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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 15, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 15, 2007
 
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Jury: Man stole copper from old Rayonier building A Mason County Superior Court jury deliberated about an hour before convicting a 36-year-old Olympia man of six felony offenses tbr stealing metal items on three separate dates in November from the former ITT Rayonier building on the Shelton waterfront. Jerald Lee McCowan, who is also known by the last name Long, was tbund guilty of burglary in the second degree and thet in the sec- ond degree for a break-in Novem- ber 7, second-degree burglary and second-degree theft fbr a break-in November 9, second-degree bur- glary and attempted theft in the first degree when he was arrested November 12 inside the building with his brother, and possession of methamphetamine. He is scheduled for sentenc- ing on February 26. His brother, Richard Thomas Long, 32, of 8413 Queets Drive NE, Olympia, is scheduled tbr trial this month on similar charges for the break-ins. THE JURY WAS seated Janu- ary 30 and heard testimony from the first state witness, Officer Brett Dehning of the Shelton Po- lice Department. He said he was on patrol on November 12 and re- sponded to the tbrmer I'VP Rayo- nier building around 8 a.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious situation at the location. "I knew there had been some previous inci- Accused pot farmers face felony cases Two Mason County men accused of operating separate marijuana grows in 2005 - one in Tahuya and the other in the Agate area - ap- peared in Mason County Superior Court. Both men were summoned to court after investigations by the West Sound Narcotics Enibrce- ment Team, also known as West- NET. • Randall Kirk Morse, 47, 40 NE Timber LaD'e, Tahuya, was identified in an investiga- tion of manufacturing marijuana and possession of' pot with intent to deliver. He appeared in court with his attorney Jeniece LaCross and entered not-guilty pleas to the charges. According to a report by Detec- tive Roy Alloway of WestNET, 05 ricers obtained a search warrant on June 20, 2005 for Tahuya-area residences at 131 Pine Tree Place and 40 NE Timber Lane, both owned by Randall Morse. At 131 Pine Tree officers found no evidence of occupancy but did find seven large bags of marijuana in the freezer. The grow operation was tbund in a detached garage which had two separate rooms containing 79 plants and equip- ment. At 40 NE Timber Lane, where Marilyn and Randall Morse re- side, officers tbund 126 plants in a detached garage; 304.9 grams of dried marijuana, 1.5 grams of hash, seven firearms and receipts for wmous supplies used to build )grow rooms plus two scales, pack- aging materials and a harvest schedule in the home, Alloway re- ported. Mr. Morse, who is retired from the U.S. Navy, allegedly admitted growing pot since late 2002 and selling to about 10 customers in quarter-pound quantities tbr $800. Ite also reportedly said he built both grow rooms and that his wiI and stepson, who lives at the Pine Tree Place property, did not know about the pot growing operations. * Rick Barry Fitchitt, 53, of 10 East Agate Road, Shelton, pied not-guilty to charges of manufac- turing marijuana and possession ot' marijuana with intent to de- liver. He appeared in court with his attorney, David Arganian, who said Fitchitt has medical authori- zation to use marijuana. Alloway reported that a search warrant was served on November 16, 2005, at the Agate Road resi- dence and officers found 79 plants growing in a hydroponic medium, with 49 rooted and 30 cuttings. Officers also allegedly located 4.28 pounds of processed marijuana divided into 26 containers tbund throughout the residence. Morse and Fitchitt are sched- uled for omnibus hearings on April 2, pretrial hearings on April 16 and trials during the jury term beginning April 26. dents there. I actually did a walk- through the morning before," he said. "It had been secure in the past with sheets of plywood which had been pried open," Dehning contin- ued. He said he was with Officer Chris Kostad and they heard noise coming from inside the building. The officer testified that he and Kostad stepped through a door and observed two males above them us- ing a tool known as a come-along. "We were in an open-air area like a courtyard or tbyer area," Dehning said. "There was a vehicle outside at the end of the building. Officer Kostad gave verbal commands to order them down. They complied, were handcuffed and searched." He identified McCowan as one of the men. Officer Kostad said he noticed a black Jetta parked against some shrubs and trees that concealed it from view. "I notified dispatch I had a suspicious vehicle at the lo- cation. As I was doing that I heard a sound coming from the building. I asked for assistance for a possi- ble burglary in progress," he said. KOSTAD SAID he heard a ratcheting sound coming from in- side. "We entered the building and came through the door to an open- air area. I saw two males standing on the roof. I told them, 'Police: Let me see your hands' and told them to climb down to the ground," he said. "When i went up to the roof where I saw them, I found tools and a come-along and some copper wire. It was very thick," he said. He also reported finding bolt cut- ters on the roof. "I had to backtrack and go up a flight of stairs and down a hallway and up another flight of stairs. I also found a black jacket next to the stairs that led out to the roof. It contained a wallet and a burgundy pouch with suspected narcotics." He said the pouch contained a sy- ringe and bags containing a white crystal substance which field-test- ed positive tbr methamphetamine. Kostad said he also found a big Tupperware box containing a va- riety of tools and a tool bag. There were also flashlights and headlam- ps which he said were "necessary" because there was no electricity in the building and the windows were boarded up. "It's dark inside even in daylight," he said. DETECTIVE HARRY Hel- dreth said he was called into in- vestigate on November 12 and first went to the scene and then to the department. He said he ad- vised Long and McCowan of their constitutional rights and both agreed to talk with him. He said he interviewed Long first and then McCowan. Heldreth said McCowan told him he and his brother had gone to the building two times prior to November 12. McCowan told Heldreth they were there on No- vember 7 at about 2 o'clock in the morning and left about 3 in the afternoon. McCowan said they took brass fittings and copper wire which they had to clean by remov- ing the coating to get more money from "the scrapper" and that they got about $300 for that load. Heldreth said McCowan told him they returned on November 9 and showed up about 2 a.m. and removed copper wire and scrap metal from throughout the build- ing. McCowan said they took that load over to Tumwater and got about $260 on that evening. According to police McCowan said they returned about 6 o'clock in the morning on November 12. He said they were starting to crank the come-along to get the wire out when they were contacted by police. Heldreth said McCowan said they went in all three times through a front door which had plywood over it. McCowan also told Heldreth they had to carry tools inside. HELDRETH SAID McCow- an admitted the jacket was his and the contents inside were his, which Heldreth said included a syringe with liquid contents and a small bag which contained a white crystal substance. "I looked at the inside of his arms and I could see there were fresh needle tracks. He said he injected at 11 p.m. the night before my contact," he said. A Volkswagen Jetta was found at the building. Heldreth said he identified the registered owner, Marvin Campbell, who is a step- (Please turn to page 30.) Page 28 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 GATHERING FOR THE BLESSING of House #13 by Habitat for Humanity of Mason County are, clockwise from above: Dezaray Farrow, a daughter of the Bates family and a prospective occu- pant of house #14; Danie Tallet, left, and her sister Mariaya with an unidentified friend walking the plank; Bill Novak, construction manager, and AP on-site Thompson of the Habitat staff with VI. ian Bates holding her daughter, FaitP Charlotte Bales and an unidentiti companion leaving House #12, soon t be the home of Terresa Morris and f ily; and construction manager He Biernacki. Habitat gathering proves to be 13th blessed event There's a building boom in the boondocks thanks to a thith-based organization that helps people who don't have a lot of money construct homes of their own. In its 10th year of operation, Habitat for Hu- manity of Mason County redoubled its efforts by embarking on a schedule of building two homes a year instead of one and efforts are now bearing fruit in the Shorecrest area. Three homes in vari- ous stages of development were represented at a blessing ceremony held there this month. Pastor Jack Keith of Hood Canal Community Church led a gathering of several dozen people in prayer tbr God's blessing on the 13th home. Beams of a sunny Sunday afternoon shed light on the in- terior of a structure with outside walls that were standing tall and inside walls that are still on the drawing board. "Here we are on a journey and we're only halfway through but we're going to make it," Keith said. HE POINTED out that "unless the Lord builds the house the builder labors in vain" and read 20.5 from The Book of Deuteronomy: "What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it." The occupants of #13 will be Danya Tallett and her three children: Mariaya, Andrew and Danie. "A home without love? That's like a horse without a saddle - one glove," Keith said After gatheJ:: •  - "I'IIP" the people around the family, he made a perils. to the Lord that all in attendance would have v, trance' and the other virtues" that make for a hapP home. "I just pray that you bless and pass out all tbe qualities to the people here," Keith said. Charlie Haney, newly appointed as rector of Habitat for Humanity of Mason was among the people who were on hand. in Shelton and has been manager of the Market of Olympia for the past 16 years• THOSE IN attendance at the ny were invited to write prayers and the framework of the house. They could also the nearly completed 12th Habitat home, located next door to the 13th, and meet the ple who will be living in the 12th and 14th someday. House #14 is in the planning supported by a donation of $63 000 from Financial, an organization House #12 is expected to be completed in this year. The fund-raising committee of Habitat that cash donations are needed to building of #13. There is also a need for glasses and hard hats, as well as land to in 2008. Jury: Man stole copper from old Rayonier building A Mason County Superior Court jury deliberated about an hour before convicting a 36-year-old Olympia man of six felony offenses tbr stealing metal items on three separate dates in November from the former ITT Rayonier building on the Shelton waterfront. Jerald Lee McCowan, who is also known by the last name Long, was tbund guilty of burglary in the second degree and thet in the sec- ond degree for a break-in Novem- ber 7, second-degree burglary and second-degree theft fbr a break-in November 9, second-degree bur- glary and attempted theft in the first degree when he was arrested November 12 inside the building with his brother, and possession of methamphetamine. He is scheduled for sentenc- ing on February 26. His brother, Richard Thomas Long, 32, of 8413 Queets Drive NE, Olympia, is scheduled tbr trial this month on similar charges for the break-ins. THE JURY WAS seated Janu- ary 30 and heard testimony from the first state witness, Officer Brett Dehning of the Shelton Po- lice Department. He said he was on patrol on November 12 and re- sponded to the tbrmer I'VP Rayo- nier building around 8 a.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious situation at the location. "I knew there had been some previous inci- Accused pot farmers face felony cases Two Mason County men accused of operating separate marijuana grows in 2005 - one in Tahuya and the other in the Agate area - ap- peared in Mason County Superior Court. Both men were summoned to court after investigations by the West Sound Narcotics Enibrce- ment Team, also known as West- NET. • Randall Kirk Morse, 47, 40 NE Timber LaD'e, Tahuya, was identified in an investiga- tion of manufacturing marijuana and possession of' pot with intent to deliver. He appeared in court with his attorney Jeniece LaCross and entered not-guilty pleas to the charges. According to a report by Detec- tive Roy Alloway of WestNET, 05 ricers obtained a search warrant on June 20, 2005 for Tahuya-area residences at 131 Pine Tree Place and 40 NE Timber Lane, both owned by Randall Morse. At 131 Pine Tree officers found no evidence of occupancy but did find seven large bags of marijuana in the freezer. The grow operation was tbund in a detached garage which had two separate rooms containing 79 plants and equip- ment. At 40 NE Timber Lane, where Marilyn and Randall Morse re- side, officers tbund 126 plants in a detached garage; 304.9 grams of dried marijuana, 1.5 grams of hash, seven firearms and receipts for wmous supplies used to build )grow rooms plus two scales, pack- aging materials and a harvest schedule in the home, Alloway re- ported. Mr. Morse, who is retired from the U.S. Navy, allegedly admitted growing pot since late 2002 and selling to about 10 customers in quarter-pound quantities tbr $800. Ite also reportedly said he built both grow rooms and that his wiI and stepson, who lives at the Pine Tree Place property, did not know about the pot growing operations. * Rick Barry Fitchitt, 53, of 10 East Agate Road, Shelton, pied not-guilty to charges of manufac- turing marijuana and possession ot' marijuana with intent to de- liver. He appeared in court with his attorney, David Arganian, who said Fitchitt has medical authori- zation to use marijuana. Alloway reported that a search warrant was served on November 16, 2005, at the Agate Road resi- dence and officers found 79 plants growing in a hydroponic medium, with 49 rooted and 30 cuttings. Officers also allegedly located 4.28 pounds of processed marijuana divided into 26 containers tbund throughout the residence. Morse and Fitchitt are sched- uled for omnibus hearings on April 2, pretrial hearings on April 16 and trials during the jury term beginning April 26. dents there. I actually did a walk- through the morning before," he said. "It had been secure in the past with sheets of plywood which had been pried open," Dehning contin- ued. He said he was with Officer Chris Kostad and they heard noise coming from inside the building. The officer testified that he and Kostad stepped through a door and observed two males above them us- ing a tool known as a come-along. "We were in an open-air area like a courtyard or tbyer area," Dehning said. "There was a vehicle outside at the end of the building. Officer Kostad gave verbal commands to order them down. They complied, were handcuffed and searched." He identified McCowan as one of the men. Officer Kostad said he noticed a black Jetta parked against some shrubs and trees that concealed it from view. "I notified dispatch I had a suspicious vehicle at the lo- cation. As I was doing that I heard a sound coming from the building. I asked for assistance for a possi- ble burglary in progress," he said. KOSTAD SAID he heard a ratcheting sound coming from in- side. "We entered the building and came through the door to an open- air area. I saw two males standing on the roof. I told them, 'Police: Let me see your hands' and told them to climb down to the ground," he said. "When i went up to the roof where I saw them, I found tools and a come-along and some copper wire. It was very thick," he said. He also reported finding bolt cut- ters on the roof. "I had to backtrack and go up a flight of stairs and down a hallway and up another flight of stairs. I also found a black jacket next to the stairs that led out to the roof. It contained a wallet and a burgundy pouch with suspected narcotics." He said the pouch contained a sy- ringe and bags containing a white crystal substance which field-test- ed positive tbr methamphetamine. Kostad said he also found a big Tupperware box containing a va- riety of tools and a tool bag. There were also flashlights and headlam- ps which he said were "necessary" because there was no electricity in the building and the windows were boarded up. "It's dark inside even in daylight," he said. DETECTIVE HARRY Hel- dreth said he was called into in- vestigate on November 12 and first went to the scene and then to the department. He said he ad- vised Long and McCowan of their constitutional rights and both agreed to talk with him. He said he interviewed Long first and then McCowan. Heldreth said McCowan told him he and his brother had gone to the building two times prior to November 12. McCowan told Heldreth they were there on No- vember 7 at about 2 o'clock in the morning and left about 3 in the afternoon. McCowan said they took brass fittings and copper wire which they had to clean by remov- ing the coating to get more money from "the scrapper" and that they got about $300 for that load. Heldreth said McCowan told him they returned on November 9 and showed up about 2 a.m. and removed copper wire and scrap metal from throughout the build- ing. McCowan said they took that load over to Tumwater and got about $260 on that evening. According to police McCowan said they returned about 6 o'clock in the morning on November 12. He said they were starting to crank the come-along to get the wire out when they were contacted by police. Heldreth said McCowan said they went in all three times through a front door which had plywood over it. McCowan also told Heldreth they had to carry tools inside. HELDRETH SAID McCow- an admitted the jacket was his and the contents inside were his, which Heldreth said included a syringe with liquid contents and a small bag which contained a white crystal substance. "I looked at the inside of his arms and I could see there were fresh needle tracks. He said he injected at 11 p.m. the night before my contact," he said. A Volkswagen Jetta was found at the building. Heldreth said he identified the registered owner, Marvin Campbell, who is a step- (Please turn to page 30.) Page 28 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 GATHERING FOR THE BLESSING of House #13 by Habitat for Humanity of Mason County are, clockwise from above: Dezaray Farrow, a daughter of the Bates family and a prospective occu- pant of house #14; Danie Tallet, left, and her sister Mariaya with an unidentified friend walking the plank; Bill Novak, construction manager, and AP on-site Thompson of the Habitat staff with VI. ian Bates holding her daughter, FaitP Charlotte Bales and an unidentiti companion leaving House #12, soon t be the home of Terresa Morris and f ily; and construction manager He Biernacki. Habitat gathering proves to be 13th blessed event There's a building boom in the boondocks thanks to a thith-based organization that helps people who don't have a lot of money construct homes of their own. In its 10th year of operation, Habitat for Hu- manity of Mason County redoubled its efforts by embarking on a schedule of building two homes a year instead of one and efforts are now bearing fruit in the Shorecrest area. Three homes in vari- ous stages of development were represented at a blessing ceremony held there this month. Pastor Jack Keith of Hood Canal Community Church led a gathering of several dozen people in prayer tbr God's blessing on the 13th home. Beams of a sunny Sunday afternoon shed light on the in- terior of a structure with outside walls that were standing tall and inside walls that are still on the drawing board. "Here we are on a journey and we're only halfway through but we're going to make it," Keith said. HE POINTED out that "unless the Lord builds the house the builder labors in vain" and read 20.5 from The Book of Deuteronomy: "What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it." The occupants of #13 will be Danya Tallett and her three children: Mariaya, Andrew and Danie. "A home without love? That's like a horse without a saddle - one glove," Keith said After gatheJ:: •  - "I'IIP" the people around the family, he made a perils. to the Lord that all in attendance would have v, trance' and the other virtues" that make for a hapP home. "I just pray that you bless and pass out all tbe qualities to the people here," Keith said. Charlie Haney, newly appointed as rector of Habitat for Humanity of Mason was among the people who were on hand. in Shelton and has been manager of the Market of Olympia for the past 16 years• THOSE IN attendance at the ny were invited to write prayers and the framework of the house. They could also the nearly completed 12th Habitat home, located next door to the 13th, and meet the ple who will be living in the 12th and 14th someday. House #14 is in the planning supported by a donation of $63 000 from Financial, an organization House #12 is expected to be completed in this year. The fund-raising committee of Habitat that cash donations are needed to building of #13. There is also a need for glasses and hard hats, as well as land to in 2008.