Copyright 2021 KTUU. An autopsy report concluded that she had been killed by a single stab wound to the back. The final images on the card show the womans body face down in the bed of a pickup, and were time-stamped Sept. 6. High winds cause damage, power outages across central Indiana . 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. Witnesses say she was travelling with her children. 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. 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. Her body was found along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage on Oct. 2. All rights reserved. Police point at recent hiring of new officers as an effort to make the city safer. CALIFORNIA MAN KIDNAPPED GIRL, 17, WHO WORKED WITH PALS TO NAB HIM IN THEIR OWN UNOFFICIAL OPERATION: COPS, There are 39 images and 12 videos on the card, according to a charging document filed by the Alaska Department of Law. The trial has been delayed at least 15 times at the request of the defense, according to MacDonalds order. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. 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. In the years since, he'd helped her live with lasting injuries. 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. 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. "Is it a greater population? When a composite sketch of the man suspected in the death of TreyveonThompson was released, more than 190 people called in tips, McKinnon said. In 2004 a 40-year-old lady named Merrian was taking a cruise to Alaska on board the Celebrity Mercury. A district attorney has been selected to oversee the Bethel office and Skidmore said he is in talks with the North Slope Borough in hopes of funding the first Utqiagvik-based district attorney in several years. (Scott Jensen / Alaska Dispatch News). Doubek did not attend his scheduled arraignment Thursday. Thursday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast - Feb. 9, 2023. There were no immediate details aboutthe earlierinvestigation involving Smith. 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. Reporter Jeff Parrott contributed to this story. (Bill Roth / ADN). Brian Steven Smith during his arraignment Wednesday. Anchorage police: Homicide video victim - Alaska Public Media McIntosh was arrested, but Brehmer denied any involvement in the death. The Public Defender Agencys budget, meanwhile, has grown by 9 percent in the past two years. Last Monday, Sept. 30, a woman called police dispatch to report that shed found an SD card containing a video of a homicide on the ground, police said. Brehmer agreed to commit the murder for him.. ", Autumn Smith. They are unwilling to share details of crimes in which charges have not been filed. His hair was long. Man accused of killing woman, recording it is charged in 2nd Alaska murder 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. 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. 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. Photos apparently show the woman underneath a blanketon a hotel luggage cart near a truck and in the truck bed, per the document. Officials allege they destroyed some of Hoffmans clothing, purse and cellphone, and Brehmer texted Hoffmans family to let them know they dropped her off at Polar Bear Park in Anchorage. Alaska woman pleads guilty to killing 'best friend' after man catfished He stepped out of the car and said goodbye to his mom and Marcy. 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. So far, nothing has been found. An ongoing Daily News and ProPublica investigation has found that one in three Alaska communities has no local law enforcement of any kind. As Merritt approachedAndrew Robertson-Goughnor, police said, Robertson-Goughnor shot him. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Mystery over woman's murder on Alaska cruise ship - BBC News A millionaire widower and her teenaged daughter take a fivestar cruise together. Doug Moody, a supervisor at the Public Defender Agency, said in a phone interview Tuesday that Cherot will be reviewing MacDonalds critique. 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. "He had a leather jacket on and blue jeans, with a hoodie. She wore several articles of clothing, including a brown leather hip-length jacket, a light-colored knitted sleeveless shirt (possibly white, beige, or light gray in color), blue jeans, and red, knee-high, high-heeled, zip-up boots. 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. Ritchie was killed during a shootout with police officers in downtown Anchorage on November 12, 2016. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Theres a new fight over Bering Sea black cod. This week, Brian Smith, 48, was charged with first-degree murder in the case, the Anchorage Police Department said in a Wednesday statement. According to police, the arrest came after someone reported finding a digital storage device containing video of the killing. 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. Theres also the question of how an SD card containing images and videos of a slaying, labeled Homicide at midtown Marriott, came to be discarded on a busy Anchorage street. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. The year's final tally surpasses even the 29 deathsthat occurred in 1995, at the time attributed by officials to gang and drug activity. It had 39 images and 12 videos that recorded the alleged crime. Don't kill me!" She was aged between 16 and 25 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered several months after her murder. [3][4], Eklutna Annie was murdered by serial killer Robert Hansen, most likely in 1979. Sarah Palin in 2007, admonished public defenders for specific professional failures in their handling of Walters case. APD officer Arn Salao was wounded and the suspect, James Dale Ritchie, was killed in the early-morning shootout. 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. At one point, the agencys seven-attorney Bethel office was down to three, he said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Troopers arrived hours later and interviewed Walters, who admitted to beating Queenie, his 22-year-old girlfriend, with his fists and a broom handle. He has since been released, now in the custody of authorities, and is charged with first- and second-degree murder. APD asked morning commuters to avoid the area. [Here are the most-read Alaska Dispatch News stories of 2016]. New documents from Ritchie'stime at community collegein Virginiapresent a portrait of a striving engineering student whose work was so good that a professor wrote in a 2013 letter of recommendation that he gradedRitchie's exams first and used them as the test's key. Many questions remain unanswered Wednesday, including the identity of the woman. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. 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. The woman, who has not yet been identified, is described as having long dark hair and possibly being Alaska Native. All rights reserved. Veronica Abouchuck, left, and Kathleen Henry. 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. 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. 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. Kyle Hopkins and Nat Herz, Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. 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. 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. APD provided a recent photograph of Ritchie. Gardner was shot four times, according to the charging documents. He moved back to Alaska in the spring of 2016. The Newman Family Murders. Who brutally assaulted and killed Nancy MacDonald denied the request, saying his findings are not an indictment of the Alaska Public Defender Agency nor its attorneys. 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. Police Say A Teen Killed Her Friend After A Catfish Promised Her $9 The card was also labeled homicide at midtown Mariott. Prosecutors: Anchorage cold case murder started with gunfire, ended in All rights reserved. An economic thing happening? Moody, the Alaska Public Defender Agency supervisor, said there are currently 11 vacant attorney positions out of 98 statewide. All rights reserved. An employee at the city of Mountain Village said the city currently has no police officer and that no officials were available to comment on the case. In September 2020, a revised facial reconstruction of the victim was released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Police continued to investigate and interviewed her two days later after Snapchat video appeared, in which she appeared to confess, the documents say. In some villages, city and tribal leaders say they have no choice but to hire convicted criminals as cops. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Content Warning: This article contains information that might be difficult for some readers. 1 language. 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. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. 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.". But I feel that in the air.". The State Medical Examiner Office is working to confirm her identity and manner of death. 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. Or are people just angrier?" On Christmas Day, the people who loved Lucas Moren gathered in the alley behind the Gaslight. Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll told reporters Abouchuk's family reported her missing in February, but he said she had. 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. Thats going to escalate things tremendously because when were talking about misuse of substances, that inhibition is gone. 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. 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. The Emerald Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed from Seattle on Sunday for a week-long trip. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News). A corrections officer told the court Doubek was on suicide protocols and unable to participate. 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. In court Wednesday, Smith appeared in handcuffs, wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit. Anchorage man sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder of Alaska Zoo 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. 2023 BBC. 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. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. Many of the victims were young. 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. Around 2010, he left Alaska and spent time in Las Vegas before moving to Virginia, where his parents now live. "It depends on what we're looking at as far as danger," said McKinnon, speaking generally about citizen safety and homicides in 2016. Brian Smith . 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. The REAL Deaths Behind The Show (Episode Guide) - Emma Cruises ALASKAN MURDER: ENIGMA WITHIN AN ENIGMA - The New York Times At the sentencing hearing, the State presented video . 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. Police had found Henrys remains on the side of a highway on Oct. 2. 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. [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.