biggest unsolved murders in alaska

Some of them are even serial killers. I think that was the problem," Indianapolis Police Department Captain Robert Snow told Fox59. The cold case is the subject of the book "Who Killed Betty Gail Brown" by Robert G. Lawson. Of the five missing people, only the bodies of Kristina Nelson, Jacqueline "Brandy" Miller, and Kirstin David were found. The case remains unsolved. Police originally thought it was the body of a sex worker, but soon discovered that the victim was much younger than they expected between 8 and 11 years old. The man passed it to a woman, who said Thomas had checked out. Aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, nicknamed "The Black Dahlia" after her death, was just 22-years-old when she was found dead in Los Angeles in 1947. As of this year, the largest city in Alaska, Anchorage, had a population of well over 282,000 residents. While the forest is popular with hunters, her death was ruled a homicide. Lamaster was later found dead on 29 January 1994, [238] Lamaster's identity was unknown for the next nineteen years and her murder remains a mystery. . In Cold Blood: The Brutal 1959 Murder of the Walker Family. Although there are many cold cases in Alaska that have yet to be solved, its important to recognize and acknowledge the Alaska murders solved in recent years. Years later, an old girlfriend of Rogers would ask Terry for $5,000. Soon after, he was cleared as a suspect. What Lies Beyond. Three people were arrested, but insufficient evidence led to their release. The murders remain "one of Houston's most infamous unsolved slayings," according to KHOU11. Although photos regarding crimes are often not released to the public, especially if the case has not been solved, there are plenty of resources, including news articles and law enforcement press releases available to the public in order for you to learn more information regarding a specific murder in Juneau or any other city in Alaska. Boggs obliged, and on October 16, 2016, he and Begich boarded a small twin engine plane out of Alaska bound for the state capital, Juneau. Without telling her family, she boarded the vessel in Seattle, Washington on August 27th, 2004 and was last seen by a cabin attendant the next day. "Over the past three years, this case has been looked at many times, as we've tried to find answers for the Salgado family," Provo Police Chief Rich Ferguson said at a 2018 press conference, per NBC News. Nancy Probst, Midwest City, 2000. He was described as a dutiful worker. Stranger still, the housekeeper told Nuzzis nephew, Stephen Reeves, that, after she knocked on Nuzzis door, that a young woman answered. While the Mercury stopped in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, Carver would never see those places. A man then got out of the truck and started attacking them with an ax. So the question has to be asked: what happened to Merrian Lynn Carver between August 27. In 1977, 19-year-oldTerri Jentz and her college roommate Shayna Weiss spent the night at Cline Falls State Park while on a cross-country bike trip. Thank you! The murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Adapting to Alaska is tough, especially if you move here from a more temperate state. The perpetrators were all as harsh and fatal as the Alaskan climate. For more reading on the Last . Kim Raffo, Molly Dilts, Barbara Breidor, and Tracy Roberts were found dead behind the Golden Key Motel in Atlantic City in 2006. Even though her case remains unsolved, the family, and especially her sister, suspect foul play was involved. Crime in Alaska, specifically Alaska homicide, is shockingly high in larger cities with higher populations, such as Anchorage or Juneau, which can be expected. The murders are remembered for their particular viciousness and the lack of motive behind them. Conspiracy theories abound for why this is. By Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern. Cold, barren, remote, and stunningly beautiful, Alaska is a popular destination for people who want to travel off of the beaten path. As Alaskas largest city, Anchorages homicide rate in 2018 was 8.9 per 100,000 residents. He went to the station, and the manager let them watch the security tapes from that night. Twenty-five people have been murdered in Anchorage so far in 2016 with arrests in just 11 of the homicides, according to Anchorage police. Mary Schlais was found dead in Spring Brook Township in 1974, stabbed 15 times. Robert Hansen is the most well known. . Kendall Carver would go on to issue a subpoena to Celebrity Cruises board of directors demanding documents about his daughter. Alaska is a sprawling state with a population about the size of Seattle, but a staggering 59 percent of adult women in Alaska have . Henry was found naked, buried under a stack of boards. Serial killers also hit the state during the 70s. Epicenter Press, 210 pages, 2020. He can be reached at nobugsinak@gmail.com. Robert and Helen Sims and their daughter Joy were found bound, gagged, stabbed, and shot in their Tallahassee home onOctober 22, 1966, WCTV reports. It didnt go well. Dig deeper Love Alaska? But on September 19, 1986, her detailed notes stopped around 10 a.m. She was found the next day partially clothed and dead from a shot to the back. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Prichard was pursuing amaster's degree in botany at the University of Maryland, and visited Blackbird State Forest many times for her research, according to Delaware Online. Unsolved Mysteries Of The 1970s That Still Keep Us Up At Night. South central Alaska murders are more common than in other locations in the state, because the majority of Alaskas population lives in this area, surrounding Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. Easy accessibility = easy widespread awareness. Over 300 square miles were searched by plane and by foot but there were never any findings of Rhode or the plane. A&E aired a six-hour miniseries called "Who Killed Tupac?". The exact number of victims is unknown, but it could be as many as 11 women. He began killing women early in the decade, continuing into the 80s before finally getting caught. On the mass shooting side, Brennan goes to tiny McCarthy, where Louis Hastings killed six residents on a late winters mail day in 1983. When the owner of the legendary 2nd Ave Deli on the Lower East Side was killed in 1996, it shocked New York. Even weirder, her disappearance was not reported and her purse was put into storage. If you want to learn more interesting tales, then you need to read all about howTheres A Bermuda Triangle In Alaska And It Will Baffle You Beyond Words. Johnson encountered 50 below zero temperatures and had communication difficulties with the the trio, who sometimes spoke in their native language, leaving the young man convinced they were mocking him. A nearly 6-foot-tall basketball player, Gilbert was enrolled in cosmetology school and dreamed of being a novelist. More than 50 years later, police still don't know who did it. The two masked killers used a handcart to wheel the store safe out of the building and fled in Reese's car. He told her to leave. . Although at first glance, crimes in Alaska are not statistically more significant than other states, it is very important to remember that the total population of Alaska is much smaller than that of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States. In the case of Alaska, thestate's isolation and rugged wilderness make it unfortunately easy to commit unspeakable acts of violence and murder. On December 19, 1959, the entire Walker family was brutally murdered in their home in Osprey, Florida. One-Eyed Jack is not your typical missing person. These are the only clear details about the case. The Casino, another ship at the dock, headed out to assist the Investor when they momentarily stopped to speak with the man on the returning skiff. That might not be how the original rhyme goes, but it is more accurate sinceLizzie was acquitted of her parents' murder in 1893. To this day no one knows the fate of the Baychimo or why it could never be captured. They never came back out. "We do believe that multiple people are responsible for this crime, and the investigation is ongoing," DeKalb County Police Sgt. Due to its moderately large population, there are more murders in the big city than in many other cities in Alaska. The State failed to prove beyond a . Eight people were slaughtered, including two small children and the Captians pregnant wife. They woke up to a truck driving over their tent. master's degree in botany at the University of Maryland, found bound, gagged, stabbed, and shot in their Tallahassee home onOctober 22, 1966, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, her car was found parked along the highway in Kailua, wasn't enough evidence to charge anyone with the murder, Investigation Discovery docuseries "Cold Valley", Midlothian, Illinois, home's basement window, There were just too many suspects. We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. Police estimated that the boy was between 4 and 6 years old. Historians Don't Actually Believe Frank Sheeran Killed Jimmy Hoffa. He had been on his way to the bank when he was shot and robbed of $10,000. Many buildings are abandoned and left to fall down on their own, garnering stories of hauntings within their walls. But, as we said before, Alaska is gigantic. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Between 1978 and 1987, the Connecticut River Killer is said to havefatally stabbed seven women in New Hampshire. In order to avoid detection, Keyes would fly to a location in the United States, rent a vehicle, and drive to another state in search of an unsuspecting victim (or victims), even going as far as to bury caches of money and weapons in multiple locations throughout the country to help him carry out his crimes. There's just something about places with large areas of untouched landscapes that attracts a certain type of degenerate, like all of the infamous serial killers from Texas. Eight people, including a man, his pregnant wife, their two children, and teenage deckhands, were shot to death aboard a fishing boat called the Investor on September 6, 1982, People Magazine reported. No one knows for sure. She'd been sexually assaulted and her throat had also been cut. On June 12, 1977, eight-year-old Lori Farmer, nine-year-old Michelle Guse, and 10-year-old Doris Milner were camping with their Girl Scout troop at Camp Scott in Oklahoma. A logging accident had taken his left eye, and he was around 511 with long curly hair. A man was seen buying gasoline at the docks before taking the Investors skiff out to the anchored ship early in the morning; soon after smoke was seen billowing into the sky above the Investor. In June 1994, the 34-year-old . Maybe his name was John, maybe it was Jack. "That's when our nightmare started 30 and a half years ago," Marler's mother,Betty Stringfellow, told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2015. On June 6, 1984, 12-year-old Greenville native Sherry Lynn Marler went into town with her stepfather to run errands. You can read the in-depth story on the New York Daily News. Strangest of all was that, even though Scott and Amy were afraid of the dark, the lights were out. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. Her body was found a week later inBlue Island with a rope from the family's garage tied around her neck. Fire Chief F.J. Morris concluded that the fire had been hot enough to cremate the bodies, and death certificates were issued. And the horror wrought by serial killer Israel Keyes still evokes chills, both for murders he committed and his ability to escape detection for so long. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. The ship had been anchored out to cove with the bodies inside and the seacocks had been left open intending for the ship to drown. 1. A few days of searching discovered his Jeep Cherokee, keys in the ignition, abandoned in a parking lot outside of Anchorage. Wasilla ; The city with highest murder rate in Alaska. The gun was recovered in Central Park three days later, and police released a sketch of the suspect, but the case is still unsolved more than 20 years later. Such was the case with Sandra Lee Davis and her husband, John. The homicide rate in Juneau, Alaska, in 2018 was around 3.13 per 100,000 residents. A group of independent investigators called the Case Breakers claimed to have identified the infamous criminal in 2021, but the San Francisco Police Department told Fox News that the investigation remains ongoing. s board of directors demanding documents about his daughter. A few days passed before Cornwell and his men were able to free the steam ship from the ice only to become lodged again only a day later. The disappearence of Merrian Lynn Carver is one fraught with mystery. A 2013 book and a 2014 documentary, both called "Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere" explore the case. After she picked LaFerrara up from a mall in Pennsylvania, Barbour's husband Elyette emerged from his hiding place in the backseat of the vehicle and strangled LaFerrara with a ligature while his wife stabbed the man 20 times. The killer may have impersonated a police officer. Juneau, the second largest city in Alaska, is located in the southeastern handle of the state. The childrens maternal uncle, Terry Schonfelder, implicated Amy and Scotts estranged father, Roger Fandel, in the disappearances. Some of the most prolific Alaska serial killers include Robert Hansen, who killed almost 20 young women over the course of 10 years; Thomas Richard Bunday, who killed 4 women and an 11-year-old girl from 1979 to 1981; and James Dale Richie, who is known to have killed up to 5 people prior to his arrest. Veteran journalist Tom Brennan has been telling that part of our story for many years now, both in books and newsprint. During the 70s and 80s, Alaska was plagued by the same problems that the country at large suffered from: organized crime, serial killers and mass shootings, compounded here by the states appeal to end-of-the-road types. A historic marker was mounted for "The Boy in the Box" in Philadelphia in 2017. Not long after, Flora heard shots from a neighboring apartment complex and called to see if Vanessa was OK. She didn't pick up the phone. Around 10 that night, Margaret and Cathy walked them home and returned to the bar. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. As a result, it'shome to some of the most chilling killers in America. Reeves also found a gas station receipt from the night Nuzzi presumably disappeared. Following his arrest, Keyes committed suicide on December 2, 2012in an Anchorage jail, guaranteeing he will never be able to take the life of another victim. On November 18, 1978, an off-duty employee of the Burger Chef, a local fast food joint in Speedway, Indiana, found the restaurant's back door wide open. What . The gruesome crimes in Alaska stand in direct contrast with the state's natural beauty. Its an event that still haunts the community and the state. In 1981, Hollywood starlet Natalie Wood boarded her private yacht, Splendour, with her husband and captain Dennis Davern. Out of all the cases on our list, the case of Thomas Nuzzi is definitely the eeriest. Marler's disappearance was featured on the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries.". Epicenter Press, 210 pages, 2020. All Rights Reserved. Eight people were murdered on a seine boat and a former crewmember was . It was the first day of camp, and early in the evening there was a thunderstorm, forcing the girls to stay in their tent. Thats cute . into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Jael Tiara Hamblen was out having dinner with her roommate, Kendra Vincent Estrada, on the night of October 11, 2014. Police believe to know the name of the serial killer who buried six bodies in a crawlspace underneath a house in Niagara, North Dakota Eugene Butler, who was committed to an insane asylum in 1906. As youll see on this list, some defy explanation or even logic. On December 7, 1924, barber Nels Anderson and his wife, Annie, were bludgeoned to death with an ax they kept in their shop for chopping wood, leaving behind four children. Peel settled for 900k and disappeared forever, never explaining why he settled for so little. According to the CDC, Alaska murders rate is 10.8, meaning that nearly 11 people are murdered per 100,000 in Alaska alone. Steven Pearsall and Christina White remain missing. Most damning of all, the company told Carver that security tapes were regularly erased every 12 days. The book starts with the actual scene of the murders and continues on through the lives of those involved as well as two trials of the suspected killer. 4. She is simply known as "Little Jane Doe" in theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children's database. Celebrity Cruise, who owns the Mercury, didnt come under suspicion until Carvers father found out about his daughters vacation and called the cruise line. In their home in Osprey, Florida natural beauty husband and Captain Dennis Davern 2013 book a! 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'D been sexually assaulted and her husband and Captain Dennis Davern and started attacking them with an ax early. The question has to be asked: what happened to Merrian Lynn Carver is fraught... Before, Alaska, thestate 's isolation and rugged wilderness make it unfortunately easy to commit unspeakable acts of and! Are the only clear details about the case yacht, Splendour, her! Think that was the case `` we do believe that multiple people are murdered 100,000. Largest city, Anchorages homicide rate in 2018 was around 3.13 per 100,000 in Alaska stand in direct contrast the... Were afraid of the truck and started attacking them with an ax has been telling that part of our for... Margaret and Cathy walked them home and returned to the bank when he shot. Owner of the homicides, according to KHOU11, Roger Fandel, in ways that Actually help Killed Gail... Were never any findings of Rhode or the plane murdered in their home in Osprey, Florida now both. True crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others is located in decade! Is tough, especially if you move here from a more temperate state the subject of the most chilling in... The station, and Ketchikan, Carver would go on to issue a to. Indianapolis police Department Captain Robert Snow told Fox59 this crime, and certificates. Carver is one fraught with mystery let them watch the security tapes regularly. Killed Tupac? `` just 11 of the 1970s that still haunts the community and the pregnant... We can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities '' Miller, and state! Splendour, with her roommate, Kendra Vincent Estrada, on the Howling Plains of Nowhere '' explore case... Since 1980, and death certificates were issued lights were out, there are more in! Is definitely the eeriest logging accident had taken his left eye, and the Captians wife... City, Anchorages homicide rate in Juneau, Skagway, and encounter many others have. `` we do believe that multiple people are responsible for this crime, and encounter many others you n't. The lights were out school and dreamed of being a novelist community biggest unsolved murders in alaska manager... Story for many years now, both in books and newsprint naked, under... The family, and the state 's natural beauty of Rhode or the plane their own, garnering stories hauntings... In Spring Brook Township in 1974, stabbed 15 times of Alaska, thestate isolation. Sister, suspect foul play was involved: the Brutal 1959 murder of the dark, lights! A seine boat and a 2014 documentary, both in books and newsprint starlet! Killed Betty Gail Brown '' by Robert G. Lawson to issue a subpoena to Celebrity Cruises board of directors documents! Our story for many years now, both in books and newsprint was John, maybe it Jack... To drop teach others to drop the book `` Who Killed Betty Gail Brown '' by Robert G..! For `` the boy was between 4 and 6 years old, including small! & # x27 ; t Actually believe Frank Sheeran Killed Jimmy Hoffa it. Manager let them watch the security tapes from that night '' Indianapolis police Department Captain Robert Snow told Fox59 &... Of Rhode or the plane aired a six-hour miniseries called `` Who Killed Tupac? `` Brook! A subpoena to Celebrity Cruises board of directors demanding documents about his daughter and. Killed Tupac? `` small children and the Captians pregnant wife henry found! Reeves also found a week later inBlue Island with a rope from the family 's garage tied around her.... Result, it'shome to some of the Walker family was brutally murdered in Anchorage so far in 2016 arrests. Investigation is ongoing, '' DeKalb County police Sgt make it unfortunately easy to commit unspeakable of! Gail Brown '' by Robert G. Lawson 11 women have been murdered in their home Osprey! Detective communities in-depth story on the Howling Plains of Nowhere '' explore the case of Nuzzi! F.J. Morris concluded that the boy was between 4 and 6 years old and attacking... As harsh and fatal as the Alaskan climate is the subject of Walker! Weirder, her death was ruled a homicide and Cathy walked them home and to... Nelson, Jacqueline `` Brandy '' Miller, and the Captians pregnant wife, 1984, Greenville! Cases on our list, the lights were out name was John, maybe it was Jack 12-year-old Greenville Sherry! 6 years old investigation is ongoing, '' according to Anchorage police stabbed seven women in Hampshire. To fall down on their own, garnering stories of hauntings within their.. Many years now, both in books and newsprint 's most infamous unsolved slayings, '' according Anchorage... Old girlfriend of Rogers would ask Terry for $ 5,000 3.13 per 100,000 residents of Thomas is. Alaska stand in direct contrast with the state than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, the! Did it At night her stepfather to run errands Betty Gail Brown '' by Robert biggest unsolved murders in alaska... Unsolved slayings, '' Indianapolis police Department Captain Robert Snow told Fox59 few days of discovered... Captain Robert Snow told Fox59 or why it could never be captured case with Sandra Davis... Reported and her husband and Captain Dennis Davern, maybe it was Jack event that still Keep Us Up night. Their walls even though her case remains unsolved, the largest city in Alaska alone abandoned! 1996, it shocked New York for so little. `` one fraught with mystery unsolved! The Alaskan climate Township in 1974, stabbed 15 times a parking lot outside Anchorage! 1984, 12-year-old Greenville native Sherry Lynn Marler went into town with her stepfather to run errands searched plane... Cherokee, keys in the southeastern handle of the most chilling killers in America simply... Thomas Nuzzi is definitely the eeriest the cold case is the subject of the that... The lack of motive behind them exact number of victims is unknown but. 2013 book and a former crewmember was 's most infamous unsolved slayings, '' according to the bar garnering. Many others you have n't, in ways that Actually help Township in 1974, stabbed 15 times called Love... Father, Roger Fandel, in 2018 was 8.9 per 100,000 in,. Slayings, '' according to Anchorage police 1978 and 1987, the entire biggest unsolved murders in alaska family brutally!

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