ID: ID triple slaying linked to dogfighting ring, marijuana growing business

Some pit bulls found at site of triple murder up for adoption

Some pit bulls found at site of triple murder up for adoption

Posted on: 9:41 pm, April 18, 2013, by Brittany Green-Miner



HOLBROOK, Idaho – Some of the pit bulls recovered from the Holbrook home where a triple homicide occurred earlier this month are now up for adoption.

Sixty-three dogs were sent to the Idaho Humane Society after they were recovered from the home, the site of an apparent dog-fighting ring. Twelve of those are now up for adoption.

Three adults, Trent Jon Christensen, 32, Yavette Chivon Carter, 27, and Brent L. Christensen, 61, were found shot to death inside a home off Highway 38 in Oneida County, Idaho. There were two children found inside the home, alive and unharmed.

A search of the home also found 63 pit bull dogs and puppies. Oneida County Sheriff Jeff Semrad said the animals were either being sold or raised to fight in a ring found outside the home.

The Oneida County sheriff told Local News 8 in Idaho that the dogs likely fed on other dogs.

“Occasionally they will grind up the meat of a dog that dies and feed to the other dogs,” Semrad told Local News 8. “We found a dead dog in the freezer and a grinder nearby.”

According to a press release from the Idaho Humane Society, the dogs were found to be in “very poor body condition.” They say most of the dogs are underweight and suffering from malnutrition.

Many of the dogs had open wounds and extensive scarring from old wounds, and skin, eye and ear ailments resulting from neglect, IHS says. Some have old injuries of broken bones that were left untreated.

Bad Rap, a non-profit organization that focuses on advocacy, education and adoption of pit bull dogs, worked with the Idaho Humane Society to evaluate the dogs.

They determined that approximately one dozen of those pit bulls will be available for adoption within the next few weeks. The rest of the dogs are continuing to be evaluated and treated.

Based on evaluations, IHS says that ten to 12 of the dogs are not temperamentally suitable for adoption placement.

For more on the adoptions, visit Idaho Humane Society
.

Some pit bulls found at site of triple murder up for adoption | FOX13Now.com

 

Police still investigating Oneida County

Police still investigating Oneida County triple homicide-dogfighting ring in April 2013

By MICHAEL H. O'DONNELL Idaho State Journal
First Posted: April 13, 2014 - 12:48 pm
Last Updated: April 13, 2014 - 12:52 pm


POCATELLO, Idaho — Oneida County Sheriff Jeff Semrad was in Colorado about a year ago when he received the darkest phone call of his 31-year career in law enforcement. Three people had been found murdered in a remote farmhouse near the tiny community of Holbrook.

One of Semrad's deputies shared the shocking news on Friday, April 5, 2013.

The bodies of Brent L. Christensen, 62, his son Trent Jon Christensen, 32, and Trent's girlfriend, Yavette Chivon Carter, 27, were found in the home of the Christensen ranch about 25 miles west of Malad City. An infant girl was in Carter's arms and another 2-year-old girl was in the home with the bodies. Both children were unharmed and authorities think they had been in the home with the gunshot victims for at least 12 hours.

"I thought this really couldn't happen," Semrad said about his initial reaction to that long-distance call. "Then I thought, I need help."

Semrad said he immediately made calls to Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen, Idaho State Police, Bingham County Detective Lt. Paul Newbold and the Blackfoot Police Department.

"Within 20 minutes help was on the way, including the Idaho State Police mobile lab," Semrad recalled. "It was very humbling to me."

Eventually the investigation would include the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement agencies in Utah.

After checking his logs on the case last week, Semrad said he estimates about 10,000 man-hours have gone into the investigation this past year.

"There's not a day goes by that we're not working on it," the sheriff told the Idaho State Journal (One year later: Still no answers — Few leads in triple homicide surrounding Oneida County dogfighting ring in April 2013 - One year later: Still no answers — Few leads in triple homicide surrounding Oneida County dogfighting ring in April 2013: Members). "We actually have a motive now."

And Semrad said there are suspects — dangerous ones now living in Utah — with connections to major gang activities in California.

Detectives made a trip to California to chase leads just this month.

"These are hardcore people," Newbold said. "They absolutely knew where they were going and what they were going to do."

Lt. Newbold has been the lead investigator because he has handled other multiple homicides during his career. He said the Oneida triple-homicide has been a tough one.

"In this particular case we're out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors or witnesses," Newbold said. "If a normal murder case has 500 pieces to the puzzle, this one had 5,000 pieces. I think it's going to come together."

Investigators quickly determined that the remote crime scene had been a hub of illegal dogfighting and drug use. Officers discovered more than 60 pit bull terriers in makeshift pens on the property and a marijuana growing operation in the basement of the residence.

The animals were transported to Boise and given shelter by the Idaho Humane Society. Experts there examined the dogs and eventually a large number of them were adopted by families. Last week 19 of the local adoptive families and their dogs held a reunion at the Idaho Humane Society complex in Boise, according to Human Society communications and outreach coordinator, Hannah Parpart.

The surviving children of Yavette Carter have been living with family members. The oldest girl celebrated her third birthday last week, according to Semrad.

"That's who we're working for, those two little girls," Semrad said.

More than 200 pieces of evidence have been sent to the FBI lab for analysis and investigators work the case every week, according to Newbold. When detectives are working the case, he said they put in 12 to 14 hour days.

Semrad said building an ironclad case to bring those responsible for the killings to justice is not an easy task.

"People watch television shows and get the wrong idea about solving murder cases," the sheriff said. Semrad said in reality investigations like this take time and the effort "never stops."

"All of the people working this case have said they've never seen anything like this," Semrad said. "It's a very complicated case."

Meanwhile, the murder that marked the tiny unincorporated town of Holbrook has taken its toll on the people who live there. People in this rural part of Oneida County now watch more carefully for strange vehicles and out-of-state license plates, according to the sheriff.

"It's changed our whole county, but it's changed that community a lot," Semrad said. "Strangers no longer stop and ask for directions to Stone Reservoir. They ask where the murder house is."

Police still investigating Oneida County triple homicide-dogfighting ring in April 2013 - Daily Journal