Six Mendocino Co. residents charged with killing of Covelo couple

MENDOCINO Co., 12/2/20 — Six Round Valley residents have been charged with first degree murder, kidnapping and torture in the slaying of a Covelo couple, with one of the six suspects still not in custody as of Wednesday.

Joseph Joshua Hoaglen, 37, Samson Musellini Little Bear Joaquin, 23, Britton Leonard Azbill, Sr., 61, David Lee Joaquin, Jr., 26, Janet Faye Azbill Jr., 34 and Joaquina Patrice Joaquin are all charged. Joaquina Patrice Joaquin had not been arrested by authorities as of late Wednesday afternoon. 

The other five defendants are scheduled for arraignment in Superior Court in Ukiah at 9 a.m Thursday. No information has yet been released on the murder weapon or weapons or how the six people allegedly each participated in killing of Kyle James McCartney, 34, and Traci Lynn Bland, 48. The Facebook pages of the deceased pair identifies them as a couple.

Several of the accused have prior felony convictions that qualify them for longer sentences under California’s three strikes law. The Mendocino District Attorney’s Office has also filed special circumstances against five of the six that allege the murders were conducted in conjunction with the crimes of kidnapping, and carjacking. The special circumstances were not filed against David Lee Joaquin, Jr.

Authorities first became aware of a situation on Nov. 19 when the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the 24400 Block of Oak Lane about the possible kidnapping of McCartney and Bland. The person who called 911 reported he was driven to the Oak Lane location by Bland and McCartney. When they arrived four unknown people allegedly attacked and assaulted McCartney and Bland, a press release from the sheriff’s department stated. The reporting party thought the pair were taken from their property in their own vehicle. This vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe was later located, abandoned, near another address on Oak Lane, the press release said. Then on Nov. 23, a passerby located the bodies of two deceased persons along Hulls Valley Road in a remote area Northeast of Covelo’s valley floor. An autopsy revealed the bodies to be Bland and McCartney.

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