Kern judge finds sufficient evidence for murder trial

BAKERSFIELD — A Kern County Superior Court judge, Monday, ordered a woman to stand trial for a murder charge in the death of a Washington man found dead in the Kern River almost three years ago.

Judge Brian McNamara ordered Hannah Tubbs back to court, June 2, to answer to a first-degree murder in the death of Michael Clark, who was found dead, in August 2019. McNamara dismissed a second-degree robbery charge,

finding there was insufficient evidence presented to sustain the allegation, during Monday’s

one-day preliminary hearing.

Deputy District Attorney Bryant Estep called three peace officers to testify about Tubbs’s and Clark’s interactions with a “transient survival group,” a collection of homeless individuals who were camping together in the Lake Isabella area at the time of Clark’s death, which included Clark and Tubbs. The prosecutor said Tubbs’s own admission shows her culpability.

Deputy Public Defender Kate Lee said peace officers testified about witnesses who offered conflicting stories regarding Clark’s death, resulting in about “18 different theories” being presented.

Kern County District Attorney Investigator Donald Krueger testified, Monday, that Tubbs, 26, claimed that dual personalities compete in her mind, when he questioned her about Clark’s death.

On the stand, the investigator shared that Tubbs told him about a “transgender-me” as one personality. Tubbs also said a darker, angrier persona creeps out of her, which causes her to black-out and do things she doesn’t remember, Krueger testified.

According to Krueger’s testimony, Tubbs claimed this darker side overtook the defendant, around April 21, 2019, when, while the group was on the camping trip, she sought to teach Clark a lesson for running his mouth, threatening the group and “stealing their drugs.”

Krueger also testified Tubbs said she and another member of their survivalist group, Josef Buffaloe, got into an argument with Clark and wanted to teach him a lesson. Buffaloe wrapped his arms around Clark’s neck and choked him, while Tubbs was standing about 10 feet away, acting as a “cheerleader,” Krueger said.

Clark turned purple and fell to the ground, Krueger said, recalling Tubbs’s story.

Another member of their group, leader Brittany Hill, told them to toss Clark into the river, Krueger added. Tubbs, as the “enforcer” of the group, listened and threw Clark into the Kern River with Buffaloe’s help, Krueger testified.

Tubbs watched as Clark floated downstream with bubbles emerging from the body, Krueger said.

Clark’s body was found in the Kern River, on August 25, 2019. Krueger testified that forensic pathologist Eugene Carpenter ruled the cause of death was drowning and the manner was neither accidental nor suicidal. Carpenter also reported that Clark suffered broken ribs, which Krueger said happened before he went into the water.

Kern County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Chambless testified about a different version of Tubbs’s story. Tubbs said he pushed Clark into the river after they fought, Chambless said.

Kern County sheriff’s deputies testified that they each questioned Hill, Buffaloe and Chad Mizer, another man camping with them during the April 2019 trip. Each had conflicting testimonies, which Lee asked about during her cross-examination of each deputy.

Tubbs’s case has garnered attention outside of Kern County because one of her previous convictions for sexual assault — an incident involving a 10-year-old girl who was attacked in a bathroom when Tubbs was 17 and identified as James Tubbs — resulted in a two-year sentence.

The relatively light sentence was mentioned as an example of problems with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s policies toward prosecuting crimes committed by minors. While Tubbs was 17 at the time of the allegation, by the time Tubbs was charged with the crime, she was an adult.