What justice is due for Tavia? What do we mean, when we say: #justicefortavia? The answer lies with Tavia alone, and so she has offered this message to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office so that they may now be clearly informed of the reparations she demands, for which they are responsible.
To the investigators at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, she wants you to imagine that your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend, was found dead at the age of 33 under some suspicious circumstances. She was found dead underneath a van in a church parking lot in McKinleyville and everyone in the neighborhood said that they heard her yelling and fighting as if she were trying to get away from somebody. Her personal belongings, like her cell phone and her makeup, were found strewn about. There were several things that were just suspicious about what happened to your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend.
She had bruises like she’d been hit in the face. It wasn’t enough to kill her but might have been enough to knock her out though. It might have been enough to knock her out long enough for somebody to give her a lethal injection possibly, I don’t know. Certainly not enough blunt force trauma to the head to be the cause of death. And, all the witnesses in the neighborhood said they’d seen her rolling around and yelling in the gravel and the dirt. Your experts might say, well that’s typical for somebody who’s just had a lethal dose of methamphetamine – those convulsions and seizures, the screams of pain – and that explains why she has a bruise on her face.
What if they said that about your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend and you knew that wasn’t true. Sure, it looked that way to people who didn’t know her – but you knew her, you loved her.
She just wasn’t that person. You just know that your daughter wasn’t a strung-out junkie on the street, shooting dope and having convulsions in the street. You knew that it wasn’t the normal thing for your daughter, so when they said that it was, it made you upset.
I imagine you would get upset if they said that about your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend. Somebody who you knew and cared for, loved. Somebody who loved you. Somebody who was never a strung-out junkie on the street – but they said that she was. And so, you and your family, and her loved ones gathered together. And they gathered together in the community and the community stood by them and they said we need justice – but nobody listened. They just kept on saying that your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend was a junkie. “She’s a strung-out junkie prostitute living on the street. She OD’d!” But you knew that wasn’t true.
You’d call that an injustice – if it was your daughter, your sister, your cousin, or your best friend.
You’d call that an injustice even if it wasn’t.
You also knew that there was some foul play involved, even though they said that there wasn’t. But how would they know? They didn’t know her. They said she’s a junkie living on the street, she was strung out and she OD’d – case closed. That’s as far as they looked into it, that’s as much as they knew her – but she was your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend. How would you feel? You’d want justice too – wouldn’t you?
And so, Tavia says, “Walk a mile in these shoes. Try it on for size and see how it feels.” She’s been serving the time and she is the victim of the crime. Meanwhile, her killer is on the loose and the sheriff’s office -the authorities – have defamed her name, dishonored her memory, and painted her with a black tar paintbrush. Calling her the most despicable lowest of the filth on earth, and they feel like they’re squeaky clean. Meanwhile, there’s a killer running loose in the community and a good woman who was murdered has been also dishonored.
You’d call that an injustice – if that was your daughter, your sister, your cousin, or your best friend. You’d call that an injustice even if it wasn’t.
That’s exactly what the community’s done because that’s Tavia’s story. No one listens. No one at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has paid any attention to the outcries of the community that have continued for years. Instead, HCSO has continued pushing this gaslight narrative that defames and dishonors the memory of our loved one – our daughter, our sister, our cousin, our best friend – and so that’s an injustice. So, Tavia still needs justice to be served because this injustice has stolen her honor. It has stolen the honor of her memory, of her life, and painted her with a black tar paintbrush.
She’s murdered but she’s not dead. She’s not dead because she will not rest until she has justice. She’s not dead because she knows no peace. She knows no peace and she will not rest until her name is cleared and restored – and the department there admits that there’s a possibility that she wasn’t a strung-out street junkie who accidentally OD’d case closed. Hey Frank, d’you see the game last night?
She’s still here. She’s still here because of you – but she didn’t have a voice until now. She will not be silenced and her voice will be joined by others, and you will not be able to turn a deaf ear and you will no longer be allowed to turn a blind eye.
Tavia has one focus. Her whole existence is focused on this right now: her honor and the justice she deserves. There is only one that can make it right and that’s the sheriff’s office in Humboldt county because they are the ones who made it wrong. So they now must make it right.
Now, I just want to speak a bit to the bright detectives in the Humboldt County sheriff’s office because I know you’re good people. I know the deputies that work there are good people. A lot of my family have been employed particularly in sheriff’s departments, as deputies or behind the desk, and I’ve lived in the country my whole life, so I have a lot of respect for the sheriff’s office in general. But we have all made mistakes.
Loved ones of Tavia Metzger seek answers after she was found dead in McKinleyville #justicefortavia #justicefortavia2022 https://t.co/sLAEFMDoWDhttps://t.co/DRC06wsx5g
— Mike Rock Stone (@MikeRockStone) April 9, 2022
We’ve all made mistakes.
We’ve all made mistakes and there’s nothing wrong with that. The only wrong is not admitting when you have because then you cannot make it right. This is a mistake that must be righted.
Dr. Bruce Lipton in The Biology of Belief starts out with a pretty basic premise that was based on his lab studies of stem cell research and microbiology. And he discovered that at the cellular level what we perceive is what we believe.
We’re all limited by what we can perceive. We can only perceive what we can perceive, and so this is what Tavia is trying to get you to understand by asking you to imagine how your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your best friend – who you know – you perceive them in a different way than an officer who is doing his job but is a complete stranger and therefore does not perceive this person the way that you would perceive your daughter, your sister, your cousin or your best friend if you found her dead under a van at the age of 33.
Because there is a difference in perception, there’s a difference in belief. And so the community, the people who knew her, the ones who perceive her differently than the story that is being told, they know that that’s not true. They just know it’s not true because they perceive her as she was – as she is – she was never a strung-out street junkie. So, if she died a strung-out street junkie then that’s weird, you understand.
But if she was a complete stranger to you, then you would say it looks like she’s a strung-out street junkie and so she died this way case closed. And, perhaps somebody wanted it to look that way, so they painted the picture for you and you thought it was a masterpiece. You did not scratch beneath the surface to discover the fakery of it in spite of the signs that it was an obvious fake and in spite of the cries of the community and the people who knew it was not real – begging you begging literally begging you still begging you today begging – begging you to take a step beyond your own narcissistic pride and see things from a different angle.
For God’s sake, please.
Loved ones of Tavia Metzger seek answers after she was found dead in McKinleyville
by LISA LIBRENJAK Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — Loved ones of 33-year-old Tavia Starrella Metzger of McKinleyville are seeking answers after she was found dead under a van at Lifehouse Church in McKinleyville more than two weeks ago.
“All children loved her. She was a beautiful soul, and children could definitely feel it,” Metzger’s mother told North Coast News. “My poor granddaughter is heartbroken her Auntie Tavia is no longer with us.”
On Aug. 15 around 8:20 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1900 block of Sutter Road in McKinleyville for the report of a possible deceased person found in the parking lot of a local church, HCSO Public Information Officer Samantha Karges said. Deputies arrived on scene and found the woman, who was later identified as Metzger, officials explained.
This death is not considered suspicious at this time, however, the case is still under investigation.
View from the front of Lifehouse Church. (Photo/North Coast News)
“Deputies arrived on scene at 8:25 p.m. and the last unit cleared from the call at 1:10 a.m. However, several follow-up investigations have been conducted as a result of this case. I am unable to provide a comprehensive amount of total time spent on this investigation,” the HCSO said on Aug. 31.
Witnesses at the scene described to the family how they said Metzger’s body was positioned. They said Metzger’s head was under the bumper by the wheel on the right side with her legs sticking about 18 inches out on the left side of the van. The van is nearly one foot away from the gate in front of it.
(Photo/North Coast News)
Metzger was found under this van that has been sitting in the parking lot of Lifehouse Church in McKinleyville. Witnesses said Metzger’s head was by the right wheel with her legs sticking about 18 inches out on the left side.
“Upon further investigation, no evidence of foul play was located on scene,” Karges said on Aug. 19. “This death is not considered suspicious at this time, however, the case is still under investigation.”
Several days later on Aug, 31, the HCSO released new details to North Coast News after the family gave permission for them to do so.
“Ms. Metzger’s cause of death was determined to be Methamphetamine toxicity,” the HCSO said on Aug. 31. “The forensic pathologist’s conclusions are that Ms. Metzger died as a result of Methamphetamine toxicity/overdose with comorbid hypertensive heart disease.”
But, loved ones said there was a strange series of events that took place before Metzger’s death.
A Justice for Tavia sign in front of Lifehouse Church in McKinleyville. (Photo/North Coast News)
According to the Sheriff’s Office, several residents reported seeing Metzger on Lime Avenue in McKinleyville, less than one hour prior to deputies being dispatched to the area, finding her deceased. Officials said the call was about a woman yelling and rolling around on a dirt/gravel road.
Those who were closest to Metzger spent hours, days in the area, trying to put together the pieces because they believe something else happened. After knocking on many doors, family members said residents around the area where Metzger’s body was found told them they “heard a woman yelling as if she was trying to get away.”
“She was a kind, caring vibrant young lady,” Metzger’s mother said.
Tavia Starrella Metzger (Photo/Metzger’s Family)
When loved ones went to confirm Metzger’s identity, they said she had bruising on her face. They also said they found Metzger’s belongings scattered throughout the area, like her makeup bag and phone. They said they turned those items into the HCSO.
“Deputies did respond to the Lime Avenue location and collected belonging of Ms. Metzger, however, there are no indications of this being criminal,” the HCSO said on Aug. 31.
“She would never go anywhere without her makeup,” the family emphasized. “Even if she was high, she would never leave without it.”
North Coast News asked the HCSO if the bruising to Metzger’s face was taken into consideration.
“Ms. Metzger did have superficial bruising and abrasions to the face and head. They were not found to be a contributing factor in her cause of death. According to our forensic pathologist, the premortem blunt force trauma was non-lethal, and is consistent with having occurred as a result of events associated with a toxic state of severe psychomotor agitation, delirium, due to Methamphetamine toxicity,” the HCSO said on Aug. 31.
The HCSO said they also wanted to point out the alleged spotting of Metzger on Lime Avenue, who they said was about a woman yelling and rolling around on a dirt/gravel road.
“The woman in the call matched the description of Ms. Metzger and would explain some of the superficial bruising,” the sheriff’s office explained.
But family believes what they saw did not appear to be self-inflicted or superficial.
“She was a beautiful soul, she was a daughter, a best friend to many, she had a heart of gold. We deserve to know what happened, she deserves it,” Metzger’s mother said.
Tavia and her niece. (Photo/Metzger’s Family)
Loved ones told North Coast News that Metzger had been on a rollercoaster her whole life battling drug addiction, alcoholism and at one-time homelessness — but they said that should not define her. Family wants the community to know that their Tavia is still a human being, and that’s how they want her remembered.
“We want people to know that there’s more to her than that, it’s a moment in her life,” Metzger’s long-time friend who flew to Humboldt from Montana said. “She’s been my best friend for 13 years, the only friend I would go to bat for.”
(Photo/Metzger’s Family)
North Coast News asked the sheriff’s office why such a case wouldn’t be considered suspicious given the way her body was found and input from the family.
“Yes, it is suspicious for a young female to be found deceased under a van, and it was investigated as such. However, upon further investigation all evidence and witness statements, including that which was found on scene and reports from earlier in the day elsewhere, deputies found no evidence of Ms. Metzger’s death being caused by criminal action. An autopsy and toxicology of Ms. Metzger confirms that evidence,” the HCSO said on Aug. 31.
Metzger’s loved ones sent us the following statement in response:
After finding out what the coroner has determined to be cause of death it has been a whirl wind of emotions. We have speculated from the beginning that this would be the outcome, but we also know who Tavia was as a person. Tavia deserves a thorough investigation. Unfortunately that isn’t happening. Family seen for themselves the so called “superficial bruising and abrasions” on her face “caused from walking and rolling around on a dirt road”. Family agrees that what was seen was not self caused and was not “superficial” either. We feel there are other aspects to this case not being taken into consideration. We feel there were findings in the autopsy being over looked and not questioned. Family also has reason to believe that the way the drugs were administered into Tavia’s system needs to be investigated as well. There is more to this story and we are asking if anyone knows anything to please come forward. The police may not care, but our family needs closure. We need to know what events lead up to when Tavia was found. Tavia wasn’t just my bestfriend she was my family. I need to know what happened that day, we all need to know. We won’t stop looking for closure until ALL of our questions are answered. There’s too many pieces to this puzzle missing to just say case closed.
(Photo/Metzger’s Family)
“The case is not yet closed,” the HCSO said on Sep. 2.