Murder, kidnapping suspects now in L.A. County custody

  • [Pueblo, Colorado Sheriff booking photos]

    [Pueblo, Colorado Sheriff booking photos]

By Gary Meyer and Patric Hedlund

The stepsister of a Fresno woman found dead in Gorman on August 14 was successfully extradited from Colorado last Thursday and taken into custody by Los Angeles County.

Joshua Aaron Robertson, the stepsister’s boyfriend, was extradited earlier and charged with the murder of Kimberly Harvill (Watkins), 26.

Harvill’s body was found about 5 p.m. August 14 after she had spent the night at the Gorman Studio 6 motel, sharing a room with her stepsister, the boyfriend and four small children.

Humphrey and Robertson had lived together in Gorman for three weeks at the same motel with his small daughter. They checked out. Then, when Kimberly Harvill arrived with her children the evening of August 13, they checked back in with her. She was dead less than 24 hours later.

Brittney Sue Humphrey, 22 and Robertson, 27 (who used the alias Peter Erickson) were both charged with premeditated murder and three counts of kidnapping for fleeing with the victim’s children (Rylee, 5; Brayden, 3; and Joslynn, 2) after the murder.

Joshua Robertson’s bail has been set at three million dollars. and Humphrey’s at two million. Both were scheduled for arraignment Monday, Sept. 26, but that was rescheduled for October 25, D.A. PIO Jane Robison told The Mountain Enterprise.

The couple headed east, driving the mother’s Ford Expedition.

Harvill’s body was discovered in a remote area off Gorman Post Road north of Highway 138 about two miles east of Interstate 5.

Detectives indicated that she had been shot in the upper body and had suffered severe head trauma.

The D.A. alleges Robertson personally and intentionally discharged a handgun. He is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon with two prior convictions.
The children were found safe in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 24, 2016, left with a ‘good samaritan’ authorities said. Humphrey and Robertson were arrested a day later in Colorado.
Deanne Castorena and Tal Kahana, both deputy district attorneys with the Child Abduction Unit, are currently prosecuting the case.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in state prison.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement of gratitude to an extensive list of agencies who assisted, including news media.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau at (213.229.1700. Dial 800.222-TIPS (8477) to leave an anonymous tip. Or download the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP, or “P3 Mobile” for the hearing impaired.

Photo captions:

Joshua Robertson and Brittney Humphrey

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This is part of the September 30, 2016 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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