Third man arrested in Mendocino County pot grower's slaying

One month after Jeffrey Settler was found slain at his northern Mendocino County pot farm, a third suspect has been arrested in connection with the attack and robbery.

Like most of the seven suspects named by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, Abdirahman Mohamed, 28, is believed to have been employed by Settler to trim his marijuana, law enforcement officials said.

Mohamed, known as “Richie” by his fellow trimmers at the Laytonville marijuana operation, was apprehended Friday in Southern California, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Lt. Shannon Barney said. Mohamed remained Monday in the San Diego County jail on suspicion of murder and robbery. He’s expected to be transferred by the end of the week to the Mendocino County jail, where two other people suspected of being involved with killing Settler, 35, already are being held.

Zachary Ryan Wuester 24, of Haskell, New Jersey, surrendered Nov. 16, five days after the killing. Gary “Giggles” Lynn Fitzgerald, 23, of Roanoke, Illinois, surrendered a week later, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. Four additional suspects are still being sought, Barney said.

The outstanding suspects are Frederick “Freddy” Gaestel, 27, of Clifton, New Jersey; Gary “Cricket” Blank III, 34, of Elgin, Illinois; Jesse Wells, 32, of Binghamton, New York; and Michael Kane, 25, of Pleasantville, New York. The victim originally was from Texas.

A Virginia woman who worked at the Laytonville farm initially was believed to have been a suspect but, following law enforcement interviews, she was reclassified as a kidnapping victim, along with the 4-year-old child who was with her.

According to a law enforcement source, at least some of the suspects had been evicted from the property just days before the killing. There may have been a dispute over how much pay the trimmers were owed, Barney has said.

The suspects returned the night of the homicide intent on robbing Settler, sheriff’s officials said. The robbery turned violent when Settler fought back, they said. Investigators suspect the trimmers surprised Settler during the night as he slept in a shed where marijuana was stored.

Settler was hit with a blunt instrument and his throat was cut, a source said. Barney has declined to comment on such details, citing the pending investigation.

The suspects are accused of leaving the property with more than 100 pounds of Settler’s marijuana, Barney said. The marijuana has yet to be recovered, he said.