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