Homicide victim whose remains were found at Nipomo golf course had lengthy criminal history
A man whose dismembered body was found in a pond at a Nipomo golf course had been reported as a missing person with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department more than a year ago.
Santa Maria resident Joseph Martin Govey, who was 53 at the time of his December 2018 death, has been identified as the homicide victim whose remains were found this week in Nipomo, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Govey’s family had told authorities that they had not heard from him since late 2018, and they reported him as a missing person with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 23, 2019.
Two Santa Maria residents have been arrested in connection with Govey’s death, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
This week, dive team members found Govey’s remains in a pond at the Blacklake Golf Resort, 1490 Golf Course Lane in Nipomo, in southern San Luis Obispo County.
Investigators believe the killing occurred in Santa Maria, but did not explain why sheriff’s deputies, not city police, were handling the case.
Since the suspects and the victim knew one another, investigators do not believe the killing was a random act of violence.
Govey had a lengthy history of arrests related to various crimes dating back to the 1980s, and he served stints in prison. He also became entangled in an Orange County scandal regarding the use of jailhouse snitches.
Court documents from one case stated that Govey had “a very violent and troubling criminal history” and alleged he had “significant ties to Public Enemy Number One, a white supremacist street gang.”
In early 2018, a federal judge dismissed a drug case against Govey just before the trial’s planned start, according to the Orange County Register.
In 2014, he also was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but the Orange County prosecutors dropped the case to avoid revealing evidence related to an informant, according to an article in the Voice of OC. In that case, Govey was accused of attempted murder and solicitation of murder.
Govey’s attorney had denied any connection to a white supremacist gang, contending that the Aryan Brotherhood had tried more than once to have him killed, according to an article in the Voice of OC.
The defense attorney had claimed Govey was on a “permanent kill list” because of some prison political dispute years ago with the Aryan Brotherhood, the Voice of OC article reported.
Santa Barbara County law enforcement officers have remained mum about a motive for the killing, but one source said it’s not believed to be related to the Orange County scandal.
In connection with Govey’s killing, Kimberly Machleit, 35, has been charged with murder and several special allegations regarding use of a firearm during the crime. Her arraignment hearing in Santa Maria Superior Court was continued until next Thursday, and she did not enter a plea.
Donald Anderson, 37, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy during his arraignment hearing. His case was continued to Oct. 7, when the judge and attorneys may set a date for a preliminary hearing setting.
His bail remained at $1 million, while Machleit’s bail remained at $2 million.
Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.