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Two women arraigned for Murder in the First Degree
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Two women appeared in court for a brief arraignment Tuesday, May 15, 2007 in connection with the murder of a Boise man.
Jennifer Mercado, 22, and Diana Lynn Fledderjohann, 33, were arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with first degree murder in connection with the death of 31-year-old Shawn Thomas Halcom, who was found dead May 10 at a camp site near Five Mile Creek trail in the Foothills northeast of Boise.
Halcom died from blunt-force trauma to the head and stab wounds that appear to have been made with a knife, Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney said at a press conference last week.
“They did cause head injuries by beating him,” Raney said.
“They did stab him numerous times.
This incident is the eighth homicide in Ada County this year.
The two women are being held without bond.
Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 29.
Fledderjohann was also charged with two probation violations Tuesday, at least one relating to grand theft. Mercado was also charged with two probation violations Tuesday.
Mercado was enrolled in classes at Boise State University for the spring 2007 semester.
The Arbiter could not confirm if Mercado, a psychology major, is enrolled for the fall semester.
The victim and the accused were all local transients. The Sheriff’s Office is defining “transient” as a person who lives in several different places and has no permanent residence.
Raney said in a news conference Tuesday morning that it appears Halcom’s murder at the campground was premeditated. Raney said the three were acquaintances and that Halcom probably just thought he was going to “hang out” in the Foothills.
“I don’t think Mr. Halcom had any idea what was coming on Wednesday night,” Raney said.
Raney didn’t disclose a motive in the murder, but said it appears the two women picked Halcom up and took him to the Foothills campground with the intention of killing him.
The case broke when someone found suspicious items in a garbage can at Ann Morrison Park in Boise and called Boise police. Police found undisclosed papers identifying Halcom, a liquor bottle, a receipt from a liquor store on State Street and a partially broken baseball bat in the garbage can.
Detectives used the liquor bottle and receipt to go to the liquor store and view surveillance video. Mercado and Fledderjohann were seen on the video purchasing a bottle similar to the one found in the garbage can.
Halcom was known to be staying at Boise Rescue Mission’s River of Life shelter on 13th Street for the last five months, Raney said.
Halcom was last seen Wednesday evening at various locations in Downtown Boise.
Halcom lived a transient lifestyle.
Halcom was wearing a dark-colored long-sleeve shirt, dark pants and boots. He had a clean-shaven head and two piercings. Halcom has a local arrest record that includes robbery, arson and domestic violence.
Investigators found two camp chairs and packaging from food and drinks at the campsite and believed two people were camping there.
Halcom’s body was found at the campsite 150 yards from Five Mile Gulch trailhead, which is 3.7 miles up Rocky Canyon Road. The trail is open today.
Anyone with information is urged to call sheriff’s investigators at 577-3702.
Information from this report was supplied from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Dustin Lapray
