But I feel that in the air.". APD officer Arn Salao was wounded and the suspect, James Dale Ritchie, was killed in the early-morning shootout. 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.. The FBI is investigating the death because it occurred in US waters. "We haven't found evidence that anyone other than Ritchie is involved.". The SD card was labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, according to the affidavit. Then, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the womans body was found along Turnagain Arm, near the Rainbow trailhead. She disappeared without a trace. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). Mar 6th 600p DARLA Recently retired newly weds embark on their third tropical cruise in less than year. [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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Smith, 48, appeared in Anchorage Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon. Smith is originally from South Africa. 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. She said he never exhibited any violent tendencies such as those she heard of from police. 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. 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. He isnow charged with murder. Smith had registered a room at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott the night the video was taken, according to the affidavit. Witnesses say that the incident was described by crew members as "a domestic disturbance". We learned sometimes the hard way in the past.". He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. 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. The killings happened in nearly every corner of Anchorage: from an Eagle River apartment complex toa normally quietsouth-sidesubdivision. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? McKinnon said police are still trying to piece together what Ritchie did on a daily basis during the months he is believed to have been back in Anchorage. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Together, the homicides pose a question for Anchorage: What made 2016 so deadly? The card was also labeled homicide at midtown Mariott. In that case, her father was charged with the killing. 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. On Wednesday,. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. With the SD card, one of the first questions that detectives had to answer was, Was this staged, or did this really happen? 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. You're going to kill me!" "In the fog and the white light, I saw him walking down the alley," Marcy said. But the 2016 toll also reflects one extraordinary factor:a potential serial killer apparently targeting strangers. Anchorage police identified the second victim as Veronica Abouchuk. A man accused of killing a woman and recording it on an SD card later found in the street has been indicted in the murder of a second woman in Alaska, authorities announced Thursday. 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. 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. Do you know this baby? She has not been identified. Police said the body was found near milepost 108 of Seward Highway on Oct. 2. 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. 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. 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. Little is known about Smith, the man charged. He has not yet entered a plea. [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! 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. Police have not yet pointed to any known motive in the cases where Ritchie is identified as a suspect. MacDonald declined to be interviewed, saying that Walters case is still open. Schauer shot Moren several times, police say, though they have not said why. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Digital evidence and statements show Brehmer was communicating with and sending videos and/or photographs of the events surrounding the incident to Schilmiller at his directive through the duration of the event, documents say. At the sentencing hearing, the State presented video . But they are working to build a case meeting the evidence threshold that would allow for prosecution, Markiewicz said. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). An earlier version of the chart in this story incorrectly stated that it included fatal officer-involved shootings and justifiable homicides. Read about our approach to external linking. Princess Cruises said 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares of Utah. 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. A handwritten note laid on a nearby bench with the words Shes havin an affair proof is in the phone. 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. The caller told police the memory card had been found laying in the middle of the street of an Anchorage neighborhood. 2023 BBC. 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. Doubek did not attend his scheduled arraignment Thursday. 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. Thim said Smith was subsequently connected to the remains discovered on the highway through hotel records and cell-phone data. The victim has been identified as 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares, from the US state of Utah. 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. IE 11 is not supported. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Two days later, both Brehmer and McIntosh were interviewed. James Dale Ritchie was a senior at East High School in 1994. 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. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com. 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. 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. Don't kill me!" "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. After troopers arrived, Doubek was given first aid and taken to a hospital. 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 . "Is it a greater population? McIntosh, who is being tried as an adult in the case, was the gunman, prosecutors say. 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". All rights reserved. And he blamed the dysfunction not on managers but on spending plans and policy decisions made by Alaska governors and lawmakers over the years, and continuing to this day. Doubek and Gardner shared a home in a Wasilla neighborhood off of Snowshoe Lane. Legal Statement. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. Brehmer agreed to commit the murder for him.. The three cases police still considerunsolved are the deaths of Marcus Cosby Jr., 24, Elijah Zeller, 18, and Ian Bobich, 29. All rights reserved. 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. MacDonald wrote that in addition to the Mountain Village case, hes overseeing two other homicide trials and a sexual assault case that have all been significantly delayed due to a public defender withdrawing late into the case.. And they say despite the number of killings, suspects are at large in very few of the cases. A millionaire widower and her teenaged daughter take a fivestar cruise together. 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. 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!" "Same exactly happens to homicide cases. The year's final tally surpasses even the 29 deathsthat occurred in 1995, at the time attributed by officials to gang and drug activity. A corrections officer told the court Doubek was on suicide protocols and unable to participate. The Anchorage office is expected to open on August 27. At one point, the agencys seven-attorney Bethel office was down to three, he said. Human remains found along Seward Highway near Rainbow trailhead. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. A 22-year-old Alaska woman pleaded guilty to murdering her 19-year-old "best friend" in 2019 after a man who was allegedly catfishing her offered her $9 million to kill someone. Ritchie was killed during a shootout with police officers in downtown Anchorage on November 12, 2016. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "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. 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. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? APDsays when Moren left the Gaslight Lounge later that night,he was followedby Roy Schauer, 46. The callertold police the memory card was found layingin the middle of the street in the Fairview neighborhood of Anchorage. This week, Brian Smith, 48, was charged with first-degree murder in the case, the Anchorage Police Department said in a Wednesday statement. He told Anchorage District Court Judge Brian Clark that he had about $2,000 in total saved. Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity on a social network account to deceive a specific victim. There were no immediate details aboutthe earlierinvestigation involving Smith. Brian Steven Smith is arraigned Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 on a charge of first-degree murder at the Anchorage Jail courtroom. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In some villages, city and tribal leaders say they have no choice but to hire convicted criminals as cops. "That's what's been fascinating.". The department is also trying to directly ask the public for help more often. 1 language. The woman, who has not yet been identified, is described as having long dark hair and possibly being Alaska Native. According to the affidavit, the couple had separate bedrooms. "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. Our salaries up here used to be the draw, an attorney for the agency said. (Scott Jensen / Alaska Dispatch News). The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Days later, on Oct. 2, police officers found human remains on the side of a highway. In response, he chased after her, grabbed her by the hair and tripped her to the ground. die.". "What we're seeing is that when we ask the community for assistance, they really respond to us," he said. He stepped out of the car and said goodbye to his mom and Marcy. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. [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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Content Warning: This article contains information that might be difficult for some readers. Police point at recent hiring of new officers as an effort to make the city safer. 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. 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.. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Photos apparently show the woman underneath a blanketon a hotel luggage cart near a truck and in the truck bed, per the document. In 2016, some 34 people were killed by homicide in Anchorage. This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 21:52. (Obituary photo). Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. Some people have speculated gangs are to blame for the bloodshed. [7] He further recollected: "I picked her up downtown and told her I was going to take her to my home". She championed any child she met that needed a second chance for success, her obituary said. Online court records did not list an attorney for Schilmiller. Police have not identified the victim, who is said to have been killed during the first week of September. 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 millionaires only demand for the payout was either photos or video of the slaying, according to court documents laying out first-degree murder and other charges against six people in the June 2 death of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman. An Alaskan murder mystery has been solved thanks to a SD card found laying in the street. TODAY - Anna Kaplan 18h. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He moved back to Alaska in the spring of 2016. A Wasilla woman was shot four times at home Sunday night and her husband is charged with her murder, according to Alaska State Troopers. Authorities were expected to announce charges on the case on Thursday. That puts APD at a more than 90 percent "clearance" rate for homicide cases. A separate 1998 audit done for the Alaska Legislature said the states public defenders can ethically handle no more than 59 cases in a 60-hour work week; by that standard, Steiner said at the March hearing, his agency needed 66 more lawyers to fulfill its constitutional obligations. [8] He died in prison in August 2014. Copyright 2021 KTUU. "It depends on what we're looking at as far as danger," said McKinnon, speaking generally about citizen safety and homicides in 2016. CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED AFTER FORMER ROOMMATE FOUND DEAD, BLUDGEONED INSIDE WALL. 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.

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