I didn't think I could lose any more faith in humanity, but.............

[dm1333]

After reading the comments all I can say is that words fail me.  I didn't really know Jere Melo except for running into him at town council meetings and public safety committee meetings but he was a great guy.

FORT BRAGG, Calif. — A well-respected California community leader who was gunned down after finding a remote illegal marijuana operation was a two-term mayor whose fundraising and goodwill helped build firehouses and a first-class high school football stadium.

The city of Fort Bragg was reeling Monday after the death of longtime Councilman Jere Melo, a forest land manager who was fatally shot Saturday while he and a co-worker were walking through a rugged area of timber land just outside town.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44316064/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

[AZRedhawk44]

Scary.

I've come across small operations in the Superstitions and White Mountains of AZ.  A handful of plants left to grow wild and unattended, never more than a dozen or so... not a major orchard/forest/whatever.  But it puckered my backhole quite a bit until I was several miles away, each time.

These smaller ones that I've found have all been within a couple hundred yards of the main trail.  I found one by following what I thought was a game trail up a hillside, after straying from the trail to top off my water at a stream.

Sad that a 69 year old mayoral candidate needed to be out patrolling for weed, or that anyone feels the need to kill over a stupid shrub.  I hope for a just trial.

[dm1333]

The article is a little confusing.  Jere was a city councilman but it is a part time job, he was also working as a timber cruiser and was out looking for a suspected grow on company property.  I'm not sure that the suspect had anything to do with MJ grows either.  There are plenty of random shady people out in the woods here.  Some of the stuff in the comment section blew my mind though.