Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. 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. McIntosh, who is being tried as an adult in the case, was the gunman, prosecutors say. The next year,that number nearly doubled, to 25. Sarah Palin in 2007, admonished public defenders for specific professional failures in their handling of Walters case. Doug Moody, a supervisor at the Public Defender Agency, said in a phone interview Tuesday that Cherot will be reviewing MacDonalds critique. MacDonald declined to be interviewed, saying that Walters case is still open. [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! The majority of victims were killed by someone they knew. Among those charged is Darin Schilmiller, whom authorities say presented himself as the millionaire Tyler from Kansas, using a fake photograph. Her body was found along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage on Oct. 2. "Because of his knowledge other students identify him as a potential source of aid but may have been intimidated by his high level of self confidence," the letter said. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. A man charged with murder is accused of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old daughter Friday in Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood. "[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". He had started Friday night with two of the people closest to him: family friend Ronda Marcy and his mother, Elann "Lennie" Moren. 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. While the agencys inflation-adjusted spending has doubled in the past 30 years, its felony caseload has tripled, it says. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. The trial has been delayed at least 15 times at the request of the defense, according to MacDonalds order. 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. You're going to kill me!" 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. In September, the death of a man in the middle of a busy intersectionshut down anelementary school and a middle schoolwhile police investigated the killing. 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. The FBI is investigating the death because it occurred in US waters. Gardner slept upstairs. On Wednesday,. In a lot of ways I think it is generational," McKinnon said. data the agency has presented to the Legislature. 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.". 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. 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. But detectives had gotten video of the homicide days prior to finding the victims body, police said. 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. Police have not identified the victim, who is said to have been killed during the first week of September. [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. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. 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. Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. "We haven't found evidence that anyone other than Ritchie is involved.". (Loren Holmes / ADN). Thim declined to say anything about the other investigation, or whether Smith is a suspect in other crimes. Police detectivesdon't attribute 2016's increase in homicides to any one cause. Overwhelmingly, people were killed with guns: Gunfire was involved in all but four of the year's homicides. 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. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. The state of Alaskas criminal justice system is operating on the fringes, barely able to protect against the deprivation of fundamental rights, barely able to respond in a professionally responsible manner to Alaska (s) rising violent crime rates, Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Michael A. MacDonald wrote in a blistering Aug. 30 decision, which has previously not been reported. 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. A corrections officer told the court Doubek was on suicide protocols and unable to participate. Anchorage Police investigate the scene where human remains we found at mile 108 of the Seward Highway near Rainbow on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. It is routine for me to enter class seeing several other students at the board with James as he provides guidance not only for my class but other classes as well.". So far, nothing has been found. 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. Warming water may be to blame. "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. "Why life seems harder, why things seem scarier why is that? All rights reserved. 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. [9] A box of Salem matches were found in a pocket of her jacket, indicating she may have been a smoker. According to police, the arrest came after someone reported finding a digital storage device containing video of the killing. Online court records did not list an attorney for Schilmiller. 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. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. Do you know this baby? Police point at recent hiring of new officers as an effort to make the city safer. Smith, 48, appeared in Anchorage Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon. All rights reserved. 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. A Snapchat video showed two of the teens accused of killing 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman near the Thunderbird Falls trailhead in June apparently discussing the crime. Alaska Public Media 2022. If you are considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Stop Suicide Alaska at 1-877-266-HELP. According to police, the arrest came. He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. 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. "That's what's been fascinating.". ", "Alaska State Troopers: Unidentified Body", "Serial Killer Robert Hansen Dies in Anchorage", "Serial Killer's Victim Exhumed In Alaska: Who Is 'Horseshoe Harriet'? 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. Denali Brehmer, 22, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the June 2019 death of Cynthia Hoffman, the Alaska Department of Law said. ", "DNA Match IDs Alaska Serial Killer's Victim After 37 Years", https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14666142/?ref_=ttep_ep3, https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2020/09/22/do-you-know-this-woman/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Eklutna_Annie&oldid=1140185336, Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, Anchorage, Alaska. [sic] A manwith some sort of English accent can be heard in the video as well. Legal Statement. "She sounded pretty desperate, but the crew came up as quickly as they could", he said, adding that the incident occurred on the 9th floor of the 19-deck ship. Police solved an Alaskan murder with a memory card found along road. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. APD officer Arn Salao was wounded and the suspect, James Dale Ritchie, was killed in the early-morning shootout. 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. 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. She has not been identified. [2][4], Serial killer Robert Hansen admitted responsibility for Eklutna Annie's murder in 1984. ' said APD communications director MJ Thim. [10], As Eklutna Annie struggled against his efforts to overpower her, she had screamed, "Don't kill me! 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. On Sept. 30, police received a report from someone saying they had found an SD card containing several videos of an assault and murder. Police had found Henrys remains on the side of a highway on Oct. 2. Doubek did not attend his scheduled arraignment Thursday. She deserves just as much as a search for her people as any other victim, as any other survivor. Many questions remain unanswered Wednesday, including the identity of the woman. He has not yet entered a plea. Many of the victims were young. 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. It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The three cases police still considerunsolved are the deaths of Marcus Cosby Jr., 24, Elijah Zeller, 18, and Ian Bobich, 29. 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. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. According to Hansen, Eklutna Annie had been wearing blue jeans, a sweater, and a brown leather jacket. His hair was long. Contact her at mtheriault@adn.com. 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. 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. die.". 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. Each of the three men died from gunshot wounds. "That tells us other people believe it is a good place," he said. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. Theres a new fight over Bering Sea black cod. 28, 2020 at 10:10 AM PDT. Its just really incredibly disheartening, Pearson said. 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.. At one point, the agencys seven-attorney Bethel office was down to three, he said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. All rights reserved. Market data provided by Factset. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News). [9][12] She stood between 4 ft 11 in and 5 ft 3 in, and her hair color ranged from light brown to strawberry-blond. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Police have only definitively named him as the gunman in one killing, that of Treyveon Thompson on July 29. But a bail memorandum filed in the case . The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. 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. Other images showed the woman covered in a white sheet, being moved through a parking lot to a truck. Detectives arrested Smith at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to APD. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. 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. Or are people just angrier?" Witness memories fade, Skidmore said. 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. Kristy Manzanares had been travelling with a large group, including her children, according to witnesses. 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. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Kyle Hopkins and Nat Herz, Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. 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. Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity on a social network account to deceive a specific victim. According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Law, Charlie was sentenced to 75 years . A handwritten note laid on a nearby bench with the words Shes havin an affair proof is in the phone. 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. "Same exactly happens to homicide cases. She said she was not a police officer in the village at the time of the killing. Investigators believe the remains along the highway belonged to the woman killed in the videos and they believe Smith killed her in early Septemberand recorded the photos and videos himself. Man arrested for murder after SD card with video of crime found on street. According to online court records, no new trial date has been set in the killing of Gertrude Queenie. 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. In the Lower 48, gangs are more organized and act as outside-the-law businesses, pushing drugs and weapons in defined territories. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. The State Medical Examiner Office is working to confirm her identity and manner of death. 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. The death on Tuesday night triggered a lockdown of the 3,400-passenger ship. Thim said Smith was subsequently connected to the remains discovered on the highway through hotel records and cell-phone data. 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. 1 language. The . Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. Other witnesses described seeing a bloody man threatening to jump off the ship. 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. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. 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. Eklutna Annie is still unidentified, despite her face being reconstructed in both 3-D and 2-D.[4][23] Several missing women are believed to have also been murdered by Hansen. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "We are working on the Ship Creek case still and the Valley of the Moon Park," said Markiewicz. 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. On Sept. 30, someone called Anchorage police claiming to have found an SD card containing video of a homicide. April 23, 2021. We still dont know who she is and we dont know much about her," said Thim. 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. Of the34 homicides in 2016, all but three are considered solved, with police identifying at least a main suspect, according to Sgt. The Public Defender Agencys budget, meanwhile, has grown by 9 percent in the past two years. The final images on the card show the womans body face down in the bed of a pickup, and were time-stamped Sept. 6. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. "Loose lips sink ships," Markiewicz said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. After Mr. Mackay and the pilot's sister, Muriel . Published: Jan. 27, 2022 at 4:27 PM PST. Nancy Furlow . In court Wednesday, Smith appeared in handcuffs, wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit. Her eldest daughter Chloe was killed with her. It did not include those deaths. 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. Cynthia Hoffman. He told Anchorage District Court Judge Brian Clark that he had about $2,000 in total saved. I said to his mother how cool he looked like a prizefighter about to enter the arena.". MacDonald serves as the presiding judge for the Fairbanks-based Fourth Judicial District. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. The show Very Scary People profiled Robert Hansen in "The Butcher Baker". 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. Market data provided by Factset. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. James Dale Ritchie was a senior at East High School in 1994. After human remains were found along a highway just south of Anchorage two days after the memory card was found, police were able to start putting pieces together. (Obituary photo). 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. 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. 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. 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. She is the only victim of Robert Hansen to remain unidentified. Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll told reporters Abouchuk's family reported her missing in February, but he said she had. Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The killings happened in nearly every corner of Anchorage: from an Eagle River apartment complex toa normally quietsouth-sidesubdivision. Anchorage Police Department personnelwere investigating a fatal shooting near 15th Avenue and E Street early Sept. 13, 2016. According to the affidavit, the couple had separate bedrooms. He was unable to "remember whether she was a prostitute or [a] dancer", although he did state he believed she was from Kodiak, Alaska. 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. 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Read about our approach to external linking. An Alaskan murder mystery has been solved thanks to a SD card found laying in the street. It's not that clear-cut, said McKinnon. In 2016, some 34 people were killed by homicide in Anchorage. Troopers arrived hours later and interviewed Walters, who admitted to beating Queenie, his 22-year-old girlfriend, with his fists and a broom handle. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. 32. Legal Statement. This week, Brian Smith, 48, was charged with first-degree murder in the case, the Anchorage Police Department said in a Wednesday statement.