2019, on charges of murder in Anchorage, Alaska. Indiana man enters not guilty pleas in Alaska murder plot Police had found Henrys remains on the side of a highway on Oct. 2. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. Reporter Jeff Parrott contributed to this story. APD asked morning commuters to avoid the area. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Alaska teens hoping to cash in on a $9 million offer from a Midwest millionaire brutally killed a developmentally disabled woman on a popular trail outside Anchorage, shooting her in the back of the head and dumping her body in a river, authorities allege. She deserves just as much as a search for her people as any other victim, as any other survivor. Police and a crime scene investigation unit spent much of Tuesday afternoon and evening at the home where Smith lived with his wife, hauling away a black pickup, neighbors said. Thim said Smith was subsequently connected to the remains discovered on the highway through hotel records and cell-phone data. The public defender representing Walters was juggling 200 cases and resigned due to mental exhaustion a week before the trial was to begin in July, according to the order. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Each of the three men died from gunshot wounds. Born in Montana but raised in Alaska, Duke married, raised three children and worked jobs including as a teacher's aide. Prosecutors: Anchorage cold case murder started with gunfire, ended in It took 26 days after Merrian's disappearance for her to be reported as a missing person and for the search for her to start. Anchorage Police investigate the scene where human remains we found at mile 108 of the Seward Highway near Rainbow on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity on a social network account to deceive a specific victim. This is a truly horrific case that is not the norm for our community, Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll said at a news conference, the Anchorage Daily News reported . But they point out the majority of them were either involved in risky behavior or killed by someone they knew. It's unclear who the woman is, but authorities are working to identify her and determine how she died. Doubek slept downstairs. Here, "it's more groups of people who know each other and engage in high-risk behavior together," he said. According to police, the arrest came after someone reported finding a digital storage device containing video of the killing. He was returning to Anchorage, where he lives, Thim said. In September 2020, a revised facial reconstruction of the victim was released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. According to the affidavit, the couple had separate bedrooms. And he blamed the dysfunction not on managers but on spending plans and policy decisions made by Alaska governors and lawmakers over the years, and continuing to this day. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) The Iditarod, the world's most famous sled dog race, starts Saturday with a fan-friendly ceremonial run through the streets of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Thursday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast - Feb. 9, 2023. In an unusual order, an Alaska judge has declared a crisis in the states courts, saying that turnover among public defenders is delaying criminal trials and denying justice for victims and defendants alike. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. Rodgers went on to kill another man in Anchorage and shoot two others who survived before his 26-hour rampage ended. There wasSelena Mullenax, a young mother studying for her GEDfound shotin a public park on a winter morning. Some people have speculated gangs are to blame for the bloodshed. Anthoney and his girlfriend moved to Anchorage from Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1985 when authorities in Idaho accused him of raping and brutally beating a twelve-year-old girl at a campground near Twin Falls. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. She had hit the wall, an acting supervisor later told the judge. (Anchorage, AK) - On April 22, 2021, thirty-one year-old Randall Igou was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth for Murder in the First Degree. Contact her at mtheriault@adn.com. Smith remained in jail on Wednesday where he is being held on an outstanding warrant. The images showed a naked woman being beaten on the floor of a hotel room, according to the affidavit. Detectives arrested Smith at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to APD. What science tells us about the afterlife. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Lucas Moren himself had cleaned up the bloody scene of the machete attack on his mother. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. Moren, a patron at the bar, was shot and killed in the alley as the bar was closing early in the morning on Dec. 24. Catfisher Convinced Alaska Teens to Murder a Developmentally Disabled He told Anchorage District Court Judge Brian Clark that he had about $2,000 in total saved. Passengers told CBS News that a "murder mystery" theme dinner had been taking place when the incident occurred, and several passengers first confused the crime for a hoax. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. (Erik Hill / Alaska Dispatch News). On Sept. 30, police received a report from someone saying they had found an SD card containing several videos of an assault and murder. Last Monday, Sept. 30, a woman called police dispatch to report that shed found an SD card containing a video of a homicide on the ground, police said. Upon examining the card, police said it"contained several videos which appeared to show the assault and subsequent homicide of an adult female" and an investigation was opened. Alaska woman pleads guilty to killing 'best friend' after man catfished This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 21:52. According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Law, Charlie was sentenced to 75 years . 2022 Anchorage Daily News. The REAL Deaths Behind The Show (Episode Guide) - Emma Cruises James Dale Ritchie was a senior at East High School in 1994. [6], On July 17, 1980, Eklutna Annie's skeletal remains were found by workmen, buried in a shallow grave along a series of power lines north of Anchorage. In the years since, he'd helped her live with lasting injuries. Anchorage police say 8-month-old baby found safe; father arrested on ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Content Warning: This article contains information that might be difficult for some readers. Ritchie grew up in Anchorage and was a standout athlete at East High School in the mid-1990s before involvement in drugs led to a felony record that derailed his life. Anchorage police: Homicide video victim - Alaska Public Media An Indiana man is accused of " catfishing " an Alaska teenager and convincing her to murder her supposed best friend for $9 million with the help of four others. According to the Violence Policy Center, Alaska ranked number one in murder of women by men in incidents where there were one victim and one offender from 2014 through 2018. TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. In response, he chased after her, grabbed her by the hair and tripped her to the ground. The man in the video speaks with a distinct accent, which led detectives to recall a separate case involving Smith, a South African immigrant living in Anchorage. Brehmer and McIntosh used Leylands pickup on June 2 to take Hoffman on a hike at Thunderbird Falls, a popular location about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Anchorage. High winds cause damage, power outages across central Indiana . All rights reserved. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. He also told officials Brehmer communicated with him throughout the murder, and sent Snapchat photographs and videos of Hoffman while bound and then after the murder. In a lot of ways I think it is generational," McKinnon said. But at one of the many stops along the way, a grizzly discovery is made when crew membersfind the widower's body crammed into her own suitcase. Human remains found along Seward Highway near Rainbow trailhead. For many, it was the year the city's violence hit home,even if they didn't personally know any of the victims. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. [Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016]. Anchorage man sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder of Alaska Zoo [4][7][n 1], Eklutna Annie's body was markedly decomposed, indicating her death had occurred months prior. Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll told reporters Abouchuk's family reported her missing in February, but he said she had last been seen by them in July 2018. Nancy Furlow . More than three dozenimages and 12 videos were stored on the card, according to the charging documents. "James recognized the potential issue and has appropriate (sic) adjusted his behavior to make himself more inviting for others to seek help. [17], To date, Roxane Easland, Karen Evan, Megan Emerick, and Teresa Davis have been ruled out as being Eklutna Annie. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Alaska murder mystery twist: Memory card found along road shows man ThatFriday, she dropped him off for an evening out downtown. He warned Metzger against scurrying around in district court, spending time on lesser felony cases instead of the homicide case, according to her motion. Alaska Teen Killed Friend After Man Online Allegedly Offered $9M The same year, Ritchie was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for two-year colleges, and graduated from Blue Mountain Community College with an associate degree in science, according to his diploma. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. Slawomir Markiewicz, the Anchorage Police Department's top detective. Days later, on Oct. 2, police officers found human remains on the side of a highway. "Clearance" means police have either made an arrest, prosecutors have declined to file charges due to self-defense or some other reason, or the suspect died. The domestic violence-related cases range from amother accused of suffocating her infant daughter,to a man accused of fatally shootinghis son-in-law. Even after that request was granted, Steiner said at a legislative budget hearing in March that he needed at least nine more lawyers, on top of an existing staff of roughly 75 criminal attorneys, to fulfill the agencys constitutional obligations. A Wasilla woman was shot four times at home Sunday night and her husband is charged with her murder, according to Alaska State Troopers. [5][3][10], An autopsy of Eklutna Annie's body revealed she was petite in stature,[11] and most likely white, although she may have had a degree of Native American heritage. Together, the homicides pose a question for Anchorage: What made 2016 so deadly? Alaska copscharged an Anchorage man with murderTuesday after shocking videos found on a mysterious memory card allegedly capturedthe suspectassaulting and killing a woman whose remains were recently discoverednear a highway. More officers on the streets as with arecently addeddowntown foot patrol,members of which made an arrest in Moren's murder onChristmas Eve make streets safer. [1], "Identifying [Eklutna Annie] means that no matter how you lived, whatever circumstances that you are in, that even after death, there is an equality here. or redistributed. In 2011 and 2012, Ritchie was named to the President's List at Blue Mountain Community College in Weyers Cave, in western Virginia, according to school documents obtained by Alaska Dispatch News. The SD card also contained images of the womans body being removed from a hotel room and transported in a black truck, according to charging documents. Clark asked that he be appointed a public defender and set his bail at $500,000 cash appearance bond and a $250,000 cash performance bond. State prosecutors say Darin Lee Jones, 54, and Shawn Michael Phillips, 52, killed Patricia Phelps, 48, in Anchorage's Spenard neighborhood in 2017. Federal Jury Convicts Anchorage Man on Murder and Drug Charges Gardner was a beloved community member, devoted mother and a part-owner of Hilltop Recycling, a long-standing staple of the Chugiak area, according to her family. He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. Resources can be found by calling Alaska 211 or visiting the State of Alaskas website to find treatment options. Nine months and a long Arctic winter have come and gone since the abduction, sexual assault and murder of 10-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr in the northwest Alaska hub community of Kotzebue.. Signs . He worked in construction and kitchens, said Marcy, a paralegal. In May, 19-year-old Brandon Merritt went to a Holiday gas station and exchanged words with another man, according to police. The . Brian Steven Smith during his arraignment Wednesday. The millionaires only demand for the payout was either photos or video of the slaying, according to court documents laying out first-degree murder and other charges against six people in the June 2 death of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman. Anchorage police investigate a fatal shooting at the Holiday Gas Station located on Abbott Road on Wednesday evening, May 25, 2016. Smith is originally from South Africa. Then, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the womans body was found along Turnagain Arm, near the Rainbow trailhead. Putting names to archive photos, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. She said she was not a police officer in the village at the time of the killing. Market data provided by Factset. Witnesses say she was travelling with her children. [5][3], This unidentified decedent became known as Eklutna Annie due to the location in which her body was discovered. So far, nothing has been found. The caller later told officers the card a small memory card used in portable digital devices was discarded on the street at the corner of Fairbanks Street and 13th Avenue in Fairview, near the Gambell Carrs store. ANCHORAGE, Alaska A woman pleaded guilty to murder after an Indiana man allegedly offered her $9 million to "rape and murder someone in Alaska." According to the Alaska Department of Law, 22-year-old Denali Brehmer admitting to killing 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman on June 29, 2019, near Thunderbird Falls in Chugiak, Alaska. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Around 2010, he left Alaska and spent time in Las Vegas before moving to Virginia, where his parents now live. Marcy keeps running over the questions in her mind: Why is this happening in Anchorage? Other images showed the woman covered in a white sheet, being moved through a parking lot to a truck. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He was unable to "remember whether she was a prostitute or [a] dancer", although he did state he believed she was from Kodiak, Alaska. Smith had registered a room at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott the night the video was taken, according to the affidavit. Market data provided by Factset. "I'd say a great number of our citizens don't engage in any activity that's considered dangerous.". Alaska Public Media 2022. Judge: case of slain Mountain Village woman shows how Alaska's justice I don't believe it.". Read about our approach to external linking. [1], Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 21:52, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, "Eklutna Annie: Put The Focus Back on Me! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The next year,that number nearly doubled, to 25. At the sentencing hearing, the State presented video . The womans body was found last week along the Seward Highway south of the city. "What we're seeing is that when we ask the community for assistance, they really respond to us," he said. Alaska woman catfished by Indiana man pleads guilty to murder (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). Public records show that he lives in a home in the Geneva Woods neighborhood, and a social media profile that appears to belong to him says he married an Anchorage woman in 2014. Overwhelmingly, people were killed with guns: Gunfire was involved in all but four of the year's homicides. The callertold police the memory card was found layingin the middle of the street in the Fairview neighborhood of Anchorage. Delay is always the friend of the defense because it makes it harder for prosecutors to put on their case.. "That's what's been fascinating.". The Anchorage Police Department has identified the victim as Kathleen J. Henry, 30, according to a statement released Thursday afternoon. A 22-year-old Alaska woman pleaded guilty to murdering her 19-year-old "best friend" in 2019 after a man who was allegedly catfishing her offered her $9 million to kill someone. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. April 23, 2021. The killings happened in nearly every corner of Anchorage: from an Eagle River apartment complex toa normally quietsouth-sidesubdivision. Police were able to identify Smith, a native of South Africa, from the video after recognizing him from a separate, unspecified investigation, in part because of his accent. Parents would be wise to monitor the activity of their children online.. Legal Statement. Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. During the initial 911 call, Doubek reportedly had slurred, garbled speech and admitted to shooting his wife, according to the affidavit. Warming water may be to blame. In a separate federal investigation rising from the investigation, Schilmiller and Brehmer were indicted Tuesday on federal child pornography charges, including production and coercion and enticement of a minor. He does not look like the young man he portrayed himself to look like, he is not a millionaire and he lives in Indiana, court documents say. The SD card was labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, according to the affidavit. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. ALASKAN MURDER: ENIGMA WITHIN AN ENIGMA - The New York Times Police have not yet pointed to any known motive in the cases where Ritchie is identified as a suspect. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The graphic videos show a woman being strangled and a mans voice saying justdie, the Associated Press reported. He also allegedly told authorities that he and Brehmer discussed killing another person, but the plan was abandoned, and he admitted to blackmailing Brehmer into raping people. With the SD card, one of the first questions that detectives had to answer was, Was this staged, or did this really happen? [9] A box of Salem matches were found in a pocket of her jacket, indicating she may have been a smoker. AnAlaska man accused of brutally assaulting and murdering a woman who was seen strangled in videos found ona digital memory cardhasbeen charged with another death, authorities said Thursday. Fiesers account supports a complaint filed by prosecutors charging Doubek with the murder of his wife, 54-year-old Marjorie Gardner. Suzi Pearson, executive director for the Abused Womens Aid in Crisis shelter in Anchorage, said the decision to split up or leave a relationship can be a particularly dangerous time in the life of a woman experiencing domestic violence. She is the only victim of Robert Hansen to remain unidentified. This story was produced as part of a collaboration between Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News. Hoffman, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the. (Google). die.". According to online court records, no new trial date has been set in the killing of Gertrude Queenie. Jorge Rea-Villa, a handsome tattoo artist who went to a Fourth of July barbecue and ended up dead. A memorial for James Lucas Moren in an alley behind the Gaslight Bar on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016. Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. Brian . But I feel that in the air.". Shannon Duke. Murder of Eklutna Annie - Wikipedia Thim declined to say anything about the other investigation, or whether Smith is a suspect in other crimes. Schilmiller offered Brehmer nine or more million dollars to carry out the murder and to have photographs and/or videos of the murder sent to him, the documents say. The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod, No injuries in downtown Anchorage commercial building collapse. The victim was also wearing several pieces of jewelry, including an apparently handmade metal bracelet containing three turquoise stones,[2][8] a copper necklace containing shell beads, a pendant heart, a Timex metal wristwatch consisting of circular links and with a brown watch face, a ring carved from shell jewelry, and gold-plated, twisted metal hoop earrings. Kristy Manzanares had been travelling with a large group, including her children, according to witnesses. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. Marcytook every votive candle she could find in her house, plus a piece of Christmas pie in plasticwrap, to leave as an offering at a makeshift altar another corner of Anchorage turned into an impromptu memorial for a person killed in 2016. Corrections:This article originally incorrectly stated that a homicide had taken place in the Kempton Hills subdivision in 2016. The State Medical Examiner Office is working to confirm her identity and manner of death. The final images on the card show the womans body face down in the bed of a pickup, and were time-stamped Sept. 6. The SD card, reportedly discovered lying in the street in an Anchorage neighborhood, was labeled homicide at midtown Marriott and contained graphic, time-stamped images and video recordings of a man beating and choking a naked woman, according to charging documents. James Dale Ritchie - Wikipedia