Joseph Charles Henrichsen Held 2 Forest Service Workers for 12 Hours, Faces Federal Kidnapping Charges
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Joseph Charles Henrichsen Held 2 Forest Service Workers for 12 Hours, Faces Federal Kidnapping Charges
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Summary
Two US Forest Service employees were freed after more than 12 hours in a trailer near Gumboot Lake, where authorities say they had been zip-tied and held at gunpoint during routine fieldwork.
Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, allegedly armed with an AR-15 and knives, triggered a large response from local agencies and the FBI after reportedly demanding to speak with federal agents.
Around 4 p.m. Thursday, negotiators engaged Henrichsen; after 2 a.m. Friday, both hostages were released and Henrichsen and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, surrendered.
Federal prosecutors said both men will be charged with kidnapping a federal employee, though authorities have not detailed the motive or what occurred during negotiations.
The case also drew attention to Henrichsen's past in Washington, where a 2022 hate-crime case was dismissed after a judge found him incompetent to stand trial.