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Friday, September 25, 2020
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Volume 169 • Issue 112
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Suspected killer to trial in woman’s 2018 death Pat Lakey Staff writer Women who live alone can imagine the terror felt by 60-year-old Helen Hoover McKinney as she fought for her life at her Pleasant Valley Road home during a dark, early morning almost three years ago, trying to escape the man — a stranger — who allegedly broke in and clubbed her with a heavy metal pipe. McKinney had done nothing more than live in a house targeted by a drug addict, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s case, an addict whose habit prompted him to break into houses and help himself to anything that could be turned into cash.
On this particular night in late November or December 2018 (family members had last seen McKinney on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22), he happened to choose McKinney’s two-story house near Dublin Road for no specific reason that’s been outlined thus far. That man, said deputy district attorney Nora Hall during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in a Placerville courtroom, was Tanner Michael Seals, known to local law enforcement officers to be a user of heroin and methamphetamine. Investigators say Seals, 26 at the time of the crime, was intent on robbery that late night or early morning — his plan to take anything of value he could find to support his addiction. He left with a basket of coins that
soon would be cashed in for about $250 at Red Hawk Casino, a $20 bill he found in McKinney’s purse that he would quickly use to buy cigarettes at a nearby liquor store and some pawnable costume jewelry. He also stole McKinney’s life, according to the prosecution’s case, before driving away in her sports car that had been parked in the garage. Seals, now 28, reportedly told sheriff’s investigators details about that deadly attack, including the fact that after breaking into a house where he hoped no one was home, he had decided to arm himself with a metal pipe that he accidentally kicked while searching the garage. “Just in case,” thought Seals, according to testimony from a former
sheriff’s detective who today works as an investigator for the DA’s Office. Rich Horn, who said he has worked between 30 and 40 murders in his career, testified Wednesday as members of McKinney’s family sat inside the Dept. 7 courtroom and listened. Horn said the suspect, during a three-hour interview with Horn and sheriff’s Det. Jeff Sargent, told several different versions of what happened that led to murder. Seals, sitting in a bright orange jail-issue jumpsuit that matched his orange face mask, also listened as investigator Horn offered chilling details about what likely happened n
See suspected killer, page A7
COVID-19 restrictions eased in EDC Dawn Hodson Staff writer
Photo by Jesse Saich
El Dorado Irrigation District General Manager Jim Abercrombie holds up a “mortgage certificate” at Sly Park Recreation Area Monday as the water agency celebrated paying off $11.5 million in bonds owed on the reservoir and the infrastructure that came with it (water treatment plant, 63 miles of water lines and a diversion dam and tunnel).
‘Priceless jewel’ paid off EID celebrates historical acquisition
“It takes people of vision to make these things happen.”
Dawn Hodson Staff writer
I
t was a day to remember as members of the El Dorado Irrigation District — Bob Aiken, son, grandson Board of Directors, and great-grandson of past and present, other EID board members dignitaries and EID staff gathered at Sly In 2003 EID bought it Park Monday morning for the bargain price of to celebrate paying off $11.5 million although it the bonds for Sly Park cost $31 million to build. Recreation Area, making The purchase included it and all its associated Courtesy photo the water rights and all assets the property of Sixty-four years ago — A crowd gathers for the dedication of Sly Park the infrastructure to EID. Recreation Area May 6, 1956. convey the water: a water EID General Manager treatment plant, 63 miles Jim Abercrombie noted of water lines and a diversion dam and tunnel that fills it was 71 years ago that President Harry Truman signed Jenkinson Lake during the winter. the American River Act into law and authorized the Originally designed to supply water for agriculture, construction of the Sly Park Unit, a component of the today it supplies water for the entire county and as Central Valley Project. A day, according to Abercrombie, Abercrombie said, “never goes offline.” Jenkinson Lake “that would forever change El Dorado County.” holds 41,000 acre-feet of water and provides 23,000 The Sly Park Unit included the construction of Sly acre-feet of water to customers each year. Park dam and reservoir (known as Jenkinson Lake today) with construction beginning in 1953 and n See EID, page A3 completed by 1955.
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Financing with 1.49%APR and
El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams announced Tuesday the county has moved from the red tier into the less-restrictive orange tier of the state’s COVID-19 framework for reopening. “Gov. (Gavin) Newsom today officially moved El Dorado County into the orange tier based on our case rate and test positivity percentage, allowing many businesses to reopen for the first time since March and others to expand operations, which is very good news for our economy,” said Williams. “However, as I have stated before, just because something is allowed does not necessarily make it safe.” Williams said even though more business sectors are expanding and activities are open, the best way to prevent the county from regressing to the red tier is to continue to take the same precautions that moved the county to the orange tier. “Moving to the orange tier should not be seen as a green light to stop wearing a face covering, keeping at least 6 feet from others, minimizing mixing with non-household members and washing your hands regularly,” Williams said. “It’s critical with this positive move forward to continue to exercise our personal responsibility to ensure we keep our case level and test positivity rate low.” A county moves into the orange tier if it has a case rate of less than four per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of less than 5%. The state records El Dorado County’s population as 193,098. For the most recent week that was assessed, El Dorado County had a 1.5 cases per 100,000 people and 1.4% test positivity. The most recently calculated test positivity rate would qualify El Dorado County for the least restrictive, yellow tier but counties are assigned to the most restrictive tier if its metrics fall into more than one tier. “As positive as this news is it requires our continued efforts to stay in the orange tier and move toward yellow,” Williams said. “I urge everyone to consider this expansion into the orange tier as allowing the option to do more but not necessarily a requirement to do so. Even in the orange tier we still need to take the same personal precautions n
See restrictions, page A6
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