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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2006)
Joyanna Zacher Age: 40 Eugene connection: Grew up in the Eastern U.S.; animal rights activist. In early 1990s, jailed for almost six months for refusing to testify to federal grand jury. Dated defendant Kolar; later engaged in legal skirmish with indictee Dibee over rights to anti-whaling nonprofit, Sea Defense Alliance. In 1998 spoke at the National Animal Rights Conference at the UO, suggesting that the ALF and ELF movements be united. Arrested in southern Oregon, where he worked as a hotel employee and volunteer firefighter, in mid-January 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to one 1997 arson on Nov. 9, 2006. Recommended sentence: five years aka “Sheba” Age: 28 Bio: Involved in 1999 protests against the WTO in Seattle. Worked as a nanny and lived with defendant Block outside Olympia, Wash. Arrested in February 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to two 2001 arsons on Nov. 9, 2006. Recommended sentence: eight years Kevin Tubbs aka “The Dog” Age: 37 Eugene connection: Animal rights activist from age 22; studied fine arts and philoso- phy at the University of Nebraska. Moved to Eugene with then-girlfriend around 1995. Volunteered at Earth First! Journal; briefly lived in a trailer behind the journal’s Glenwood-area office. Core activist at the Warner Creek blockade. Arrested on Dec. 7, 2005 at his Springfield home, where he lived with his fiancé, dogs and cats. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to eight actions, spanning 1996-2001, in July 2006. Recommended sentence: more than 14 years Briana Waters Age: 31 Bio: Grew up in Lansdale, Penn., and Berkeley, Calif; later lived in Olympia, Wash. Produced and directed Watch, a documentary on a 1999 for- est defense campaign in southwest Washington. Graduated from Evergreen State College in 1999. At the time of arrest in March 2006, was working as a violin teacher, married, and had a baby daughter. Legal status: Pleaded not guilty to UW arson; trial scheduled for May 2007 Joseph Dibee Age: 39 Bio: Lived in Seattle; worked at family sewing company, and later as a technician for Microsoft. Dated defendant Kolar. Reportedly “communi- cations” specialist during Warner Creek blockade and banner-maker for other environmental actions. Indicted in January 2006 for alleged par- ticipation in one 2001 arson and one 1998 arson. Legal status: Fugitive aka “Diver” Age: 33 Bio: Grew up in Spokane, Wash.; raced sailboats. Dated defendant Jonathan Paul, and later fugitive Joseph Dibee. Pursued doctorate degree at the University of Colorado. Turned self in to federal agents in Washington sometime around early 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to a 1998 arson and a 2001 arson on Oct. 4, 2006. Recommended sentence: five to seven years Nathan Block aka “Exile” Age: 25 Bio: Worked as a carpenter and lived with defendant Zacher outside Olympia, Wash. Arrested in February 2006; detectives allegedly seized 44 pounds of pot from his and Zacher’s rented house. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to two 2001 arsons on Nov. 9, 2006. Recommended sentence: eight years Rebecca Rubin Lacey Phillabaum Age: 31 Bio: Grew up in Spokane, Wash.; high school debater. Came to Eugene to study art history at the UO around 1993. Worked at campus Survival Center and radi- cal student newspaper The Insurgent. Supported the Warner Creek blockade; co-editor of Earth First! Journal from 1996-1999. Spoke at spring 2001 environmental law conference panel: “Does Property Damage Have a Place in Mass Protest?” Appeared in Tim Lewis films Pickaxe, Breaking the Spell and others. Dated subpoe- naed activist Jeff Hogg from about 1996-2000 and defendant Meyerhoff from about 2001 until recently. Beginning around 2001, worked as editor of In Good Tilth newsletter, freelanced for Bend altweekly The Source. In 2005 moved to Charlottesville, Va., to take reporting position at C-Ville Weekly. Turned herself in to federal agents sometime around early 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to one 2001 arson on Oct. 4, 2006. Recommended sentence: three to five years BREAKING THE SPELL aka “India” Age: 29 Bio: Southern Oregon-based eco-activist formerly involved in forest defense campaigns in the Siskiyou Mountains and Applegate watershed. Briefly dated defendant McGowan. Later worked in a home for the devel- opmentally disabled; turned self in to FBI agents in mid-January 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to two 2001 arsons on July 21, 2006. Recommended sentence: More than five years Jennifer Kolar Josephine Sunshine Overaker aka “Maria” Age: Uncertain; likely 32-35 Bio: May have lived in Eugene in mid-1990s. Dated informant Ferguson around fall 1996. Reportedly participated in a number of forest defense actions. Indicted in January 2006 for alleged participation in nine actions, 1996-1999. Legal status: Fugitive Age: 27 Bio: Born in New Jersey; part-time carpentry worker. Indicted in spring 2006 for alleged participation in two 2001 arsons. Legal status: Fugitive Daniel McGowan aka “Sorrell” Age: 32 Bio: Grew up in Queens, NY; earned degree in business administration and Asian stud- ies from University of Buffalo in 1996. Participated in 1999 WTO protests in Seattle. Lived in Eugene from March 2000-January 2002; was short-term editor for Earth First! Journal, con- tributor to Green Anarchy magazine, volunteer for Shamrock House Infoshop and campaigner to sup- port Jeff “Free” Luers. Briefly dated defendant Savoie; washed dishes at Morning Glory restaurant. Returned to New York in 2002, studied acupuncture, organized protests against the Republican National Convention and worked for WomensLaw.org. Arrested in New York City in December 2005; mar- ried in May 2006. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to two 2001 arsons on Nov. 9, 2006. Recommended sentence: eight years Age: 33 Bio: Canadian scientist; studied cranes. Indicted in January 2006 for alleged participation in six actions, 1997-2001. Legal status: Fugitive Justin Solondz JENNIFER SYNAN Suzanne Savoie KERA ABRAHAM Jonathan Paul aka “Goat” Age: 36 Bio: Canadian animal rights activist with two prior eco- sabotage convictions; served almost two years in prison in the early 1990s. Arrested with then-girlfriend Gerlach in Tacoma, Wash., on Dec. 7, 2005, on immigration charges; later indicted for arson. Legal status: Pleaded guilty to participation in one 2001 arson on July 20, 2006. Recommended sentence: more than three years IAN SMITH Darren Thurston William Rodgers aka “Avalon” Age: 40 at death Bio: Arizona-based eco- activist. In 1996, briefly joined the Warner Creek blockade. Allegedly co-authored a 2001 paper with Meyerhoff on how to build time-delayed incendiary devices. Before his arrest in December 2005, was living in Prescott, Ariz., with his then-girl- friend and running an activist bookstore, The Catalyst Infoshop. A member of the Arizona Indymedia collective, he apparently committed sui- cide by pulling a plastic bag over his head in a Flagstaff, Ariz., jail cell on Dec. 22, 2005, while awaiting extradition to Washington state. Legal status: Deceased; never indicted * Note: The term “dated” is used loosely throughout this piece and indicates a spectrum of relationships: friends with benefits, polyamorous affairs, long-term monogamous partnerships. We note only known relationships among the accused and subpoenaed. DECEMBER 7, 2006 13
