we are deeply concerned that without staff, the Department will be unable to fulfill critical functions, such as ensuring students can access federal financial aid, upholding students’ civil rights, and guaranteeing that federal funding reaches communities promptly and is well-spent. Not even 24 hours after the staff reductions were announced, the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) experienced a glitch that prevented students and families from accessing the application, but the staff normally responsible for fixing those errors had reportedly been cut. The Department has also reportedly shuttered several regional offices responsible for investigating potential violations of students’ civil rights in local schools. We are deeply alarmed that cases will go uninvestigated and that students will be left in unsafe learning environments as a result.

The Trump Administration also says it wants to ‘return education back to the states.’ Let us be very clear—public education is already run by states and local school boards. While just 11 percent of public education is federally funded, the Department of Education has a necessary and irreplaceable responsibility to implement federal laws that ensure equal opportunity for all children in this country. These laws guarantee fundamental protections, such as ensuring that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, that students from low-income backgrounds and students of color will not be disproportionately taught by less experienced and qualified teachers, and that parents will receive information about their child’s academic achievement.

Without the Department of Education, there is no guarantee that states would uphold students’ civil and educational rights. Let us not forget that it was federal troops who protected the “Little Rock Nine” from a violent mob of segregationists when they integrated Central High School in the wake of the Brown v. Board U.S. Supreme Court decision. Not only was the state not going to provide this protection, but it was then-Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus who ordered the state’s National Guard to bar Black students from entering the school. Even today, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regularly investigates and resolves complaints of student discrimination related to students’ race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability status.

We will not stand by as you attempt to turn back the clock on education in this country through gutting the Department of Education. Our nation’s public schools, colleges, and universities are preparing the next generation of America’s leaders—we must take steps to strengthen education in this country, not take a wrecking ball to the agency that exists to do so.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Another storm is expected to arrive on Wednesday, bringing another round of late winter rain.

Ahead of the storm, the National Weather Service said Tuesday was supposed to begin with subfreezing temperatures. A freeze warning was issued for 3 to 9 a.m.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to rise into the mid 50s as dry conditions continue on Tuesday.

Then, on Wednesday, temperatures will remain in the 50s with rain forecast to begin after 11 a.m.

Up to half an inch of rain is possible throughout Wednesday, along with southwest winds with gusts of more than 20 miles per hour.

Conditions will clear on Thursday, to be followed by chances of rain again on Friday.

From Saturday through Monday, sunnier conditions are anticipated, along with temperatures rising into the high 60s on Sunday and the mid 70s on Monday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
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State officials reported that, as part of an enhanced focus in 2025 to combat the scourge of illegal fentanyl trafficking, in January and February the California National Guard seized 1,045 pounds and more than 650,000 pills containing fentanyl, with a street valuation of more than $6.8 million.

Through their Counter Drug Task Force operations, the Cal Guard Task Force members have been strategically deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and trafficking illegal narcotics like fentanyl, in support of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.

“By disrupting the trafficking of the 1,045 pounds of fentanyl so far this year, Cal Guard’s Counter Drug Task Force continues to save countless lives across our state. I cannot thank them enough for their support in keeping deadly fentanyl out of our communities,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Service members helped confiscate 488 pounds of powder-laced fentanyl and 331,069 pills of this dangerous drug in February, adding to the efforts in January.

In addition, Cal Guard service members continue to transform drug prevention in elementary, middle, and high schools statewide through the Task Force’s Drug Demand Reduction Outreach program.

Since October 2024, servicemembers visited 112 schools across the state and engaged with 57,442 students.

By conducting in-person outreach and understanding students’ beliefs about their own health using a Health Belief Model, Cal Guard is implementing an impactful initiative in the fight against opioid abuse.

Latest laboratory testing from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency indicates five out of 10 pills tested in 2024 contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl, which is down from seven of 10 pills in 2023.

Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry.

In 2024, Governor Newsom doubled down on the deployment of the Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force by more than doubling the number of service members supporting fentanyl interdiction, and seizing other drugs, at California ports of entry to nearly 400.

Cal Guard’s coordinated drug interdiction efforts in the state are funded in part by California’s $60 million investment over four years to expand Cal Guard’s work to prevent drug trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.

This adds to the governor’s efforts to address fentanyl within California, including by cracking down on fentanyl in communities across the state, including San Francisco.

Addressing the opioid crisis

The state has launched various initiatives in recent years to combat illicit opioids through the Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, which provides a comprehensive framework to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids like fentanyl.

Recently, through funding designated by the governor in the 2022-23 budget to develop the Fentanyl Enforcement Program, the Department of Justice announced a significant fentanyl bust worth $55 million and leading to the arrest of three major fentanyl traffickers.

The Campus Opioid Act, signed by Gov. Newsom in 2022, requires that every public college campus in California distribute a federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication like naloxone, and include information about opioid overdoses in their orientation process.

Last year, Newsom also signed AB 2429, requiring that fentanyl education be included in high school health classes starting in the 2026-27 school year.

Serving as a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, the website opioids.ca.gov provides information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug traffickers accountable in this crisis.

The public education campaign Facts Fight Fentanyl informs Californians about the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses and deaths. This effort will provide critical information about fentanyl and life-saving tools such as naloxone.

Through the Naloxone Distribution Project, over-the-counter CalRx-branded naloxone is now available across the state. The CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, is available for free to eligible organizations through the state and for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal. Since 2018, there have been over 334,000 reversals reported from NDP naloxone since 2018.
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Millions of Californians will receive an average of $137 in credits on their April gas and electric bills.

The California Climate Credit — automatically applied to Californians’ bills every April and October — is a direct result of the state’s nation-leading Cap-and-Trade climate program that requires polluters to pay for climate action.

Since 2014, California households have already received an average of $1,120 in combined automatic April and October climate credits on their utility bills.

“Every year, our Cap-and-Trade program provides essential funding to California’s efforts to clean the air while also giving residents money back on their utility bills. Millions of California families will benefit from this relief,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Since 2014, the state’s Cap-and-Trade program has delivered $10.9 billion in bill credits back to utility customers. This year, California will provide a total of $2.4 billion in residential credits – $1.4 billion for electric customers, $1 billion for natural gas customers, and an additional $122 million for small businesses.

How it works

The credits range from $35 to $259 for electricity bills – with most set to receive $56 to $81 – and approximately $54 to $87 on natural gas bills for residential customers of PG&E, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Company, and Southwest Gas. Californians can check how much their credit will be here.

Check your climate credit here.

Californians do not need to do anything to get the credit. The California Climate Credit comes from the State’s Cap-and-Trade Program managed by the California Air Resources Board. The credit on utility bills represents the consumer’s share of the payments from the State’s program.

In addition to utility bill credits, California’s Cap-and-Trade program has funded $28 billion in climate investments delivering more than half a million projects across the state, supporting 30,000 jobs and cutting millions of tons of carbon emissions.

The investments include a wide range of solutions such as putting affordable housing near job centers, building the nation’s first high-speed rail, and adding zero-emission transportation options in underserved communities.
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Retired veterans and a bipartisan group of legislators from both houses on Monday called for passage of AB 53 that would grant uniformed retirees and their survivors a state tax exemption on their military pensions.

Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the measure in December.

The bill was scheduled for a hearing Monday in the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation.

“This bill is necessary to make California more veteran friendly, and make it a more desirable place to call home upon retirement. We are off to a strong start this year in attempting to get this bill passed as the January budget includes funding for this proposal, and we have a lengthy list of 28 bipartisan co-authors. Military retirees often begin another career after retirement and contribute in many other ways to the state. AB 53 honors the many sacrifices of our armed forces personnel and their families,” Ramos said.

Armed forces service members are eligible to retire after 20 years and all states but California grant a partial or complete tax exemption on their federal pensions.

As of 2021, more than 132,000 retirees lived in California and received about $4.1 billion annually from the Department of the Defense, or DoD.

Additionally, more than 27,000 survivors residing in California received about $415 million annually.

Since 2013, the population of state retirees and survivors receiving pay from DoD has been steadily declining by 1% to 3% every year since 2013.

"On behalf of the California State Commanders Veterans Council, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Assemblymember Ramos for his tireless and multi-year efforts in advancing legislation to provide tax relief to military retirees. His dedication to this cause, spanning several legislative sessions, is truly commendable,” said Fred Green, Jr., LCDR, USN (Ret), Chair, California State Commanders Veterans Council.

“AB 53 is a crucial step toward making California more attractive to those who have served our nation, including military retirees and their families, particularly surviving spouses who often face significant financial challenges,’ Green continued. “We also appreciate Gov. Newsom's allocation of funds in the budget, marking a significant first step toward aligning California with other states that support military retirees. However, we recognize that more work is needed to retain and attract skilled veterans to our state. We invite the Governor and the Legislature to collaborate with us now and in future years to expand this tax relief framework, ensuring that California remains a welcoming home for those who have served our nation."

Ramos, who has introduced proposals for military retiree state tax exemptions three times in previous years, including during his chairmanship of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, was heartened by the governor’s willingness to include a pension tax exemption in this year’s state budget proposal.

Last year, Ramos’s bill was the first time the measure made it to the other house of the legislature’s fiscal committee.

“I’m not one to give up on something I think is important, and I am grateful to the governor for including this item in the upcoming year’s budget proposal. We are excited to work with him on this exemption for those who have served our country and that honors the many sacrifices of our armed services personnel and their families.”

AB 53 is jointly sponsored by the American Legion-Department of California, the Marine Corps League-Department of California, the California Association of County Veteran Service Officers, California Military Officers Association of America, the Enlisted Association of the California National Guard of the United States and the California State Commanders Veterans Council.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified a Lakeport man who died in a Sunday morning crash.

Authorities said Edmund Joseph Slevin, 88, was the wreck’s fatality.

Reports from the scene said Slevin was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Lakeshore Boulevard at Rainbow Road shortly before noon.

Slevin was reported to have been unresponsive by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.

Information about the cause of the crash has not been immediately available from the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. — Following a series of social media posts that began last week in which a woman said her father has confessed to being a serial killer who worked in several states and around the North Coast region — including in Lake and Mendocino counties — the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office on Monday said it has been investigating the allegations.

The posts by Galina Trefil have popped up on various pages across Facebook as she has recounted her allegations about her father, 86-year-old Dr. Jon Charles Trefil.

Dr. Trefil, who is now in failing health, has reportedly told his daughter that he began killing in the 1950s and then “made it a habit” from 1965 to 1999.

“From 1965 onward, he admitted to murdering one person, give or take, per month. Female, male, old, young, and couples. The states involved are Illinois, California, Virginia, Oregon, and Idaho. The outside countries are Canada, France, the Netherlands, and along the Mexican boarder [sic]. Most killings occurred in California, with the specified counties being San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and one unidentified county that shares the Northern Mendocino border,” Galina Trefil wrote.

In a followup post, she said one of the people her father claimed to have killed was 21-year-old Barry Kirk Pinder, found murdered at his campsite inside MacKerricher State Park just north of Fort Bragg on June 18, 1972.

In her comments, Galina Trefil alleged that the Fort Bragg Police Department, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office are all aware of her father’s confessions.

“This is the secret that the authorities in Mendocino County are not sharing with the public,” Galina Trefil wrote.

Lake County News reached out to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office about Galina Trefil’s post.

“Yes, we saw the post and are aware of the claims being made,” public information officer Lauren Berlinn told Lake County News in a Friday email. “The Mendocino Sheriff’s Office would likely be the best resource for more information if it is available.”

On Monday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement in response to the allegations, explaining that it has been following up on Galina Trefil’s information for more than two years.

Later in the day, Galina Trefil made another Facebook post in which she named another alleged victim, William Flint Midgett, 37, of Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office statement, written by Capt. Quincy Cromer, explained that the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office learned about Galina Trefil’s social media posts about her father being a serial killer on March 14.



Authorities explain case involvement

“This situation was reported to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office in January of 2023 after Trefil’s daughter reported to other local and regional law enforcement of her suspicions that her father is a serial killer,” Cromer said in the report.

Based on the referrals from other law enforcement agencies, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office detectives spoke with an advocate of Trefil’s daughter, who also assisted in interviewing Trefil about his alleged crimes, Cromer said.

Recordings, scanned journals and other investigative materials were shared with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, which conducted investigations into the claims.

“Investigators met with Trefil’s daughter in February of 2023, who said her father spoke about murdering several people from the 1970s through the 1990s. Trefil’s daughter also provided a lengthy written statement to detectives, which was retained as evidence,” the report said.

“As Trefil, his daughter, and the advocate spent time together, Trefil’s daughter said her father spoke about these killings and the daughter began researching unsolved murders in Mendocino County. Trefil’s daughter suspected her father was responsible for a murder in the 1970s in Mendocino County, which she specifically questioned her father about. Per Trefil’s daughter, Trefil ultimately admitted to the unsolved murder in Mendocino County in the 1970s. Detectives also obtained pictures, copies of journal entries, and recordings from the meetings between Trefil, his daughter, and the advocate,” the report said.

To further investigate the unsolved murder from the 1970s in Mendocino County, Cromer said detectives researched that case and compared the information provided by Trefil’s daughter to the facts of the case.

Detectives learned there were numerous evidentiary items that were submitted for DNA analysis in 2006 to the Department of Justice, which resulted in an unknown male DNA source from the analyzed evidence.

Detectives determined there were some consistencies in the information provided by Trefil’s daughter and the unsolved homicide case from the 1970s so they sought a warrant to obtain Trefil’s DNA for comparison to the evidentiary items sent for testing.

In May of 2023, the search warrant was authorized by a judge in Mendocino County to obtain a DNA sample from Trefil for comparison to the DNA profile from the evidence items in the unsolved homicide from the 1970s. The DNA sample from Trefil was submitted to the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services and ultimately uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System, also known as CODIS.

In 2023, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received reports from the California Department of Justice regarding the comparison of Trefil’s DNA profile to the evidence in the unsolved murder case from the 1970s. Trefil’s DNA did not match the unknown male contributor DNA profile from the unsolved 1970s murder investigation.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was also informed by the Department of Justice that Trefil’s DNA profile was uploaded into CODIS for routine and regular comparisons to DNA profiles uploaded from unsolved cases.

As of the publication of the Monday report, Cromer said the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has never been informed of Trefil’s DNA profile being a match or potential match to any evidentiary items submitted to CODIS.

Information from Trefil’s daughter also alleged her father buried numerous people he murdered at a cabin in Comptche. Cromer said the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office searched the property and cabin and were unable to locate any evidence to substantiate these claims or of possible human remains or burial sites on the property in Comptche.

“The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is aware that Trefil’s daughter referenced other serial killers identified by her father, but these inferences were not substantiated by detectives,” Cromer said. “The Sheriff’s Office has been unable to substantiate the claims of the other individuals alleged to be serial killers or their involvement with homicides in Mendocino County.”

Cromer said the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has examined the scanned copies of Trefil’s diaries and journals, but did not locate any expressed confessions to any murders.

Galina Trefil informed the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and submitted her DNA and Trefil’s DNA to genealogical / ancestry sites, but Cromer said the Sheriff’s Office has never been informed of any investigative leads from these efforts or from other agencies investigating these claims.

“The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has and will continue to investigate crimes associated with Trefil or allegations that he was a serial killer in Mendocino County,” Cromer said. “The Sheriff’s Office has not interviewed Trefil directly regarding these allegations due to his fragile medical state and information provided by his family that he will not cooperate with law enforcement. When legally justified and supported by probable cause, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate this matter.”

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip line at 707-234-2100.

The text of Galina Trefil’s social media posts is included below.


March 13

My name is Galina. For so many years now, I have lived a double life; carried an impossible secret. This is not a joke. This is the cold reality, which has been strictly on a need-to-know basis. Now everyone needs to know. I am the daughter of a serial killer--a serial killer who knew the identities of two other uncaught serial sex killers, Michael Fries and Julia Strnad Houser. Dr. Jon Charles Trefil, my father, has admitted for almost a decade, giving a consistent story, to being a serial killer ON TAPE, graphically. FBPD, the Sheriff's Department, the Mendocino County DA's Office, they are all aware of his confessions. This is the secret that the authorities in Mendocino County are not sharing with the public. At this point, Jon is 86 years old. He's admitted to being a serial killer to roughly over a dozen people. He's asked repeatedly if only someone, some authority, would take him back to the dump sites where he put the bodies. He's promised that he will point to where the bodies are if police will only take him. They haven't been willing to do so, and he's remained, while bedridden, still free. He wants to tell his story. He actually wants to go public with his crimes. He's given his blessing for me to do so in his stead. Though, at times, he's also promised to fake being crazy if he's actually arrested. I, his daughter, have been asked by law enforcement how old he is, and I respond to them, "Well, he's almost a decade older than when I first contacted law enforcement." I have devoted my life to bringing Jon to justice. At this point, the DA's office has dozens of hours of him discussing his murders in intense detail. How he kidnapped. Who he kidnapped. How he kept victims prisoner, sometimes for weeks at a time before killing them. How he tortured. How he killed. Though he said that he began killing in the 1950s, he only really made it a habit from the summer of 1965 to approximately 1999. From 1965 onward, he admitted to murdering one person, give or take, per month. Female, male, old, young, and couples. The states involved are Illinois, California, Virginia, Oregon, and Idaho. The outside countries are Canada, France, the Netherlands, and along the Mexican boarder. Most killings occurred in California, with the specified counties being San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and one unidentified county that shares the Northern Mendocino border. The fact that he's 86 should not matter in this case. There is no statute of limitations on murder, and most importantly he can give closure by saying where the bodies. He murdered my grandfather and laughed about killing two of my great-grandparents. He murdered multiple other people that, as a small child, I met back in the early 1980s. When I realized that he was a serial killer in January of 2012, I knew that he'd gone under the radar. If I let it happen, he would probably never be caught. Instead, I decided to devote the next 13 years of my life to building a case for the prosecution, so that the families of the dead could have the justice that they so deserve. The families deserve the opportunity to bury their daughters and sons; the opportunity while my father is still alive that they may stand in a courtroom and give an impact statement. I have contacted every jurisdiction wherein Jon admitted to murder. I have spoken to and given lengthy interviews with law enforcement over 40 times. I have provided DNA samples to law enforcement. At great personal physical risk, I retrieved my father's diaries, wherein he discusses some of the murders. To date, law enforcement hasn't even been willing to read those diaries. I got two of the murder weapons, including a vial of strychnine that Jon used to keep in his medical bag. No one's been willing to take it into custody. Last year, I was able to convince my father to cough up a few of the specific gravesite locations. The bodies of undiscovered victims are located at several places on "13 Curves" on HWY 20--mainly between the 4.5 to 5 mile marker. Also on the Comptche-Ukiah Road, Jon's Albion property, and at a murder cabin in Comptche. He's acknowledged two other murder cabins, located in Westport and Boonville. I asked law enforcement to put a wire on me. To date, they have not been willing to put a wire on me. I have been told that other, more recent cases, take precedent over cold cases. They took Jon's DNA, but have not been willing to put it, or my own volunteered DNA, into CODIS. Over the years, I built a posse, consisting mainly of seven key people, with an additional dozen or so helpers, who have also devoted themselves to bringing Jon Trefil to justice. Pure warriors, and the strain has weighed in on all of them. The time has come to go public though. I am asking the Mendocino County community for help. My father has repeatedly said that there were many victims who actually got away, some of whom were his patients. Hitchhikers, mostly picked up from the Willits junction, and tourists, were his main victims in Mendocino County, he said. He knew that they wouldn't be missed. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY AUTHORITIES. I'm afraid that, given the lack of DNA analysis, this case absolutely will not be solved without the other surviving victims being willing to come forward. Thank you. Please share.


March 17

My name is Galina. I'm the daughter of a serial killer, Jon Charles Trefil. One of the murders that my father admitted to was that of Barry Kirk Pinder. This is one of the rare murders that Jon described in vivid detail in front of both me and Athena Bolton, who now works at the DA's Office. In 1974, John claimed that he went to MacKerricher State Park. Whether this was with the intention to stay at the park or murder someone, I don't know. John spent a lot of time camping out on beaches, in the woods; at reservoirs. In addition to hitchhikers, John claimed that a large number of his victims were out-of-area campers that would set up camp far back in the woods; poor people that had stayed away from campgrounds in order to save money. (There was a lot of that going on in the 1960s and 1970s of Mendocino County.) I do remember vaguely him taking me to campgrounds when I was very little, maybe four or five. He would disappear, leaving me to walk around by myself. I'd wait hours, not knowing when he'd be back. John later told me that he decided killing at MacKerricher was definitely a bad idea because it was far too populated and could easily have resulted in him getting caught. On this particular occasion in 1974, John stated that he was at the campground with a buddy of his: John Shandel. Shandel was a known figure in the construction business. According to John's story, there was some degree of tree-trimming or removal Shandel was providing in the area when this murder happened. The two men were interacting with Pinder. Both Johns were drunk. At some point, John claimed that Shandel attempted a physically intimate moment with Pinder. I do not recall if John Trefil said that Shandel was present for what happened next or not. The DA's Office has the tapes. John claimed to be very angry about the attempted intimacy between Shandel and Pinder, and thereafter because of it beat Pinder to death. At no point did John claim any degree of bodily contact with Pinder. It was John's confession to Pinder's murder which resulted in the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department getting a warrant for John's DNA. I was present for that. I will never forget how pissed off John looked when Det. Logan repeatedly called John "Mr. Trefil," rather than "Dr. Trefil." The DNA did not come back as tying John to the scene, but...it wouldn't. John never claimed to have touched Pinder with his body, or in any other way, left DNA at the scene. The story of John's interaction with Pinder could have been confirmed by John Shandel, but I was told that the Sheriff's Department had stated that Shandel was already dead and could not be questioned. They were wrong. Shandel didn't die for at least six months after the DNA was taken. So far as I'm aware, Shandel was never questioned at all. This was so botched and the Pinder family still has no justice.


March 17

My name is Galina. I'm the daughter of a serial killer and I need your help. I understand that law enforcement has officially put out a statement that there is no actual evidence in the diaries of murder. I am now going to share the name of one my father's victims. I had no intention to make specific victims' names public because it will always be my hope that law enforcement will spare the families that public dose of awful and inform them privately in an in-person safe space. That not necessarily being that case changes things. I first contact Charlottesville PD almost a decade ago to share the information that John's diary said a patient named "Midgett" died because of him in Virginia, 1979. I was told by PD that this information was too vague in order to discover the victim--Midgett's--identity. I was blown off. Well, ancestry.com publishes the death certificates of Virginia residents. I was able to find out exactly who "Midgett" is, by the date of death and the fact that he died in the hospital wherein John worked in a position of power. Figuring this out wasn't even hard! William Flint Midgett, age 37. Death ruled of natural causes. John stressed that, whenever possible, he didn't kill his own patients, but rather those of other doctors, so if anything was discovered to be amiss, the other doctor would receive the blame; not him. William Flint Midgett was apparently an exception to the rule. I shouldn't be having to do this research. My posse should not be having to do this research. You the public shouldn't be having to do this research. I'm doing it, and now a lot of you are too, because it's the right thing to do. I was advised by Det. Sam Logan from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department to allow Athena Bolton, (who now works at the DA's Office,) to scan my father's diaries. I complied with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. I did what I was told. I handed them over. Saying they are of no evidentiary value baffles me. Please share.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — A two-vehicle collision late Sunday morning in Lakeport resulted in one fatality.

The crash occurred on Lakeshore Boulevard at Rainbow Road shortly before noon on Sunday, according to radio traffic and the California Highway Patrol’s online incident logs.

Reports from the scene said there were two vehicles involved, with a male unresponsive in one of them.

Firefighters worked to save the individual, who was determined to have died shortly afterward.

The Lakeport Fire chief handed over the scene to the CHP shortly after 12:15 p.m.

Additional information was not immediately available from the CHP on Sunday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
Posted On

Xavier Newman. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is attempting to locate a missing teenage boy.

Xavier Newman, 13, was last seen in the area of Olympic Drive and Jefferson Avenue.

He is described as a black male juvenile, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Xavier was last seen wearing a gray shirt and basketball shorts.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts please contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 1, for dispatch.
Posted On

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. — Community members are invited to a meeting next week to get an update on the development of a new park in Clearlake Oaks.

Stop in for an informal look at draft proposals for the new John T. Klaus Park in Clearlake Oaks.

The 570-acre park — which will be located near the roundabout at Highway 20 and Highway 53 — proposes trails, dog parks, native garden, cultural center, frisbee golf and more.

The drop-in meeting will be held Wednesday, March 26, 4 to 6 p.m. in the Nylander Building, located next to the playground at Nylander Park and behind the Red & White grocery store.

County staff will be present to answer questions and obtain comments, which will be used to create a more finalized design.

If you have any questions please contact the Lake County Department of Public Services at 707-262-1618 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Faced with the resignation of the county’s latest Public Health officer, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will discuss the temporary appointment of another doctor to fill the position.

The‌ ‌board will meet beginning ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌watched‌ ‌live‌ ‌on‌ ‌Channel‌ ‌8, ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ and‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌county’s‌ ‌Facebook‌ ‌page. ‌ ‌Accompanying‌ ‌board‌ ‌documents, ‌the‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌and‌ ‌archived‌ ‌board‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌videos‌ ‌also‌ ‌are‌ ‌available‌ ‌at‌ ‌that‌ ‌link. ‌ ‌

To‌ ‌participate‌ ‌in‌ ‌real-time, ‌join‌ ‌the‌ ‌Zoom‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌by‌ ‌clicking‌ ‌this‌ ‌link‌. ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌ID‌ ‌is‌ 865 3354 4962, ‌pass code 726865.‌ ‌The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.

In timed items at the beginning of the meeting, the board will present proclamations designating the month of March 2025 as American Red Cross Month and Women's History Month, and designating March 18 to 24 as National Agriculture Week.

In an untimed item, the board will discuss Health Services Director Anthony Arton’s request for approval of a temporary Public Health officer appointment and professional services contract with Anju Goel, MD, MPH, for a term of six months for an amount not to exceed $49,860 for the term of the agreement.

“The current Public Health Officer, Noemi Doohan, MD, MPH, PhD, has resigned her position effective March 31, 2025,” Arton explained in his report.

The board appointed Doohan to the position in August 2023.

“Dr. Goel is very qualified for this role. She brings extensive experience as an Interim Health Officer in California and has served as an independent medical doctor for the CDC. Her deep expertise in public health makes her an ideal candidate to provide the necessary support,” Arton said. “After being declined by three potential contractors for reasons such as conflicting obligations, and potential reimbursement rates, and reaching out to two others via email with mixed responses, Dr. Goel was recommended to us.”

Goel will be paid at a base rate of $165 an hour.

Arton said appointing a contracted temporary Public Health officer “will ensure continuity and effectiveness” of Lake County Health Services’ operations and will avoid a lapse of coverage and services to our community.

“Without the appointment of a Public Health Officer, vital records and immunization services will be immediately impacted, among other services,” he wrote.

In another untimed item, the board will get an update from the Community Development Department on the accomplishments of the Cannabis Ordinance Task Force, which has been meeting since July 2022.

Community Development Director Mireya Turner said in her report that her staff has received “sufficient input” to draft the new cannabis regular ordinance and no longer needs to meet.

Just last week, the board had been set to consider adding new members to the task force when it was withdrawn, with no set time for it to return.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt proclamation designating March 18-24, 2025, as National Agriculture Week in Lake County.

5.2: Adopt a proclamation designating the month of March 2025 as American Red Cross Month in Lake County.

5.3: Adopt proclamation designating March 2025 as Women's History Month in Lake County.

5.4: a) Accept donation from Linda K. Warren in the amount of $25,094.69; b) adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2024-99 to amend the adopted budget for FY 2024-2025 by appropriating unanticipated revenue and adding appropriations in Budget Unit 2711 – Animal Medical Clinic; and c) approve addition of washer and dryer in the amount of $25,094.69 to the FY 24/25 Capital Asset List.

5.5: Approve establishment of a panel for selection of hearing officer for AB 2275 certification review hearings.

5.6: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes for Dec. 17, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2025.

5.7: Adopt resolution accepting the work of the 14C-0099 Bartlett Creek Bridge (Bartlett Springs Road) Replacement Project (Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(111)) and direct the public works director to file the notice of completion with the County Recorder’s Office.

5.8: Adopt resolution accepting the work of the 14C-0048 Cache Creek Bridge (Chalk Mountain Road) Replacement Project, Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(094), and direct the public works director to file the notice of completion.

5.9: Adopt resolution accepting the work of the 14C-0061 Cole Creek Bridge (Soda Bay Road) Oak Mitigation Project (BRLO-5914(108)) and the 14C-0085 Highland Creek Bridge (Highland Springs Road) Oak Mitigation Project (BRLO-5914(109)) and direct the public works director to file the notice of completion with the County of Lake Recorder’s Office.

5.10: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, adopt a resolution of the Lake County Watershed Protection District authorizing the funding request, acceptance, and execution for the California Stream Gage Upgrade Project: Clover Creek Diversion Channel.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.

6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of March 2025 as American Red Cross Month in Lake County.

6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 18-24, 2025, as National Agriculture Week in Lake County.

6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 2025 as Women's History Month in Lake County.

6.5(2), erratum, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of the distribution of excess proceeds in the amount of $1,116,250.39 from Tax Defaulted Land Sale #161 held May 26, 2023 (per R&T §4675).

6.6, 10 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of post-abatement hearing and proposed assessment of abatement - 7560 Jackson Street, Nice (APN 030-091-06): Property owner: DL Investors 1, LLC, c/o WPL Holdings, LLC.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of Amendment 1 to agreement for professional services between the County of Lake and Lake County PEG-TV.

7.3: Consideration of 1) replacing one at-large member on the Middletown Local Area Plan Advisory Committee, or LAPAC, for one agriculture representative; and 2) appointment of member(s) to Middletown LAPAC.

7.4: Consideration of update on accomplishments and conclusion of Cannabis Ordinance Task Force.

7.5: Consideration of temporary public health officer appointment and professional services contract with Anju Goel, MD, MPH, for a term of six months for an amount not to exceed $49,860 for the term of the agreement and authorize the health services director to sign.

7.6: Consideration of resolution authorizing the delegation of authority to the Public Services director to approve and execute change orders for the agreement for construction of the Lake County Sheriff Administration Facility Renovation Project.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Public employee evaluation, Child Support Services director.

8.2: Conference with labor negotiator: a) Chief Negotiator: C. Torrez; County Negotiators: S. Parker, S. Carter, C. Moreno, P. Samac, and D. Rico; and b) Employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA, and LCSMA.

8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1): McSorley v. Lake County.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) – One potential case.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.

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