[3][4], Eklutna Annie was murdered by serial killer Robert Hansen, most likely in 1979. People were shot to death at a gas station, in a beloved park in the heart of the city, on a scenic beach where people go to look at the mountains. Time stamps on the images at the hotel showed they were taken in the early hours of Sept. 4, the affidavit said. I was the only one there, I did that, I killed her, he told investigators, according to the charges. Warming water may be to blame. (Image from East High School 1994 yearbook and APD handout). In that case, her father was charged with the killing. Such delays typically benefit defendants and make it harder for prosecutors to secure convictions, said Alaska Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore. Schilmiller admitted to federal agents and Indiana State Police his role in the plot, saying he chose Hoffman as the victim and he told Brehmer to kill her, according to the court documents. Authorities who reviewed the SD cards contents said they remembered Smith from another investigation and found he was registered in early September to a room at a local hotel which had the same carpet pattern as the one in the video. But the same weapon found on Ritchie at the time of his death an uncommon, vintage Colt Python .357 was used to kill four other people in a two-month span: Brianna Foisy, 20, and Jason Netter Sr., 41, on the Ship Creek Trail July 3, and Bryant "Brie" De Husson, 25, and Kevin Turner, 34, at Valley of the Moon Park on Aug. 28. ALASKAN MURDER: ENIGMA WITHIN AN ENIGMA - The New York Times According to police, the arrest came after someone reported finding a digital storage device containing video of the killing. "That's our plan to create a better police presence," McKinnon said. Anchorage man sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder of Alaska Zoo (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). The Newman Family Murders. Who brutally assaulted and killed Nancy 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. During an arraignment at Anchorage Jail Court Wednesday, a judge set Smiths bail at $750,0000 cash and appointed a public defender to represent him. 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. 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. In September 2020, a revised facial reconstruction of the victim was released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. State prosecutors say Darin Lee Jones, 54, and Shawn Michael Phillips, 52, killed Patricia Phelps, 48, in Anchorage's Spenard neighborhood in 2017. Other witnesses described seeing a bloody man threatening to jump off the ship. High winds cause damage, power outages across central Indiana . Advocate for missing and murdered women, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to identify Eklutna Annie[18], Eklutna Annie remains unidentified. Smith came to Alaska from South Africa about five years ago and became a naturalized U.S. citizen last month, according to the bail memo. Read about our approach to external linking. Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. Prosecutors: Anchorage cold case murder started with gunfire, ended in [17], To date, Roxane Easland, Karen Evan, Megan Emerick, and Teresa Davis have been ruled out as being Eklutna Annie. Police say the majority of the deaths fall into the same tragic but predictable circumstances that thread through homicides every year: domestic violence, personal disputes escalated by a weapon, robberies gone bad. Resources: If you are facing threatened or actual domestic violence, please discreetly call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or Abused Womens Aid in Crisis in Anchorage at 907-272-0100. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. The show Very Scary People profiled Robert Hansen in "The Butcher Baker". 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. [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. The majority of victims were killed by someone they knew. 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. Or are people just angrier?" 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. She disappeared without a trace. The womans body was found last week along the Seward Highway south of the city. He then attempted to placate her, before pulling a gun, saying: "You do exactly as I say and you won't get hurt. Smith has a truck matching the one in the images, and pings from his cellphone put him along Rainbow Valley Road off the Seward Highway, near where the womans body was found, within minutes of the last time-stamped photos of the body, the affidavit said. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. ", Autumn Smith. Anchorage police say 8-month-old baby found safe; father arrested on Anchorage police say theyve arrested a man for the murder of a woman whose body had been dumped a week ago on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. Couldnt take it anymore., A second note was found among Doubeks belongings that according to troopers, discussed possible drug dealers and that one of them was having an affair with his wife.. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. The images showed a naked woman being beaten on the floor of a hotel room, according to the affidavit. All rights reserved. Police said the body was found near milepost 108 of Seward Highway on Oct. 2. "That tells us other people believe it is a good place," he said. It did not include those deaths. Anchorage Police investigate the scene where human remains we found at mile 108 of the Seward Highway near Rainbow on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. James Dale Ritchie - Wikipedia Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. According to court documents and evidence presented . They are unwilling to share details of crimes in which charges have not been filed. Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Man accused of killing woman, recording it is charged in 2nd Alaska murder At 41, he was a bachelor. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. Nancy Furlow . Parents would be wise to monitor the activity of their children online.. All but one of the victims in those cases were female. Videos and photos show brutal attack of woman in Anchorage hotel room MacDonalds order and decision are part of the ongoing effort to hold a criminal trial in Fairbanks for Walters, who was 34 when troopers arrested him Oct. 5, 2017, in Mountain Village on charges of murder, assault and evidence tampering. "[13], According to Hansen, he then drove in the direction of Eklutna Lake, with his vehicle eventually becoming stuck on a desolate road as he veered in the direction of a "muddy swamp". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Police said they will release the name of the deceased woman once her identity is confirmed and family is notified. Anchorage police think the human remains belong to the woman seen on the memory card, and the medical examiner is working to confirm the connection and the cause of death. The motion filed by Walters new public defender, Julia Metzger, cited MacDonalds comments in hearings over the summer, including remarks about the public defender agency neglecting clients and accusing its attorneys of complete abandonment and total disregard of professional responsibilities., Metzger said MacDonald launched into a 17-minute diatribe at a July 18 hearing, during which he predicted the public defender agency might continue to delay the Mountain Village homicide trial until 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen). The judges order describes a disparity in the next phase of the criminal justice system the one that begins after a suspect is arrested and the clock starts ticking toward a timely resolution for defendant and victim. The Alaska teens are being represented by the public defenders office, which has a policy of not commenting on cases. 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. Alaska man accused of strangling captured on digital memory card He also told them hehad shot another woman and revealed where he dumped her body. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Mike Dunleavy named Steiners replacement Tuesday: Samantha Cherot of Anchorage, who has worked both as a public defender and a private criminal defense and family attorney. The memory card was labeled "homicide at midtown Marriott" and contained 39 images and 12 videos of an assault and murder. In at least two cases, a person believed to be breaking into a home was killed in what prosecutors determinedto be self-defense, and no charges were filed.The deaths ofLoren Douglas, 30, andAllen Raymond, 19, are still considered homicides by APD. Smith is originally from South Africa. McIntosh was arrested, but Brehmer denied any involvement in the death. A 19-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, was allegedly killed by her best friend and several other teen accomplices after they were promised millions of dollars for video evidence of the killing by a man who had catfished them. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Anchorage police say they've arrested a man for the murder of a woman whose body had been dumped a week ago on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. 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. die.". Her body was found along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage on Oct. 2. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. A district attorney has been selected to oversee the Bethel office and Skidmore said he is in talks with the North Slope Borough in hopes of funding the first Utqiagvik-based district attorney in several years. Market data provided by Factset. The . A Wasilla woman was shot four times at home Sunday night and her husband is charged with her murder, according to Alaska State Troopers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Officers arrested Brian Steven Smith, 48, Tuesday afternoon, an Anchorage Police Department statement said. And so somebody who might have been using emotional abuse and threats and that sort of thing may escalate into more physical violence, Pearson said. At one June hearing, shortly before she resigned, the public defender noted she was working a double case load. 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. Police solved an Alaskan murder with a memory card found along road. "She championed any child. A man accused of killing a woman and recording it on an SD card later found in the street has been indicted in the murder of a second woman in Alaska, authorities announced Thursday. [8] He died in prison in August 2014. Doug Moody, a supervisor at the Public Defender Agency, said in a phone interview Tuesday that Cherot will be reviewing MacDonalds critique. Igou pleaded guilty on November 5, 2020 to the September 10, 2017 murder of Aurora Paint Company co-owner Gregory Gill. On Sept. 30, police received a report from someone saying they had found an SD card containing several videos of an assault and murder. CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED AFTER FORMER ROOMMATE FOUND DEAD, BLUDGEONED INSIDE WALL. But they are working to build a case meeting the evidence threshold that would allow for prosecution, Markiewicz said. The death on Tuesday night triggered a lockdown of the 3,400-passenger ship. 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. The memory card, which was labeled homicide at midtown Marriott, was given to police by the woman who found it, charging documents obtained by NBC affiliate KTUU in Anchorage showed. Michelle Theriault Boots is a reporter who covers news and features about life in Alaska, and has been focusing on corrections and psychiatric care issues in the state. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. [10], As Eklutna Annie struggled against his efforts to overpower her, she had screamed, "Don't kill me! ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A Utah couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary aboard an Alaska cruise when the husband was found covered in blood next to his wife's lifeless body, a frenzy of . The Alaska Public Defender Agencys longtime director, Quinlan Steiner, announced his resignation in April. Alaska murder mystery twist: Memory card found along road shows man At the sentencing hearing, the State presented video . Authorities say Schilmiller, who has been arrested in New Salisbury, Indiana, and will be transferred to Alaska next month, began an online relationship with 18-year-old Denali Brehmer of Anchorage, posing as Tyler. [sic] A manwith some sort of English accent can be heard in the video as well. Police detectivesdon't attribute 2016's increase in homicides to any one cause. It appeared that Smith recorded them himself, according to the affidavit. Police recognized the man in the videos as Brian Smith, an immigrant from South Africa police knew of from a previous investigation," according to the affidavit. Incident happened aboard the Emerald Princess cruise ship (file picture), Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer.