One suspect jailed in killing of Laytonville pot grower

The investigation into the killing of a Laytonville marijuana farmer, attacked by workers he hired to trim his crop, has expanded to include a total of eight suspects, most still at large and from various parts of the country, Mendocino County sheriff's officials said Wednesday.

Detectives also announced the arrest of one of the suspects, Zachary Ryan Wuester, 24, of Haskell, N.J., who was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of murder Wednesday, five days after Jeffrey Settler, 35, was found slain at his rural Laytonville property and pot farm.

Wuester is the only suspect known to be in custody. A U.S. Marshal “convinced Wuester to surrender himself to authorities,” which he did Monday night in Willits, Porter said. He was being held at the Mendocino County Jail in lieu of $650,000 bail on suspicion of murder and being a fugitive from justice.

Settler's father, Greg Settler of Lubbock, Texas, said sheriff's detectives informed him Tuesday that Wuester was in their custody.

“I hate to say it brings you joy in the sorrow, but justice being served, and these ... people getting caught, is great,” Greg Settler said.

Sgt. Andrew Porter said three new suspects identified in the case include: Jesse Wells, 32, of Binghamton, New York; Michael Kane, 25, of Pleasantville, New York; and a black man known only as “Richie” who police said may be 25 years old and was possibly from San Diego.

Frederick “Freddy” Gaestel, 27, of Clifton, N.J.; Gary “Cricket” Blank III of Elgin, Ill.; Gary “Giggles” Fitzgerald, 23, of Roanoke, Ill.; and Amanda Weist, 26, of Fairfax, Va. remained at large.

Mendocino County sheriff's officials released few details about the violent encounter, including the roles of the named suspects. Sheriff's officials said they obtained a felony murder arrest warrant for Wuester.

It wasn't clear if warrants had been issued for the others. Sheriff's officials only said they wanted to “locate and interview” the additional suspects.

Settler was born and raised in a northwestern Texas city, Lubbock, a middle child of five siblings. Settler had been growing marijuana in the Laytonville area for more than a decade, his father said. He leaves behind three children, including a three-week old boy by his longtime girlfriend.

Settler had hired the workers to help him grow marijuana at the remote property north of Laytonville, located about five miles west of Highway 101 on a dirt road, officials said.

Detectives suspect the trimmers surprised Settler sometime before dawn Friday. He was asleep in a pot shed on the property and, sheriff's officials said, the group violently assaulted Settler and left him for dead. Investigators suspect they fled in two vehicles: a white 1999 Honda Accord with California license plate 7LPN823 and a blue 2005 Volvo XC70 with California license plate 7TVT318.

Settler was found later that day by another worker also living on the property, who then walked several miles into town to report the crime.

Anyone with information about the case can call detectives at 707-463-4421 or 707-234-2100.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.