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. Days later, on Oct. 2, police officers found human remains on the side of a highway. Anchorage's deadly year: With 34 homicide victims, violence hits home 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, 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. Smith remained in jail on Wednesday where he is being held on an outstanding warrant. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Cynthia Hoffman. But they are working to build a case meeting the evidence threshold that would allow for prosecution, Markiewicz said. 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. 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. Police said they will release the name of the deceased woman once her identity is confirmed and family is notified. All rights reserved. Read about our approach to external linking. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest? Alaska teens charged in 'murder for millions' slaying | AP News 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. 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. 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. This week, Brian Smith, 48, was charged with first-degree murder in the case, the Anchorage Police Department said in a Wednesday statement. [2][4], Serial killer Robert Hansen admitted responsibility for Eklutna Annie's murder in 1984. She is the only victim of Robert Hansen to remain unidentified. or redistributed. Nancy Furlow . I'll stand behind him, beside him, while he's going through this," Bissland added. In the Lower 48, gangs are more organized and act as outside-the-law businesses, pushing drugs and weapons in defined territories. Kristy Manzanares had been travelling with a large group, including her children, according to witnesses. Police do not believe Ritchie was involved with any otherunsolved slayingsin 2016. His hair was long. The graphic videos show a woman being strangled and a mans voice saying justdie, the Associated Press reported. data the agency has presented to the Legislature. A woman in Alaska was walking her dog when a moose charged her from behind and kicked her in the head, according to shocking video captured by a bystander. Police said the body was found near milepost 108 of Seward Highway on Oct. 2. 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. On Thursday, a grand jury indicted Smith onmurder and evidence tampering charges in Abouchuk's death. Ritchie is considered the main suspect in those killings, said Markiewicz. Doubek and Gardner shared a home in a Wasilla neighborhood off of Snowshoe Lane. Delay is always the friend of the defense because it makes it harder for prosecutors to put on their case.. Police Say A Teen Killed Her Friend After A Catfish Promised Her $9 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. According to court documents and evidence presented . Each of the three men died from gunshot wounds. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. 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. Moren, a patron at the bar, was shot and killed in the alley as the bar was closing early in the morning on Dec. 24. 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. 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. Federal Jury Convicts Anchorage Man on Murder and Drug Charges Many questions remain unanswered Wednesday, including the identity of the woman. Police point at recent hiring of new officers as an effort to make the city safer. 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. According to Hansen, Eklutna Annie had been wearing blue jeans, a sweater, and a brown leather jacket. All rights reserved. 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". MacDonald, who was appointed by then-Gov. "James recognized the potential issue and has appropriate (sic) adjusted his behavior to make himself more inviting for others to seek help. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. Its just really incredibly disheartening, Pearson said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Warming water may be to blame. But he added that those specific failures were symptoms of broader dysfunction, like public defender and prosecutor jobs going unfilled because of obstacles to recruitment and retention, as well as travel restrictions. 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. 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. 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. What science tells us about the afterlife. Deputy District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said the process calls for the case to be brought before a grand jury. (In addition to the 75 criminal attorneys, about 25 more work on appeals and childrens cases.) 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. Anchorage man sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder of Alaska Zoo The domestic violence-related cases range from amother accused of suffocating her infant daughter,to a man accused of fatally shootinghis son-in-law. The State Medical Examiner Office is working to confirm her identity and manner of death. Little is known about Smith, the man charged. she said. MacDonald serves as the presiding judge for the Fairbanks-based Fourth Judicial District. 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. Sarah Palin in 2007, admonished public defenders for specific professional failures in their handling of Walters case. Judges appoint public defenders for defendants who cant afford to hire their own lawyers. Authorities were expected to announce charges on the case on Thursday. APD provided a recent photograph of Ritchie. "We haven't found evidence that anyone other than Ritchie is involved.". Gov. She said she was not a police officer in the village at the time of the killing. In court Wednesday, Smith appeared in handcuffs, wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit. "She championed any child. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen). All rights reserved. Then, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the womans body was found along Turnagain Arm, near the Rainbow trailhead. Advocate for missing and murdered women, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to identify Eklutna Annie[18], Eklutna Annie remains unidentified. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, help is available. Police recognized the man in the videos as Brian Smith, an immigrant from South Africa police knew of from a previous investigation," according to the affidavit. ", "Alaska State Troopers: Unidentified Body", "Serial Killer Robert Hansen Dies in Anchorage", "Serial Killer's Victim Exhumed In Alaska: Who Is 'Horseshoe Harriet'? Anchorage police: Homicide video victim - Alaska Public Media Brehmer ultimately admitted to being solicited by Schilmiller to commit the murder and that the murder was planned once she realized she had been catfished by Schilmiller, the documents say. This years Iditarod field is the smallest in history. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Skidmore said the number of prosecutors is rebounding following a reduction years earlier and now includes more than 120 attorneys. Resources: If you are facing threatened or actual domestic violence, please discreetly call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or Abused Womens Aid in Crisis in Anchorage at 907-272-0100. [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.
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