A man charged with murder is accused of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old daughter Friday in Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood. The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod, No injuries in downtown Anchorage commercial building collapse. About three weeks before Hoffman was killed, Brehmer and Schilmiller began discussing a plan to rape and murder someone in Alaska, according to court documents. 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. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. [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. The millionaire's only demand for the payout was either . In arguments included with MacDonalds order, public defenders described an agency at its breaking point, struggling to retain experienced attorneys and unable to compete for recruits against cities with a lower cost of living and comparable pay. Just two years ago, in 2014, Anchorage ended the year with 13 homicides on the books the lowest in two decades. Police are careful not to blame victims of violent crimes. The victim has been identified as 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares, from the US state of Utah. The domestic violence-related cases range from amother accused of suffocating her infant daughter,to a man accused of fatally shootinghis son-in-law. After Mr. Mackay and the pilot's sister, Muriel . This story was produced as part of a collaboration between Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News. [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. You're going to kill me!" 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. Witness memories fade, Skidmore said. Fox News Flash top headlines for Oct. 17 are here. His hair was long. Smith originally pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, sexual assault and tampering in the death of his first victim, 30-year-old Kathleen Henry, before admitting to the crime. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. But a bail memorandum filed in the case . But the 2016 toll also reflects one extraordinary factor:a potential serial killer apparently targeting strangers. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News). According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Law, Charlie was sentenced to 75 years . Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. He warned Metzger against scurrying around in district court, spending time on lesser felony cases instead of the homicide case, according to her motion. State lawmakers this year held the public defenders base budget effectively flat, though they included some $1.3 million, or a roughly 5 percent boost, in separate criminal justice legislation that was expected to generate more prosecutions. 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. 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. 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. CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED AFTER FORMER ROOMMATE FOUND DEAD, BLUDGEONED INSIDE WALL. Do you know this baby? More than three dozenimages and 12 videos were stored on the card, according to the charging documents. Witnesses say she was travelling with her children. The victim was Robert Pfeil, a 55-year-old senior pilot for Alaska Airlines, who was shot from another car as he drove from work on Oct. 12, 1985. However, when Eklutna Annie realized he was not driving in the direction of his home, she first asked him to drive her back to Anchorage, before he unsuccessfully attempted to convince her he was driving her to another safe location, claiming he was driving a "little further", to which Eklutna Annie replied, "Well, I'm not!" 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. data the agency has presented to the Legislature. She is the only victim of Robert Hansen to remain unidentified. Born in Montana but raised in Alaska, Duke married, raised three children and worked jobs including as a teachers aide. I'll stand behind him, beside him, while he's going through this," Bissland added. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Photos apparently show the woman underneath a blanketon a hotel luggage cart near a truck and in the truck bed, per the document. "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. When troopers arrived, they found Doubek lying just inside the front door. Policeinvestigate the scene of an officer-involved shooting in downtown Anchorage onNovember 12, 2016. ThatFriday, she dropped him off for an evening out downtown. He was unable to "remember whether she was a prostitute or [a] dancer", although he did state he believed she was from Kodiak, Alaska. But APD isnot ready to close the cases. ANCHORAGE - Following a three-week trial in U.S. District Court, a federal jury convicted an Anchorage man on charges of murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, using a firearm to commit murder in a drug trafficking crime, drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. On the whole they are to be commended for all they do in the face of serious institutional limits, he wrote. Advocate for missing and murdered women, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to identify Eklutna Annie[18], Eklutna Annie remains unidentified. The Department of Law asked that Smith'sbond be set at $2 million. He stepped out of the car and said goodbye to his mom and Marcy. Officers arrested Brian Steven Smith, 48, Tuesday afternoon, an Anchorage Police Department statement said. "She championed any child. Troopers: Wasilla woman killed, husband charged with her murder, 2023 Iditarod pre-race coverage and Ceremonial Start, Melissa Fry has the forecast for the Iditarod restart in Willow, Animal rights group PETA continues targeting Iditarod sponsors. All rights reserved. Smiths wife of five years, Stephanie Bissland, told KTUU on Oct. 10 that Smith was a good husband, and she did not believe the allegations against him. Igou pleaded guilty on November 5, 2020 to the September 10, 2017 murder of Aurora Paint Company co-owner Gregory Gill. 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. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. (Image from East High School 1994 yearbook and APD handout). Smith is originally from South Africa. [Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016]. Some people have speculated gangs are to blame for the bloodshed. On Christmas Day, the people who loved Lucas Moren gathered in the alley behind the Gaslight. Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. "Is it a greater population? According to police, the arrest came. Resources can be found by calling Alaska 211 or visiting the State of Alaskas website to find treatment options. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Making the decision to leave, to start the processes for divorce or anything like that, that definitely would escalate the situation and increase lethality for that victim, Pearson said. Smith was taken into custody on an arrest warrant for first-degree murder Tuesday afternoon at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, police said in an online release announcing the arrest Wednesday. Many of the victims were young. All rights reserved. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. The group met to decide how they would divvy up the money. The SD card was labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, according to the affidavit. Our salaries up here used to be the draw, an attorney for the agency said. Brehmer ultimately admitted to being solicited by Schilmiller to commit the murder and that the murder was planned once she realized she had been catfished by Schilmiller, the documents say. Here, "it's more groups of people who know each other and engage in high-risk behavior together," he said. She has not been identified. Reporter Jeff Parrott contributed to this story. That puts APD at a more than 90 percent "clearance" rate for homicide cases. Published: Jan. 27, 2022 at 4:27 PM PST. I was the only one there, I did that, I killed her, he told investigators, according to the charges. 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. On Wednesday,. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. 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. One man, James Dale Ritchie, is the prime suspect in five deaths. Smith appeared in court Wednesday, where a judge said he'd be appointed a public defender. 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. (Scott Jensen / Alaska Dispatch News). He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. 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. The Alaska teens are being represented by the public defenders office, which has a policy of not commenting on cases. 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. According to the charges, his mother called to report the attack and Walters fired a shotgun when two Village Police Officers attempted to approach him. Early on Christmas Eve, James "Lucas" Moren became Anchorage homicide victimNo. 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. Thursday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast - Feb. 9, 2023. It's not that clear-cut, said McKinnon. Brehmer then enlisted the help of four friends, including 19-year-old Caleb Leyland, 16-year-old Kayden McIntosh and two other unnamed juveniles, to plan and carry out the murder at Schilmillers direction, according to the documents. Ian Bobich, 29, was found shot to death outside this Elm Street apartment building just before midnight Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, on Government Hill. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. MacDonald serves as the presiding judge for the Fairbanks-based Fourth Judicial District. Police had found Henrys remains on the side of a highway on Oct. 2. 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. 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. Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. The Anchorage Police Department has identified the victim as Kathleen J. Henry, 30, according to a statement released Thursday afternoon. [sic] A manwith some sort of English accent can be heard in the video as well. 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. A 48-year-old Anchorage man was charged with murder after someone found a digital card containing dozens of videos and photos that authorities say show him beating and killing a woman in a Midtown hotel room. He moved back to Alaska in the spring of 2016. 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. What science tells us about the afterlife. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? 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 FBI is investigating the death because it occurred in US waters. This years Iditarod field is the smallest in history. (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. Police have not identified the victim, who is said to have been killed during the first week of September. 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. Brian . Alaska Public Media 2022. Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com, Timothy Hoffman, right, father of slain teenager Cynthia Hoffman receives support from Edie Grunwald, left, who's son David Grunwald was murdered in Nov. 2016, as they entered a Superior courtroom for the arraignment of Cynthia's murder suspects in the Nesbett Courthouse on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. The card was also labeled homicide at midtown Mariott. Witnesses say that the incident was described by crew members as "a domestic disturbance". 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. "We are working on the Ship Creek case still and the Valley of the Moon Park," said Markiewicz. Skidmore said the number of prosecutors is rebounding following a reduction years earlier and now includes more than 120 attorneys. Ritchie is considered the main suspect in those killings, said Markiewicz. Read about our approach to external linking. Her body was found along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage on Oct. 2. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. The woman, who has not yet been identified, is described as having long dark hair and possibly being Alaska Native. An Alaskan murder mystery has been solved thanks to a SD card found laying in the street. 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. Anna Bill, a former Mountain Village police officer honored by the Alaska Federation of Natives for her advocacy on behalf of Alaska Native women and children, said the homicide was devastating for the victims family. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. An update released by Anchorage Police four months later stated they had taken a then 21-year-old named Orion Lind into custody but no charges were brought over Brandon's murder. 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. 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. Man arrested for murder after SD card with video of crime found on street. All rights reserved. Anchorage police identified thesecond victim as Veronica Abouchuk. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When they were able to determine that this was an actual crime, then the investigation started to quickly speed up.. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. 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. 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. A man has been arrested in connection to the murder of a woman aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Alaska, police say, in what has been described as a "domestic disturbance". In a lot of ways I think it is generational," McKinnon 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. 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. "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. [7] He further recollected: "I picked her up downtown and told her I was going to take her to my home". "James recognized the potential issue and has appropriate (sic) adjusted his behavior to make himself more inviting for others to seek help. A handwritten note laid on a nearby bench with the words Shes havin an affair proof is in the phone. For all the good the internet can do, it can be a very dark place, Bryan Schroder, the U.S. attorney in Alaska, said at a news conference Tuesday. Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. Lucas Moren himself had cleaned up the bloody scene of the machete attack on his mother. She deserves just as much as a search for her people as any other victim, as any other survivor. "Why life seems harder, why things seem scarier why is that? 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. All but one of the victims in those cases were female. In May, 19-year-old Brandon Merritt went to a Holiday gas station and exchanged words with another man, according to police. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A corrections officer told the court Doubek was on suicide protocols and unable to participate. [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. 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. "He had a leather jacket on and blue jeans, with a hoodie. [16], Hansen was sentenced to 461 years in prison without the possibility of parole for her murder and three others. It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. The Associated Press contributed to this report. APD asked morning commuters to avoid the area. But they point out the majority of them were either involved in risky behavior or killed by someone they knew. The videos show a woman being strangled and in one Smith can be heard saying just die. The videosshow Henry face down in the back of a truck. 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. Of the34 homicides in 2016, all but three are considered solved, with police identifying at least a main suspect, according to Sgt. She had hit the wall, an acting supervisor later told the judge. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. 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. shut down anelementary school and a middle school, don't attribute 2016's increase in homicides to any one cause, mother accused of suffocating her infant daughter, killed in a downtown shootout with police, Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016. A woman in Alaska was walking her dog when a moose charged her from behind and kicked her in the head, according to shocking video captured by a bystander. McIntosh was arrested, but Brehmer denied any involvement in the death. The district attorney's office also decided not to pursue criminal charges in the shooting death ofAaron Syvinski, 30, which was found to be in self-defense. The callertold police the memory card was found layingin the middle of the street in the Fairview neighborhood of Anchorage. Theres also the question of how an SD card containing images and videos of a slaying, labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, came to be discarded on a busy Anchorage street. Legal Statement. 2023 BBC. An economic thing happening? Doubek slept downstairs. Brian Steven Smith, 48, admitted to detectives that he was the man inimages and videos from the card, according to a document filed by the state Department of Law.