She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. In 2004 a 40-year-old lady named Merrian was taking a cruise to Alaska on board the Celebrity Mercury. 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. She disappeared without a trace. The death on Tuesday night triggered a lockdown of the 3,400-passenger ship. Police are careful not to blame victims of violent crimes. You're going to kill me!" IE 11 is not supported. 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. ' said APD communications director MJ Thim. "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. 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! Among those charged is Darin Schilmiller, whom authorities say presented himself as the millionaire Tyler from Kansas, using a fake photograph. 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. Detectives saythey have a "good understanding" of what happened and who was involved in each of those cases. According to police, the arrest came after someone reported finding a digital storage device containing video of the killing. The final images on the card show the womans body face down in the bed of a pickup, and were time-stamped Sept. 6. 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. An autopsy report concluded that she had been killed by a single stab wound to the back. [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! 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. Policeinvestigate the scene of an officer-involved shooting in downtown Anchorage onNovember 12, 2016. It did not include those deaths. Feds: Eagle River nurse prescribed 4 million opiates in 5 years, contributed to two overdose deaths. Police do not believe Ritchie was involved with any otherunsolved slayingsin 2016. This week, Brian Smith, 48, was charged with first-degree murder in the case, the Anchorage Police Department said in a Wednesday statement. After troopers arrived, Doubek was given first aid and taken to a hospital. Together, the homicides pose a question for Anchorage: What made 2016 so deadly? Smith remained in jail on Wednesday where he is being held on an outstanding warrant. James Dale Ritchie was a senior at East High School in 1994. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). "Why life seems harder, why things seem scarier why is that? 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. "He had a leather jacket on and blue jeans, with a hoodie. "That's what's been fascinating.". TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. 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. On Sept. 30, police received a report from someone saying they had found an SD card containing several videos of an assault and murder. 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. A millionaire widower and her teenaged daughter take a fivestar cruise together. "In the fog and the white light, I saw him walking down the alley," Marcy said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Gov. 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". 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. As Merritt approachedAndrew Robertson-Goughnor, police said, Robertson-Goughnor shot him. The SD card was labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, according to the affidavit. All rights reserved. Doubek did not attend his scheduled arraignment Thursday. Human remains found along Seward Highway near Rainbow trailhead. (Google). MacDonald serves as the presiding judge for the Fairbanks-based Fourth Judicial District. Denali Brehmer, 22, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the June 2019 death of Cynthia Hoffman, the Alaska Department of Law said. "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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Anchorage police investigate a fatal shooting at the Holiday Gas Station located on Abbott Road on Wednesday evening, May 25, 2016. 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. Gardner slept upstairs. That puts APD at a more than 90 percent "clearance" rate for homicide cases. Nationally, the homicide clearance rate hovers around 64 percent, according to statistics from the FBI. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. Ritchie is considered the main suspect in those killings, said Markiewicz. MacDonald denied the request, saying his findings are not an indictment of the Alaska Public Defender Agency nor its attorneys. 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. 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.". "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. 2023 BBC. Police said the body was found near milepost 108 of Seward Highway on Oct. 2. Rodgers went on to kill another man in Anchorage and shoot two others who survived before his 26-hour rampage ended. The Anchorage Police Department has identified the victim as Kathleen J. Henry, 30, according to a statement released Thursday afternoon. [5][3], This unidentified decedent became known as Eklutna Annie due to the location in which her body was discovered. It's unclear who the woman is, but authorities are working to identify her and determine how she died. In an unusual order, an Alaska judge has declared a crisis in the states courts, saying that turnover among public defenders is delaying criminal trials and denying justice for victims and defendants alike. I was the only one there, I did that, I killed her, he told investigators, according to the charges. 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. "I'd say a great number of our citizens don't engage in any activity that's considered dangerous.". Resources can be found by calling Alaska 211 or visiting the State of Alaskas website to find treatment options. Her fiance was killed. 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. 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. 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. Two days later, both Brehmer and McIntosh were interviewed. All rights reserved. Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. A man charged with murder is accused of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old daughter Friday in Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood. The graphic videos show a woman being strangled and a mans voice saying justdie, the Associated Press reported. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Brehmer agreed to commit the murder for him.. 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. He had started Friday night with two of the people closest to him: family friend Ronda Marcy and his mother, Elann "Lennie" Moren. Armando Velador Padilla, 46, was taken into custody after the. She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. The case marks the second killing in less than six months involving a video. 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. 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. Overwhelmingly, people were killed with guns: Gunfire was involved in all but four of the year's homicides. It was first broadcast on May 9th, 2021. McKinnon pointed out that in the same year Anchorage set a homicide record, it also set a record for thenumber of touristsvisiting the city. There wasSelena Mullenax, a young mother studying for her GEDfound shotin a public park on a winter morning. 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. Many of the victims were young. Little is known about Smith, the man charged. 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. Other witnesses described seeing a bloody man threatening to jump off the ship. Anchorage Police investigate the scene where human remains we found at mile 108 of the Seward Highway near Rainbow on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. 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. "She championed any child. According to court documents, Denali Brehmer, 18, confessed to killing Cynthia Hoffman on June 2 at the . 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. 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. With the SD card, one of the first questions that detectives had to answer was, Was this staged, or did this really happen? Witnesses say she was travelling with her children. 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. ", "Alaska State Troopers: Unidentified Body", "Serial Killer Robert Hansen Dies in Anchorage", "Serial Killer's Victim Exhumed In Alaska: Who Is 'Horseshoe Harriet'? 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. 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. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. APD asked morning commuters to avoid the area. Ian Bobich, 29, was found shot to death outside this Elm Street apartment building just before midnight Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, on Government Hill. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Last week, 23-year-old Darla Velador of Anchorage was stabbed to death. "That's our plan to create a better police presence," McKinnon said. Such delays typically benefit defendants and make it harder for prosecutors to secure convictions, said Alaska Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore. 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. or redistributed. [Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016]. But they point out the majority of them were either involved in risky behavior or killed by someone they knew. (Scott Jensen / Alaska Dispatch News). 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. Of the34 homicides in 2016, all but three are considered solved, with police identifying at least a main suspect, according to Sgt. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She championed any child she met that needed a second chance for success, her obituary said. 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. Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. 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. Alaska Public Media 2022. 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. The district covers an enormous and geographically diverse swath of Alaska, from the woodsy Alaska-Canada border in the Interior to the Bering Sea coast. [10], As Eklutna Annie struggled against his efforts to overpower her, she had screamed, "Don't kill me! 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. The next year,that number nearly doubled, to 25. The domestic violence-related cases range from amother accused of suffocating her infant daughter,to a man accused of fatally shootinghis son-in-law. When troopers arrived, they found Doubek lying just inside the front door. "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. [n 2], The remains of Eklutna Annie are interred at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, under a marker reading "Jane Doe / Died 1980".[21][22]. "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. Theres a new fight over Bering Sea black cod. The millionaire's only demand for the payout was either . Here, "it's more groups of people who know each other and engage in high-risk behavior together," he said. 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. "Is it a greater population? All rights reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. His hair was long. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Nancy Furlow . At one June hearing, shortly before she resigned, the public defender noted she was working a double case load. The year's final tally surpasses even the 29 deathsthat occurred in 1995, at the time attributed by officials to gang and drug activity. They are unwilling to share details of crimes in which charges have not been filed. Advocate for missing and murdered women, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to identify Eklutna Annie[18], Eklutna Annie remains unidentified. Legal Statement. During an arraignment at Anchorage Jail Court Wednesday, a judge set Smiths bail at $750,0000 cash and appointed a public defender to represent him. "That tells us other people believe it is a good place," he said. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. 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. Cynthia Hoffman. According to online court records, no new trial date has been set in the killing of Gertrude Queenie. He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. 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. Brian Steven Smith is arraigned Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 on a charge of first-degree murder at the Anchorage Jail courtroom. Other images showed her being strangled by a man who was yelling at her to die in what sounded like a foreign accent, at one point stomping on her throat. All rights reserved. This years Iditarod field is the smallest in history. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Brian . 1 language. The Anchorage office is expected to open on August 27. The department is also trying to directly ask the public for help more often. 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. Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. His wife is not implicated in the slaying. We learned sometimes the hard way in the past.". 2022 Anchorage Daily News. The FBI is investigating the death because it occurred in US waters. "We are working on the Ship Creek case still and the Valley of the Moon Park," said Markiewicz. 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. [2][4], Serial killer Robert Hansen admitted responsibility for Eklutna Annie's murder in 1984. The memory card found along road shows an Anchorage man assaulting and killing woman. But they are working to build a case meeting the evidence threshold that would allow for prosecution, Markiewicz said. or redistributed. But the 2016 toll also reflects one extraordinary factor:a potential serial killer apparently targeting strangers. Skidmore said the number of prosecutors is rebounding following a reduction years earlier and now includes more than 120 attorneys. Our salaries up here used to be the draw, an attorney for the agency said. In a lot of ways I think it is generational," McKinnon said. Published: Jan. 27, 2022 at 4:27 PM PST. 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. Nearly a week prior, on Sept. 30, someone called Anchorage Policeclaiming to have "an SD card containing a video of a homicide," according to a press release from authorities. 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. APD provided a recent photograph of Ritchie. He isnow charged with murder. 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 court documents and evidence presented . 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. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Warming water may be to blame. [8] He died in prison in August 2014. 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. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen). ThatFriday, she dropped him off for an evening out downtown. TENNESSEE COLLEGE STUDENT ACCUSED OF FATAL SHOOTING IN DORM. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. [17], To date, Roxane Easland, Karen Evan, Megan Emerick, and Teresa Davis have been ruled out as being Eklutna Annie. (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 . Her eldest daughter Chloe was killed with her. He worked in construction and kitchens, said Marcy, a paralegal. CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED AFTER FORMER ROOMMATE FOUND DEAD, BLUDGEONED INSIDE WALL. In February 2017, 37-year-old Brandy Sullivan, an Alaska Airlines customer-service agent who lived in an upscale Anchorage suburb, was allegedly shot and killed by her estranged husband.. Smith is charged with first-degree murder. It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. On Sept. 30, someone called Anchorage police claiming to have found an SD card containing video of a homicide. Delay is always the friend of the defense because it makes it harder for prosecutors to put on their case.. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. 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. LOUISIANA MAN ARRESTED IN 1989 MURDER CASE: POLICE. She had hit the wall, an acting supervisor later told the judge. Market data provided by Factset. 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. 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. APD officer Arn Salao was wounded and the suspect, James Dale Ritchie, was killed in the early-morning shootout. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Homicide detectives began combing through the 39 images and 12 videos on the card, all documenting a horrifying scene of violence against an unknown woman. But APD isnot ready to close the cases. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. Photos apparently show the woman underneath a blanketon a hotel luggage cart near a truck and in the truck bed, per the document. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. An ongoing Daily News and ProPublica investigation has found that one in three Alaska communities has no local law enforcement of any kind. 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.