Press Release
Contact: Lt. Mark Contreras
(530) 458-0200
Double Homicide in Colusa County
For Immediate Release
January 26, 2018 12:45PM
On 1/25/2018 at 3:55 a.m., the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 6000 block of Hillgate Road in Arbuckle, for a report of suspicious circumstances. Upon the arrival of first responders, deputies were informed of a possible human body in a freezer, located in an attached residence on the property. Deputies discovered evidence of a crime scene as well as a possible body inside a freezer.
On-scene deputies notified detectives from the Sheriff’s Office, who also responded. A search warrant was prepared for the entire property and served at approximately 10:00 a.m.
Upon service of the search warrant, detectives confirmed that an adult female body had been placed inside a chest freezer, inside a bedroom, in an attached residence on the property. The deceased adult female was identified as 39-year-old Kimberly Lynn Taylor.
The Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice continued to investigate the scene as well as interviewing persons who reside at the property.
Evidence from the investigation led to request of the Colusa County Dive Team to search a large pond located on the property. A second adult female was found submerged in the pond and recovered by the dive team. The deceased adult female was identified as 25-year-old Jessica Lynn Mazak.
Both Taylor and Mazak were known to reside on the property, but had no relationship to the property owner. Investigators also found an illegal marijuana grow and narcotics on the property.
Martin Christian Ehrke, 49, was detained on 1/25/2018 and taken to the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office for questioning. During the investigation, it was discovered that Ehrke had left the residence the evening of 1/24/2018, and checked into the Colusa Medical Center for an unknown reason. He was released from the hospital a short time later. The investigation led the Sheriff’s Office to a residence in Colusa, where Ehrke was found and detained for questioning. Ehrke was later charged with two counts of 187 P.C.- Homicide. He was booked into the Colusa County Jail.
The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the County’s Investigations Unit, Taskforce, Patrol, Dive Team, the Colusa County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Justice for a collective effort from everyone involved in the investigation.
If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are asked to contact Sgt. Jose Ruiz or Detective Marvin Garibay at (530) 458-0200.