(Image from East High School 1994 yearbook and APD handout). Alaskas public defenders have argued for the past two years that rising caseloads and tight budgets are straining their ability to fulfill their constitutional obligation to represent their clients. Police said the body was found near milepost 108 of Seward Highway on Oct. 2. Of the34 homicides in 2016, all but three are considered solved, with police identifying at least a main suspect, according to Sgt. Here, "it's more groups of people who know each other and engage in high-risk behavior together," he said. It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. All but one of the victims in those cases were female. The memory card was labeled "homicide at midtown Marriott" and contained 39 images and 12 videos of an assault and murder. This years Iditarod field is the smallest in history. You're going to kill me!" Anchorage police investigate a fatal shooting at the Holiday Gas Station located on Abbott Road on Wednesday evening, May 25, 2016. LOUISIANA MAN ARRESTED IN 1989 MURDER CASE: POLICE. There wasSelena Mullenax, a young mother studying for her GEDfound shotin a public park on a winter morning. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But APD isnot ready to close the cases. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. Eklutna Annie is the name given to an unidentified murder victim whose body was discovered in a wooded area, one mile south of South Eklutna Lake Road in Eklutna, Anchorage, Alaska, in July 1980. Brian Steven Smith, a 48-year-old reportedly from South Africa, was arrested at Ted Stevens International Airport after investigators linked him to the crime. APD asked morning commuters to avoid the area. "I'd say a great number of our citizens don't engage in any activity that's considered dangerous.". [sic] A manwith some sort of English accent can be heard in the video as well. Gov. Armando Velador Padilla, 46, was taken into custody after the. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. (Scott Jensen / Alaska Dispatch News). McIntosh was arrested, but Brehmer denied any involvement in the death. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. 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. 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. I don't believe it.". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In 2004 a 40-year-old lady named Merrian was taking a cruise to Alaska on board the Celebrity Mercury. The trial has been delayed at least 15 times at the request of the defense, according to MacDonalds order. Paula Zorawski,answered her front dooronly to be shot in the face by people, Anchorage police believe, were hoping to rob her son of marijuana. What science tells us about the afterlife. The FBI is investigating the death because it occurred in US waters. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Clayton Andrew Charlie, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a groundskeeper at the Alaska Zoo, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Resources can be found by calling Alaska 211 or visiting the State of Alaskas website to find treatment options. We still dont know who she is and we dont know much about her," said Thim. There has been some suggestion by family members out-of-state that he had recently showed signs of mental illness, McKinnon confirmed, but added, "I don't think we have any concrete evidence to support that.". The Anchorage office is expected to open on August 27. In 2007, she had been severely injured when her fiance's son,Christopher Erin Rodgers, attacked the couple with a machete at their Palmer home. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? 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. 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. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. "What we're seeing is that when we ask the community for assistance, they really respond to us," he said. 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. An Alaska resident found a stray SD card lying on the street in late September and discovered gruesome content inside: images and video of a woman appearing to be assaulted and murdered. [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! or redistributed. Thim declined to say anything about the other investigation, or whether Smith is a suspect in other crimes. On Sept. 30, someone called Anchorage police claiming to have found an SD card containing video of a homicide. Hoffman was allegedly best friends with Brehmer, and she was chosen by the group as the victim, the documents say. The year'shomicides include at least seven domestic violence killings, where the victim is believed to have beenslain by an intimate partner or someone in their immediate family. Many of the victims were young. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. Alaska Public Media 2022. Our salaries up here used to be the draw, an attorney for the agency said. According to Hansen, he had first attempted to placate Eklutna Annie as he restrained her, falsely claiming he did not intend to harm her, although she responded: "You are! ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Content Warning: This article contains information that might be difficult for some readers. 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. 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. In May, 19-year-old Brandon Merritt went to a Holiday gas station and exchanged words with another man, according to police. It appeared that Smith recorded them himself, according to the affidavit. In a lot of ways I think it is generational," McKinnon said. The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod, No injuries in downtown Anchorage commercial building collapse. Brian . Advocate for missing and murdered women, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to identify Eklutna Annie[18], Eklutna Annie remains unidentified. Doubek did not attend his scheduled arraignment Thursday. 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. His wife is not implicated in the slaying. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Thim said the arrest hinged on two aspects of the investigation: the citizen who chose to call police when they found that card, and the coordination between law enforcement agencies handling the separate cases of the videos and the body. Sarah Palin in 2007, admonished public defenders for specific professional failures in their handling of Walters case. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. Smith is charged with first-degree murder. IE 11 is not supported. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). In 2017, the year Queenie was killed, the rate of women killed by men in Alaska was three times the national average and the highest in the United States, according to the Violence Policy Center. Police have not yet pointed to any known motive in the cases where Ritchie is identified as a suspect. He had started Friday night with two of the people closest to him: family friend Ronda Marcy and his mother, Elann "Lennie" Moren. "In the fog and the white light, I saw him walking down the alley," Marcy said. Cynthia Hoffman. July 27, 2017 / 10:16 AM / CBS News A suspect is in custody Thursday morning after a woman was found dead on a cruise ship in Alaska. 2023 BBC. At the scene, troopers found the door handle to Gardners bedroom door had been broken off, with damage marks matching the blade of a broken maul found nearby. Such delays typically benefit defendants and make it harder for prosecutors to secure convictions, said Alaska Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore. An Alaskan murder mystery has been solved thanks to a SD card found laying in the street. All rights reserved. He worked in construction and kitchens, said Marcy, a paralegal. (In addition to the 75 criminal attorneys, about 25 more work on appeals and childrens cases.) Police immediately suspected John Newman's nephew, 23-year-old Kirby Anthoney. An employee at the city of Mountain Village said the city currently has no police officer and that no officials were available to comment on the case. So far, nothing has been found. She wore several articles of clothing, including a brown leather hip-length jacket, a light-colored knitted sleeveless shirt (possibly white, beige, or light gray in color), blue jeans, and red, knee-high, high-heeled, zip-up boots. All rights reserved. I said to his mother how cool he looked like a prizefighter about to enter the arena.". [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. 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. After Mr. Mackay and the pilot's sister, Muriel . After troopers arrived, Doubek was given first aid and taken to a hospital. A man charged with murder is accused of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old daughter Friday in Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood. 1 language. "James recognized the potential issue and has appropriate (sic) adjusted his behavior to make himself more inviting for others to seek help. Her body was found along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage on Oct. 2. 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. Anchorage police identified the second victim as Veronica Abouchuk. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Smith is originally from South Africa. Without a doubt, the new director will get this order for a variety of reasons, and will be thinking about how we can do things more efficiently, Moody said. According to Hansen, Eklutna Annie had been wearing blue jeans, a sweater, and a brown leather jacket. Read about our approach to external linking. While the agencys inflation-adjusted spending has doubled in the past 30 years, its felony caseload has tripled, it says. 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. [8] He died in prison in August 2014. The organization had previously released a digital reconstruction, and a clay bust of Eklutna Annie had also been created in the past. MacDonalds ruling addresses some of the most urgent problems facing Alaskas criminal justice system, where policymakers and the public have increasingly turned their focus in recent years. At 41, he was a bachelor. Hoffman, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the. In court Wednesday, Smith appeared in handcuffs, wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit. The millionaire's only demand for the payout was either . TENNESSEE COLLEGE STUDENT ACCUSED OF FATAL SHOOTING IN DORM. "That's what's been fascinating.". According to the affidavit, the couple had separate bedrooms. He then attempted to placate her, before pulling a gun, saying: "You do exactly as I say and you won't get hurt. An affidavit filed with the criminal complaint against him details a strange chain of events that led police to a trove of gruesome videos and photos. Detectives recognized Brian Steven Smith from the graphic videos because Smith is involved in a separate ongoing investigation, said Anchorage Police Department spokesman MJ Thim. [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. According to the bail memo, Alaska State Troopers earlier this year recovered a skull with a gunshot wound in an area near the location Smith later provided. He was returning to Anchorage, where he lives, Thim said. Digital evidence and statements show Brehmer was communicating with and sending videos and/or photographs of the events surrounding the incident to Schilmiller at his directive through the duration of the event, documents say. This story was produced as part of a collaboration between Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News. "She championed any child. Market data provided by Factset. Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [14], In 1984, Robert Hansen admitted that he was responsible for the victim's death. Police continued to investigate and interviewed her two days later after Snapchat video appeared, in which she appeared to confess, the documents say. "He had a leather jacket on and blue jeans, with a hoodie. The majority of victims were killed by someone they knew. In response, he chased after her, grabbed her by the hair and tripped her to the ground. 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. Police said they will release the name of the deceased woman once her identity is confirmed and family is notified. Some people have speculated gangs are to blame for the bloodshed. Ritchie, the 40-year-oldkilled in a downtown shootout with policeafter he wounded an officer in an encounter early Nov. 12, is the prime suspect in the deaths of five people in 2016, APD said. "One of the little girls from that room came running out, calling for help, that her parents had been in a fight," one passenger told CBS News. The graphic videos show a woman being strangled and a mans voice saying justdie, the Associated Press reported. "They are engaging in this behavior where maybe a mature person would say, 'I'd never do that,' but to the people involved this is real stuff to them disrespect. 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. They were all going to spend Christmas together the next day. During the initial 911 call, Doubek reportedly had slurred, garbled speech and admitted to shooting his wife, according to the affidavit. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen). He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. 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. Troopers arrived hours later and interviewed Walters, who admitted to beating Queenie, his 22-year-old girlfriend, with his fists and a broom handle. Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! His hair was long. A memorial for James Lucas Moren in an alley behind the Gaslight Bar on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016. Detectives knew almost immediately that something was wrong, that someones loved one was killed when they found her remains, he said. According to the affidavit, Doubek, who had reportedly struggled with substance abuse, had been growing increasingly paranoid that his wife was having an affair, and because of his behavior, Gardner had considered divorcing him. More than a few cases seem to trace back to a personal slight or insult that escalated into violence, said Lt. John McKinnon, head of APD's homicide unit. "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 woman attempted to fight back, the affidavit said. The victim has been identified as 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares, from the US state of Utah. It was first broadcast on May 9th, 2021. 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, 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. Authorities who have reviewed the videos and photos said they remembered Smith from another investigationand found he was registered in early September to a room at a local hotel that has carpet that matches the one seen in the footage. In June, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr declared a public safety emergency in the state, announcing $10.5 million in funding for village police, equipment and public safety buildings. 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. Legal Statement. Don't kill me!" According to court documents and evidence presented . If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. He also told them hehad shot another woman and revealed where he dumped her body. Officials allege they destroyed some of Hoffmans clothing, purse and cellphone, and Brehmer texted Hoffmans family to let them know they dropped her off at Polar Bear Park in Anchorage. Thursday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast - Feb. 9, 2023. Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. 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. Smith had registered a room at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott the night the video was taken, according to the affidavit. The FBI is testing his DNA in a nationwide database that may reveal if he is linked to any crimes in other states, McKinnon said. Alaska Public Media 2022. 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. In 2017, the year Queenie was killed, the rate of women killed by men in Alaska was three times the national average and the highest in the United States, according to the Violence Policy Center. [16], Hansen was sentenced to 461 years in prison without the possibility of parole for her murder and three others. Market data provided by Factset. (The motion argued that the judge misunderstood the limits on public defenders, who do not choose which charges are filed.). 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. According to court documents, Denali Brehmer, 18, confessed to killing Cynthia Hoffman on June 2 at the . Her eldest daughter Chloe was killed with her. "It depends on what we're looking at as far as danger," said McKinnon, speaking generally about citizen safety and homicides in 2016. An autopsy report concluded that she had been killed by a single stab wound to the back. Last year, Steiner, who was then the agencys director, warned that his attorneys were at their limit and would have to start refusing to handle new cases without a $1 million boost to their $26 million budget. In the years since, he'd helped her live with lasting injuries. Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. It did not include those deaths. The three cases police still considerunsolved are the deaths of Marcus Cosby Jr., 24, Elijah Zeller, 18, and Ian Bobich, 29. Alaska cops charged an Anchorage man with murder Tuesday after shocking videos found on a mysterious memory card allegedly captured the suspect assaulting and killing a woman whose remains. "That's our plan to create a better police presence," McKinnon said. Detectives saythey have a "good understanding" of what happened and who was involved in each of those cases. TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. On Christmas Day, the people who loved Lucas Moren gathered in the alley behind the Gaslight. At the sentencing hearing, the State presented video . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. According to court papers, the group went off trail and followed a path to the bank of the Eklutna River, where Hoffman was bound, shot and thrown into the river. They are unwilling to share details of crimes in which charges have not been filed. 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. 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. Another factor no one could have predicted: James Dale Ritchie, who could prove to bethe most prolific killer in AnchoragesinceJoshua Wade, though APD is not ready to call him that. (Erik Hill / Alaska Dispatch News). The remarks by the veteran judge came in a 37-page order to delay the murder trial of Alexie Walters, a man accused of beating his girlfriend, Gertrude Queenie, to death in 2017 in Mountain Village, on the Yukon River in Southwest Alaska. Warming water may be to blame. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He stepped out of the car and said goodbye to his mom and Marcy. "[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". Parents would be wise to monitor the activity of their children online.. Denali Brehmer, 22, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the June 2019 death of Cynthia Hoffman, the Alaska Department of Law said. 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. A handwritten note laid on a nearby bench with the words Shes havin an affair proof is in the phone. "Same exactly happens to homicide cases. Overwhelmingly, people were killed with guns: Gunfire was involved in all but four of the year's homicides. He said Eklutna Annie was either an exotic dancer from a local bar or a prostitute and that she was his first murder victim,[15] adding that she had been murdered in the fall or early winter of 1979. He had then stabbed her once in the back with a black-handled Buck knife as she lay face-down. The case marks the second killing in less than six months involving a video. 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 . The record in this case should reflect that, as a result of the policy and budget choices made by the legislative and executive branches the people of Alaska must tolerate long delays in the prosecution of the type of crimes charged in this case crimes against women, crimes fueled by substance abuse, crimes against law enforcement officers, crimes against rural Alaskans, the judge wrote. Police have not identified the victim, who is said to have been killed during the first week of September. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. All the white people are getting done first while the Natives get pushed to the back burner, Bill wrote in a Facebook message, when asked about the case. APD provided a recent photograph of Ritchie. CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED AFTER FORMER ROOMMATE FOUND DEAD, BLUDGEONED INSIDE WALL. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. According to police, the arrest came. 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. In some villages, city and tribal leaders say they have no choice but to hire convicted criminals as cops. Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. There were no immediate details aboutthe earlierinvestigation involving Smith. 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.

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