A Northern California man was sentenced to nearly 141 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a 4-year-old’s parents in Eureka in 2022. Russell Martin Albers, 45, received the sentence in Humboldt County Superior Court on Thursday.
Double homicide in Eureka
Deputies responded to a 911 call on December 27, 2022, reporting gunshots and a child screaming at a Eureka home. They found three gunshot victims, including Jennifer Paddock and Danny Garcia, who died from their injuries. Their 4-year-old daughter was also at the scene.
Albers forced his way into the home, shooting Paddock and Garcia in front of their child. He also shot a family friend and his ex-girlfriend, who was later dropped at a hospital before he fled. Albers was arrested the next day in McKinleyville after a high-speed pursuit.
Courtroom statements and sentencing
Family members delivered emotional victim impact statements before the sentencing. One relative said, “I would like Mr. Albers to know he took a part of our family away. I hope and I pray that Mr. Albers dies in prison.” Judge Kelly Neel stated Albers “earned every day” of his sentence, criticizing him for committing the murders “in front of a baby.”
Albers pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder prior to sentencing. The victims’ family described the bloodshed as shattering generations, with one stating, “He took my sister. He did this and made my niece watch. He robbed my niece of having her parents.”
