Supremacist defends couple's slayings

A white supremacist involved in the murders of four people told the Appeal-Democrat on Thursday she sees her actions as a sacrifice for the greater good of racial preservation.

Holly Ann Grigsby explained in an exclusive jailhouse interview that killing a child molester, his supportive wife and a black man is not going to bring immediate change toward restoring the white culture, but she hopes it will ignite others to follow suit. She and her boyfriend, David "Joey" Pedersen, were arrested in Yuba County on Oct. 5 after a three-state killing spree.

"I'm hoping the sacrifice we have made will open some people's eyes and they will wake up and hear the call. It's not as hard as they think," said Grigsby, 24. "This is what I was born to do."

Grigsby grew up in Portland, Ore., and said she met her first skinheads when she was around 13 years old and began to educate herself on the beliefs.

"I started seeing everything for what it is outside the propaganda," she said. "I see our race being wiped out and that we need to take direct action or we will be dead ... The Zionists are taking over and brainwashing without anybody knowing it."

When she went to prison at age 19 for identity theft and other charges, she continued to educate herself and became more committed to the need to "dispose of any Zionist possible," she said. Once released, she stayed off drugs and out of trouble for a little while, but soon landed back in prison, where she actually enjoyed herself, getting in fights and hanging out with other white women.

Grigsby says she is violent "when need be," and often fought in prison. But she also describes herself as caring, passionate about what she believes and a good mother.

And Grigsby sees herself as rational.

"I know the consequences of my actions, whether good or bad. I know I have choices," she said.

Grigsby she is she is not remorseful of her actions.

"I don't believe it did a whole lot, killing a child molester and a Negro. It is not going to accomplish what I want it to, but maybe it ignites a spark in somebody's eyes ... that this world will carry on what we have started."

In interviews with the Appeal-Democrat and police, the couple said they killed Pedersen's father because he molested his daughter — Joey Pedersen's sister — and an adopted cousin, and they killed his wife because she knew and still supported him.

In Oregon, they killed a 19-year-old Chris ian man and stole his car. Grigsby corrected media reports that Cody Myers was killed because his name was Jewish, and said she and Pedersen didn't know his name until they had his wallet and could only hope there was a reason he deserved to be killed.

"It's unfortunate he was a white man, but it was to facilitate further action," Grigsby said. "In every war, there are going to be civilian casualties, and he was one of them."

Pedersen and Grigsby also admit to killing a Eureka man, who was African-American and also using drugs, which is a danger to society and children, Grigsby said.

Like Pedersen, she did not deny the possibility of additional murders, saying only "I don't want to talk about it."

During a three-state manhunt on Oct. 5, the couple were driving to Sacramento to look for a "prominent Jew" to kill and were arrested when a California Highway Patrol officer recognized their car on Marysville Road. They were wanted for first-degree murder in the deaths of Pedersen's father and his wife in Everett, Wash., and will soon be extradited to Washington on charges of aggravated murder.

Grigsby and Pedersen, 31, had met through mutual friends in June after his release from 15 years in prison. They shared the same racial and philosophical views, and she describes them both as strong-spirited.

"It wasn't planning to be crime partners or co-defendants," she said. "We just kind of took off together."

But at the time of their arrest, their ideas on what to do next differed, Grigsby said, although she declined to specify.

"Being how much we care for each other, we came to the conclusion that we would just kiss and tell," she said. "He's my best friend and my closest comrade."

Pedersen said from the start that he would take responsibility, but Grigsby could not let him, she said.

"I am a woman with honor," she said. "I don't want the blood of a woman on his hands."

Grigsby confessed during a five-hour, videotaped interview with Oregon state police, detailing how she killed Leslie Pedersen, why each victim was killed and what was the couple's plan.

"I feel there was honor behind my actions," Grigsby said.

Her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Dannel Larson, told The Associated Press his wife is gullible, the victim of a person capable of manipulating her into doing things. "That man," Larson said, "took her on a road straight to hell."

Grigsby said she has spoken to Larson once since she was arrested and she is worried about her son, 21⁄2 year old Danny - "the cutest little white boy you've ever seen."

"It was my plan to go back and kidnap my son and take care of Dan, but I didn't get to do that," she said.

Now, Grigsby said she hopes her son will one day understand her actions and educate himself about white supremacy.

Racial preservation may not occur in her lifetime or her son's lifetime or his children's lifetime, Grigsby said, but she has faith it will eventually happen.

Anne Phillips, director of education at the Tolerance Education Center in Southern California, had not heard about Grigsby's and Pedersen's killing spree or their reported motivation, but she said she is familiar with the white supremacist stance and rhetoric.

"It's certainly extremely disturbing and very difficult to hear," Phillips said.

Despite great progress, hate continues to be an issue in schools and makes national headlines, she said.

"There is a lot of work to be done and I bet there always will be," she said. "People don't even know why they are hating another group. It's just ingrained."

Phillips sees all intolerance as a form of bullying, and it starts when children are young, she said.

"Why can't we learn the lesson? Why can't we change?" Phillips asked. "It's got to start with you, with each individual person being nice in his or her own way."