The attorney for accused double murderer Martin Ehrke lost his bid in court on Nov. 16 to have his client answer to only second degree murder, at least at this stage of the proceedings.
According to testimony by Colusa County’s top cops, Ehrke, now 53, confessed early into the investigation to killing Jessica Lynn Mazak, 25, in a fit of anger and rage, as she walked her dog on the isolated Hillgate Road ranch belonging to the Ehrke family nearly five years ago.
Ehrke then admitted to walking into the residence on the property known as the “in-law quarters” and killing Kimberly Lynn Taylor, 39, as she slept, said Williams Police Chief Jim Saso.
Saso, along with Sheriff’s Lt. Luis Ruiz and current Assistant Sheriff Michael Bradwell, investigated the Jan. 25, 2018, double homicide when Saso served as the Colusa County Sheriff’s second in command.
All three peace officers testified at last week’s preliminary hearing, after which Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson ruled there was sufficient evidence to believe Ehrke guilty and that he should be held to the charges.
Saso said Ehrke, during questioning on the afternoon of the murder, admitted that he was enraged because he believed the two women had stolen lighting equipment used to grow marijuana, along with some personal papers and credit cards.
During the outdoor confrontation with Mazak, Ehrke allegedly walked over to a tree, picked up a large rock, returned to where Mazak was standing, and struck her on the side of her head as she faced him, which fractured her skull.
After killing Mazak, Ehrke then walked into the quarters where the two women were staying, covered Taylor’s face as she slept, and struck her on the side of her head with a rock, killing her, according to testimony.
Ehrke then wrapped Taylor’s body in a sheet and stuffed it inside a chest freezer, before returning to where Mazak’s body lay on the ground, Saso said.
Unable to lift her, Ehrke admitted that he tied a rope around Mazak’s arms, dragged her to a pontoon-type boat located in the nearby pond; he then took her out into deeper water and tossed her over the side, before watching her remains sink beneath the murky surface, Saso testified.
The victims, both from Colusa, and Ehrke have criminal pasts and all three had been arrested previously on drug-related charges, court records show.
Bradwell testified that Mazak and Taylor were well known by law enforcement, and that he recognized the women when their bodies were recovered at the crime scene.
Bradwell confirmed their identities in court last week from mugshots from earlier arrests.
Ruiz testified a rock covered in blood and hair was found between two trees about 50 feet from the in-law quarters where Mazak was reportedly killed, and a rock with blood was discovered in the freezer near Taylor’s head.
Williams neither affirmed or disputed his client’s alleged confession, but argued for the lesser degree of murder be charged.
Under California law, first degree intentional killings are premeditated, while second degree intentional killings are unplanned, typically occurring in the heat of the moment, Williams said.
Ehrke’s mindset at the time of his arrest and mental health have played a significant role in delaying proceedings since the 2018 homicide. Ehrke spent a lengthy commitment in the state mental hospital. He was released in March after being found fit to stand trial and aid in his defense.
While Ehrke had been ill with pneumonia and had visited the emergency room shortly before the murder, Saso testified that he showed a range of emotions during questioning, crying at times, but did not appear to be under the influence or impaired.
Ehrke did speak of a pending nuclear war and also believed the women were poisoning food, according to testimony.
Despite Ehrke’s questionable mental health and the rage he felt at the two victims, Colusa County District Attorney Matthew Beauchamp argued the first degree charges were warranted because the accused deliberated long enough to find a sufficient enough object to cause Mazak’s death before striking her, and then deliberated a similar demise for Taylor, who was asleep.
“He made a decision to kill and he killed her,” Beauchamp said.
Ehrke is scheduled to be arraigned on first degree murder charges on Dec. 5. ■