The memory card was labeled "homicide at midtown Marriott" and contained 39 images and 12 videos of an assault and murder. There were no immediate details aboutthe earlierinvestigation involving Smith. Smith, 48, appeared in Anchorage Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon. Months before the alleged hit . 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. The killings happened in nearly every corner of Anchorage: from an Eagle River apartment complex toa normally quietsouth-sidesubdivision. 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. 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 woman, who has not yet been identified, is described as having long dark hair and possibly being Alaska Native. "What we're seeing is that when we ask the community for assistance, they really respond to us," he said. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). The show Very Scary People profiled Robert Hansen in "The Butcher Baker". In response, he chased after her, grabbed her by the hair and tripped her to the ground. Police did not say why the SD card was in the street, but they believe Smith recorded the images himself, according to the AP. 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. Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll told reporters Abouchuk's family reported her missing in February, but he said she had. 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. Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. Cynthia Hoffman. Marcy keeps running over the questions in her mind: Why is this happening in Anchorage? 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. 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. Ritchie is considered the main suspect in those killings, said Markiewicz. The case marks the second killing in less than six months involving a video. Brian Steven Smith is shown being arraigned on a charge of first-degree murder at the Anchorage Jail courtroom Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska. (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. 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. Warming water may be to blame. 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. 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. (The motion argued that the judge misunderstood the limits on public defenders, who do not choose which charges are filed.). It's unclear who the woman is, but authorities are working to identify her and determine how she died. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Same exactly happens to homicide cases. 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.". ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Seven Cold Case Task Force offices across the nation, dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, are opening in the next few weeks, one expected to open in Anchorage. 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. Contact her at mtheriault@adn.com. I was the only one there, I did that, I killed her, he told investigators, according to the charges. 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. (Image from East High School 1994 yearbook and APD handout). 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. MacDonald serves as the presiding judge for the Fairbanks-based Fourth Judicial District. (Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News via AP) Author: The Associated Press Published: 10:58 PM EDT August 9, 2019 Updated: 3:40 AM EDT August 12, 2019 ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP . It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. 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. When a composite sketch of the man suspected in the death of TreyveonThompson was released, more than 190 people called in tips, McKinnon said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Don't kill me!" The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod, No injuries in downtown Anchorage commercial building collapse. "Is it a greater population? 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. ", Autumn Smith. Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity on a social network account to deceive a specific victim. Other images showed the woman covered in a white sheet, being moved through a parking lot to a truck. Market data provided by Factset. But its workload is growing more quickly just between the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years, it saw a 16 percent increase in felony cases statewide, according to data the agency has presented to the Legislature. 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. Its just really incredibly disheartening, Pearson said. Anchorage Police investigate the scene where human remains we found at mile 108 of the Seward Highway near Rainbow on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Two days later, both Brehmer and McIntosh were interviewed. Jorge Rea-Villa, a handsome tattoo artist who went to a Fourth of July barbecue and ended up dead. According to online court records, no new trial date has been set in the killing of Gertrude Queenie. 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. Days later, on Oct. 2, police officers found human remains on the side of a highway. While the agencys inflation-adjusted spending has doubled in the past 30 years, its felony caseload has tripled, it says. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. die.". [Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016]. 2023 BBC. The SD card was labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, according to the affidavit. LOUISIANA MAN ARRESTED IN 1989 MURDER CASE: POLICE. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Parents would be wise to monitor the activity of their children online.. She deserves just as much as a search for her people as any other victim, as any other survivor. Our salaries up here used to be the draw, an attorney for the agency said. 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. The callertold police the memory card was found layingin the middle of the street in the Fairview neighborhood of Anchorage. 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. She had hit the wall, an acting supervisor later told the judge. ThatFriday, she dropped him off for an evening out downtown. But APD isnot ready to close the cases. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. In court Wednesday, Smith appeared in handcuffs, wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit. 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. 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. 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. 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. Theres a new fight over Bering Sea black cod. All rights reserved. But there are plenty of public defender offices in the Lower 48 who are offering those exact salaries right now with lower cost of living and more stability in their government and their budget., The public defender agency asked that MacDonald be disqualified from the Mountain Village case because of his bias against the agency and Walters, the defendant. 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. Smith appeared in court Wednesday, where a judge said he'd be appointed a public defender. Anchorage Police Department personnelwere investigating a fatal shooting near 15th Avenue and E Street early Sept. 13, 2016. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. 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. 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. According to Hansen, he persuaded Eklutna Annie to help him winch his pickup free from the mud, although when he began to drive his vehicle free, Eklutna Annie attempted to run. 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. Police continued to investigate and interviewed her two days later after Snapchat video appeared, in which she appeared to confess, the documents say. 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. Or are people just angrier?" More than three dozenimages and 12 videos were stored on the card, according to the charging documents. 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. ", "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. Her eldest daughter Chloe was killed with her. Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. All rights reserved. Gov. Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. On Thursday, a grand jury indicted Smith onmurder and evidence tampering charges in Abouchuk's death. The Alaska teens are being represented by the public defenders office, which has a policy of not commenting on cases. Tracy Hansen and her dog, Gunner, were walking on the sidewalk in Anchorage, Alaska, when she was suddenly knocked to the ground, she told NBC . 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. As of Oct. 9, police said they were still working with the state medical examiner to determine her identity and contact her next of kin. We learned sometimes the hard way in the past.". The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod, No injuries in downtown Anchorage commercial building collapse. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "James recognized the potential issue and has appropriate (sic) adjusted his behavior to make himself more inviting for others to seek help. The Alaska Public Defender Agencys longtime director, Quinlan Steiner, announced his resignation in April. Then, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the womans body was found along Turnagain Arm, near the Rainbow trailhead. That puts APD at a more than 90 percent "clearance" rate for homicide cases. 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. "She championed any child. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. The department is also trying to directly ask the public for help more often. She disappeared without a trace. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. 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. 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. Gardner slept upstairs. It did not include those deaths. 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! Police solved an Alaskan murder with a memory card found along road. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. They are unwilling to share details of crimes in which charges have not been filed. The victim has. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. An earlier version of the chart in this story incorrectly stated that it included fatal officer-involved shootings and justifiable homicides. Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. 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. After the death, the ship was diverted to the city of Juneau, in Alaska, and passengers were forced by investigators to remain on board for more than eight hours. He isnow charged with murder. On Sept. 30, someone called Anchorage police claiming to have found an SD card containing video of a homicide. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Contact her at mtheriault@adn.com. Lucas Moren himself had cleaned up the bloody scene of the machete attack on his mother. [9] A box of Salem matches were found in a pocket of her jacket, indicating she may have been a smoker. The graphic videos show a woman being strangled and a mans voice saying justdie, the Associated Press reported. Police have only definitively named him as the gunman in one killing, that of Treyveon Thompson on July 29. In 2016, some 34 people were killed by homicide in Anchorage. [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. Rodgers went on to kill another man in Anchorage and shoot two others who survived before his 26-hour rampage ended. And they say despite the number of killings, suspects are at large in very few of the cases. McKinnon pointed out that in the same year Anchorage set a homicide record, it also set a record for thenumber of touristsvisiting the city. MacDonald declined to be interviewed, saying that Walters case is still open. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. "He had a leather jacket on and blue jeans, with a hoodie. 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. 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. 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. [14], In 1984, Robert Hansen admitted that he was responsible for the victim's death. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. Slawomir Markiewicz, the Anchorage Police Department's top detective. 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. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. When troopers arrived, they found Doubek lying just inside the front door. Of the 34 victims, 14 were under the age of 25. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. Reporter Jeff Parrott contributed to this story. Alaska Public Media 2022. Published: Jul. Police said they will release the name of the deceased woman once her identity is confirmed and family is notified. CLICK TO VISIT THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Of the34 homicides in 2016, all but three are considered solved, with police identifying at least a main suspect, according to Sgt. His hair was long. According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Law, Charlie was sentenced to 75 years . Photos apparently show the woman underneath a blanketon a hotel luggage cart near a truck and in the truck bed, per the document. 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. The . 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. TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. Hoffman, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the. "In the fog and the white light, I saw him walking down the alley," Marcy said. "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. 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. You're going to kill me!" Bill said that in her experience with the criminal justice system, cases involving white defendants and victims appear to be resolved more quickly than cases involving Alaska Natives. Detectives saythey have a "good understanding" of what happened and who was involved in each of those cases. Police do not believe Ritchie was involved with any otherunsolved slayingsin 2016. The womans body was found last week along the Seward Highway south of the city. "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. But I feel that in the air.". Kyle Hopkins and Nat Herz, Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. The three cases police still considerunsolved are the deaths of Marcus Cosby Jr., 24, Elijah Zeller, 18, and Ian Bobich, 29. [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. But they point out the majority of them were either involved in risky behavior or killed by someone they knew. With the SD card, one of the first questions that detectives had to answer was, Was this staged, or did this really happen? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Gardner was shot four times, according to the charging documents. APDsays when Moren left the Gaslight Lounge later that night,he was followedby Roy Schauer, 46. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. Brian Steven Smith during his arraignment Wednesday. So far, nothing has been found. "It depends on what we're looking at as far as danger," said McKinnon, speaking generally about citizen safety and homicides in 2016. 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. 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. The need for nine more lawyers was based on a 45-year-old standard set by the American Bar Association that public defenders annual caseloads should not exceed 150 felonies. MacDonald denied the request, saying his findings are not an indictment of the Alaska Public Defender Agency nor its attorneys. 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.