Calaveras Enterprise

Deputies called twice to scene of triple homicide

Unclear whether victims were dead when deputies first arrived


Deputies called twice to scene of triple homicide

Deputies called twice to scene of triple homicide

Calaveras County Sheriff deputies were called twice the morning of Oct. 20 to the property near Rail Road Flat where three men were killed while allegedly stealing from a marijuana garden.

According to new court documents, the first time deputies arrived at the scene around 8 a.m., landlord Bonnie Aho, who had initially called sheriff deputies to report a theft of marijuana, declined to open the gate leading to the marijuana garden. She told deputies that everything was “OK.”

An hour later, Aho called the deputies back saying there were three dead bodies on the property. What’s unclear in current court documents, however, is whether the three men had been shot before or after Aho declined to open the gate the first time.

The new information is contained in a search warrant requested by the Sheriff’s Office the day of the shooting. Jeremiah Lee Barrett, who was leasing the property with his brother Leon Michael Grammer, has been charged with murdering the three men.

The search warrant offers conflicting accounts from Aho and Grammer about what took place that morning. Aho and the Sheriff’s Office did not return calls to answer questions regarding discrepancies in the accounts.

According to the warrant, the Sheriff’s Office received the first call at 7:10 a.m. from Aho, landlord of the Lakeside Mobile Home Park, who reported four to five intruders had stolen marijuana plants on property being leased to Grammar.

While the deputies were en route, Aho called the Sheriff’s Office again to report gunshots, which she said Grammer later told her were likely from a deer hunter. She also reported an unoccupied Ford Explorer, which she said may have belonged to the intruders.

When the deputies arrived at 7:50 a.m., they saw a fence cut and a post bent over at the site. When they called Aho there, she called Grammer by phone and he said everything was “OK,” so she would not open the gate to let the deputies onto the property.

The deputies located the unoccupied Ford Explorer at 8 a.m. in the mobile home park, but found nothing else suspicious. They left at 8:12 a.m.

An hour and five minutes later, the Sheriff’s Office received another call from Aho saying Tim (last name unknown), Grammer’s marijuana-growing partner, informed her there were now three dead bodies on Grammer’s property.

Shortly after deputies arrived the second time, Barrett admitted to shooting the three men: Robert Daniel Haney, Terry Glen Looney and Wesley David Smith.

Barrett told sheriff’s deputies the three victims rushed at him, so he shot them with a shotgun. According to the search warrant, Barrett said one of the men appeared to be reaching into his pocket after he was shot, so Barrett shot him in the head with a Derringer pistol.

Grammer said he first noticed the intruders after he was woken by the sound of an unknown Ford Explorer with four or five individuals at the end of his driveway.

Grammer said he fired three warning shots before the Explorer drove off, but saw some of the subjects run into the bushes and thought they were shooting back at him. No weapons were found on the victims.

Grammer said he went back outside, fired a few more shots into a tree and noticed someone lying against it. He told the individual, who said he tripped and fell, if he moved he would shoot him.

Grammer then said he called his brother to the property. According to the search warrant, Grammer said Barrett was set to arrive at the location at 8 a.m., but it is unclear when exactly Barrett arrived.

At the same time he called his brother, Grammer said he told Aho to call law enforcement to report the intruders.

After making the calls, Grammer said he went back outside to look for the intruders, firing rounds into the ground to scare off those who remained. Again, he said he heard shots being fired back at him.

After about five minutes, he said his brother came driving up to his trailer as “white as a ghost” and told him he had killed the three men.

Grammer and Barrett said they tried to call Aho to have her call the Sheriff’s Office back so they could “do the right thing,” but did not receive a response. When Tim arrived shortly afterward, he went to Aho’s residence and had her call authorities.

Enterprise report

A 60-year-old Copperopolis man was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a woman.

Calaveras County Sheriff’s deputies arrested John Mark Merritt about 10:30 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of Iroquois Court in Copperopolis.

A woman at the scene, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized and was in stable condition Monday at a Modesto hospital, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

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