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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – What began as an Easter morning traffic stop in the Clearlake area has turned into a multiagency homicide investigation, as the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement work to discover what led to the murders of two Sonoma County residents by a Lake County pair.
The CHP, along with members of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Clearlake Police Department and Lake County Sheriff's Office held a Wednesday morning press conference at the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville to discuss the case.
District Attorney Susan Krones said the victims are Terry Harris and Desiree Fuentes, both of Sonoma County.
In custody for the murders are Clearlake residents Alex Kenneth Schussolin, 37, and Jasslynn Pearl Critchett, 32, Krones said.
Authorities have informed the victims’ families of the incident. The CHP said there is no ongoing danger to the public, and investigators consider this to be an isolated incident.
Krones said Critchett and Schussolin are each charged with two charges of murder, carjacking, being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
CHP Northern Division Chief John Pinoli, who led the press conference, said the investigation remains active.
“There’s no tolerance for such acts of violence in California,” Pinoli said.
Pinoli also said that, so far, investigators have not reached a conclusion about a possible motive.
Officials said the case began at 8:40 a.m. Sunday when two CHP officers made a traffic stop on Highway 53, just outside of the city of Clearlake boundaries, on a gray Chevrolet Suburban with expired registration.
Pinoli said the vehicle was slow to yield and finally stopped on 18th Avenue near Oak Street. Critchett was driving the vehicle and Schussolin got out and fled, but was quickly captured.
The officers noticed a large amount of blood both on Critchett and Schussolin as well as in the vehicle, which they followed to the vehicle’s passenger area. There, they found an unresponsive male adult, later identified as Harris.
It was at that point that Pinoli said it went from a traffic stop and turned into a larger homicide investigation.
The Clearlake Police Department responded to assist with securing the scene. The agency also sent out a Nixle alert asking people to avoid the area.
The CHP said that while securing the scene, officers found a firearm near where Schussolin had fled.
Detectives from the CHP Northern Division Investigative Services Unit, or ISU, and the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team responded and took over the investigation, the CHP reported.
Pinoli said investigators learned of a possible second victim who had been thrown or removed from the vehicle.
CHP detectives responded to Highway 175 over the Hopland Grade, where – about 1.5 miles north of the Lake-Mendocino County line – they found a woman who was deceased down an embankment. That victim was identified as Fuentes.
So far, investigators believe the incident started in Sonoma County and moved into Lake County before CHP officers made the traffic stop.
“Routine patrol can turn into an unexpected situation,” Pinoli said.
Krones said it’s believed that Fuentes and Harris were killed in Sonoma County. However, since they were discovered in Lake County, “We are taking jurisdiction of this case.”
She told Lake County News that, so far, the investigation has not shown any previous connections between the victims and Critchett and Schussolin.
It’s believed Critchett and Schussolin met Fuentes and Harris for the first time on Sunday in Santa Rosa, Krones said.
Krones said the Suburban did not belong to Critchett or Schussolin. Fuentes and Harris had been in legal possession of the Suburban, which belonged to someone else. That’s the reason for the carjacking charge.
“They’re both looking at life without parole,” if convicted, Krones said of Critchett or Schussolin.
Critchett and Schussolin were arraigned in Lake County Superior Court by Judge John Langan on Tuesday afternoon, and are due to return on April 14, Krones said.
On April 14, both are scheduled for appearance of their counsel, entry of plea and bail review, as following the Tuesday arraignment, both were placed on no bail holds, according to court and booking records.
Krones said Critchett had an attorney appointed as of Tuesday but Schussolin still requires a conflict attorney.
On Wednesday, Pinoli emphasized the importance of CHP’s work not only with allied agencies and with the public.
He said the CHP is asking anyone who saw the Suburban or who has any information on the case to contact the CHP at 1-800-TELL-CHP.
The CHP Northern Division thanked its allied partners for their assistance, including the Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Rosa Police Department, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and the CHP Golden Gate Division ISU.
Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
