Father’s 2022 incompetency ruling emerged in Washington case
Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his 23-year-old son Phoenix Henrichsen were charged July 20 in federal court in Sacramento with two counts of kidnapping a federal employee. The charges stem from an incident in which the elder Henrichsen allegedly approached the two biologists as they were surveying frog habitats in the remote Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Gumboot Lake, Siskiyou County.
According to the criminal complaint, Henrichsen was carrying an AR-15 when he ordered the women to turn around with their hands in the air. He used zip ties to restrain them before ordering them into a camping trailer where he and his son had been staying. At one point, the complaint says, Henrichsen separated the hostages, drove one to a nearby lake, and used her cellphone to call a U.S. Forest Service ranger. He also left a voicemail for a person he knew.
In the message, Henrichsen said: “I’ve taken two fed biologists hostage from the forest service. (Victim 1) is ziptied, her hands are behind her fucking back, and I’ve got live rounds ready to fucking (inaudible) anyone who fucks with me.” He added: “So what I’d like to have happen, I’d like to have you send me a fucking fed investigator, with a goddamn badge, preferably from the FBI. And we can talk things through a little bit.”
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told the Sacramento Bee his office initially was unsure whether the call was real until a drone captured footage of the campground showing an armed man and a restrained hostage.
The incident prompted a “rapid buildup” of law enforcement around the lake, according to the complaint. Authorities began negotiations with Joseph Henrichsen that afternoon. The discussions stretched over several hours with little progress. In the evening, Henrichsen allegedly told officers he had a grenade and would detonate it if authorities approaching the scene did not retreat.
After hours of negotiations, Henrichsen agreed to release one hostage, and several minutes later the second woman also left the trailer. LaRue told the Sacramento Bee that Henrichsen’s demands were vague, saying he “wanted to talk to the FBI about ‘what’s going on in the world.’”
Henrichsen and his son surrendered without incident around 2:30 a.m. on July 17.
The father and son previously lived in Washington state. In 2022, Joseph Henrichsen was accused of a hate crime for allegedly harassing his landlords, the Bellingham Herald reported. A judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial, but the case was dismissed due to delays in admitting him to a state hospital. Phoenix Henrichsen at the time described his father to authorities as “unstable” and “prone to emotional outburst,” the Bee reported.
MSI previously reported that the two were charged with kidnapping a federal employee in a July 21 article covering the court appearance.
The FBI is seeking “first-hand information” from the public to aid in its investigation, officials said. The two victims have not been publicly identified. If convicted, the Henrichsens face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.