Second suspect arrested in killing
Sheriff’s deputies arrested on Tuesday the second of two suspects in the killing of a man whose charred body was found Aug. 14 in what appeared to be a campfire near Newman Lake.
Court documents suggest the crime had its roots in drugs, money and, possibly, revenge. Craig Alan Schiering, 42, was shot in the head allegedly as he drove his killers to a secluded location where he planned to buy a half-pound of methamphetamine from one of them.
Ezra M. Jensen, 22, was arrested at a Spokane Valley home a day after Christopher James Hall, 32, was arrested in the Loon Lake area of southern Stevens County. Both were booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree murder.
Hall also was booked on a warrant charging him with stealing a cellular phone from a Spokane Valley store March 17.
Another allegedly stolen cell phone led sheriff’s Detective Rob Sherar to Hall, according to a search warrant affidavit Sherar filed in Spokane County District Court.
The detective checked Schiering’s cell phone records and found 35 calls on Aug. 11 – when Schiering is believed to have been killed – between Schiering’s phone and one Hall allegedly stole from an associate Aug. 6.
A check of cell phone tower logs showed both phones were in the same area on the night of Aug. 11, Sherar said.
According to Sherar, Hall drove up to a woman’s house in the 3800 block of Powers Road in Stevens County while detectives were waiting for a warrant to search a newly repainted car of Hall’s. Hall confessed his role in Schiering’s death and implicated Jensen, Sherar said.
Sherar outlined this scenario, based on Hall’s statements:
Hall called Schiering on Aug. 11 to arrange to sell Schiering a half-pound of methamphetamine for $5,400. Schiering said he had only $4,700 cash, but they agreed to meet near Cataldo Avenue and Barker Road.
Jensen went with Hall, and the two got into Schiering’s pickup with Jensen sitting next to Schiering. As they drove east on Mission Avenue to look for a better location, Jensen allegedly pulled out a pistol and shot Schiering in the side of his head.
Jensen slid over Schiering’s body to take control of the truck while Hall pulled the body out of the way, according to Sherar’s account.
Hall said Jensen took Schiering’s money as well as a handgun they found under the seat. Then the suspects allegedly dumped Schiering’s body into some brush near East Lakeview Road, about 3 1/2 miles north of Trent Avenue.
Sherar’s affidavit makes no mention of starting a fire, but it says Hall and Jensen drove north in search of a place to hide Schiering’s truck. That turned out to be a point on West Newman Lake Road where they ran out of gasoline.
Then, according to Sherar’s account of Hall’s statement, Hall called another man and paid him $100 to give them a ride. That man, Charles “Pete” Hall, whose relationship wasn’t stated in Sherar’s affidavit, said he was paid $50.
According to Sherar, Christopher Hall told a friend, Amanda Brown, that Schiering had robbed him of $2,700 at gunpoint, but Schiering “made it good” the next day. Another friend, Fredrick Pittman, reportedly told Sherar he offered to help Christopher Hall retaliate on Aug. 11, but Hall declined the offer, saying, “I got it handled.”
Also, according to Sherar’s affidavit, Christopher Hall’s friend Brittany Hearn said she was with him and Schiering when they conducted a drug transaction Aug. 11 near a fast-food restaurant on Barker Road.
Hearn allegedly parted from the two men and complained that Christopher Hall stood her up later in the evening when he and she had planned to get together again. Hearn said he told her the next day that he had been robbed, but “it’s been taken care of,” according to Sherar.
Schiering had been awaiting trial on a vehicular homicide charge. He was accused of running over and killing an acquaintance, Brett Leroy Hollenbeck, after the two exchanged words at a North Division gasoline station where they had arranged to meet at 2:40 a.m.