Humboldt County retrials, school threats and abuse case move through court

A first-degree murder retrial in Alderpoint ended with another guilty verdict, while two other high-profile Humboldt County cases pushed through a crowded courtroom calendar marked by recusals, competency questions and sensitive testimony. The latest round of hearings shows how one verdict, one pause and one ongoing trial can ripple across the county’s justice system.

Jake Henry Combs, 34, was found guilty again on May 15 after about a day of deliberations in the January 6, 2022 killing of Trevor John Earley. Combs had already been sentenced in 2023 to 50 years to life, but an appeals court overturned that conviction and sent the case back for retrial. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on July 31.

In the school-threats case, Daryl Ray Jones, 31, of Lawton, Oklahoma, was arrested in March 2025 on Humboldt County warrants after investigators tied him to more than 20 threatening phone calls that triggered lockdowns at schools and businesses across the county. A judge initially found reason to question his competency to stand trial, and a March 2026 preliminary hearing upheld more than 30 counts. On June 2, Judge Timothy Canning paused the case because some judges, including Judge Kelly Neel, have ties to schools affected by the threats. The next hearing is set for June 16 at 8:30 a.m.

A separate child sex abuse trial is now underway for Trinidad Cortez Gomez of McKinleyville, who has been in custody without bail since July 2025 on two felony lewd-act counts involving a child under 14. The testimony has already been described as difficult, underscoring the strain these cases place on children, families and the people asked to relive the allegations in open court.

Another major Humboldt case continues to unfold around the death of 20-month-old CarmenEve Faith Robinson. Court records allege the child died in March 2022, human remains identified as hers were found near Blue Lake on December 4, 2023, and DNA later confirmed the identification. An arrest warrant was issued on April 9 for the child’s mother, Nichole Ann Thorpe, after investigators said she concealed the death for years and fraudulently collected welfare benefits tied to the child.

The Humboldt County Superior Court says its online calendars reflect scheduled courtroom activity only, but the docket now reflects a county where retrials, recusals and child-abuse allegations are advancing at different speeds, each with its own consequences for victims, defendants and public confidence in the process.