Monthly Archives: January 2021

Who Murdered the Benolkens



Who brutally raped and murdered James and Anne Benolken in their Juneau apartment in 1982? Nearly four decades later, many questions remain unanswered.

Emanuel Teller and Newton Lambert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources

Sources
Starr, Douglas. 12-1-2013. Do police interrogation techniques produce false confessions?https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/09/the-interview-7

Episode 4: The Benolken Murders, the police investigation and Special Agent Malone
Leo Helmar. Murder Alaska https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7LCJWKcgiQ

Episode 2: Introduction to the Benolken Case. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/alaska/comments/5vnlq5/murder_alaska_podcast_episode_2_introduction_to/

Episode 3: About the brutal murders of James and Anne Benolken in Juneau, Alaska in 1982

Who Really Murdered the Benolkens? KTOO Public Media
https://www.ktoo.org/2012/07/19/who-really-murdered-the-benolkens/

Juneau man wants DNA tested, seeks review of nearly 30-year old homicide conviction. KTOO Public Media.
https://www.ktoo.org/2012/07/13/juneau-man-wants-dna-tested-seeks-review-of-30-year-old-homicide-conviction/

Integrity of preserved evidence from Benolken double homicide is questioned
https://www.ktoo.org/2013/01/10/integrity-of-evidence-from-benolken-double-homicide-is-questioned/

Court to issue opinion on possible DNA testing in decades-old Juneau homicide. KTOO Public Media. Matt Miller.
https://www.alaskapublic.org/2017/02/07/court-to-issue-opinion-on-possible-dna-testing-in-decades-old-juneau-homicide/

Court upholds appeal in 36-year-old murder case
https://www.juneauempire.com/news/court-upholds-appeal-in-36-year-old-murder-case/

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) The Alaska Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling denying DNA evidence in the case of Newton Patric Lambert Friday Saturday, November 17th, 2018 8:13 am
http://www.kinyradio.com/news/news-of-the-north/dna-ruling-upheld-in-homicide-case/

Who is Michael P. Malone? Corrupt F.B.I. Agent’s Testimony Sent Innocent Man to Prison; Donald Eugene Gates was Convicted of Rape-Murder He Did Not Commit

Who is Michael P. Malone? Corrupt F.B.I. Agent’s Testimony Sent Innocent Man to Prison; Donald Eugene Gates was Convicted of Rape-Murder He Did Not Commit

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry. Become a Patron!

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Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise.

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Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
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Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds

________________________________________________________________________

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.


The Mystery of the “A” Boats



 

 

On Valentine’s Day 1983, two new, beautiful sister ships, the Americus and the Altair sank in the Bering Sea in calm water while on their way to the king crab grounds near the Pribilof Islands. Fourteen men lost their lives in the worst disaster in the history of U.S. commercial fishing. A massive investigation ensued to determine what happened to the boats and what could be done to make commercial fishing safer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those lost:
The Americus:
George Nations
Brent Boles
Larry Littlefield
Rich Awes
Victor Bass
Jeff Nations
Paul Northcutt

The Altair:
Ronald Beirnes
Jeff Martin
Lark Breckenridge
Troy Gudbranson
Randy Harvey
Brad Melvin
Tony Vienhage

Sources:
Much of my newsletter is based on the book Lost At Sea by Patrick Dillon. I’ve read this book three times, and I highly recommend it. Dillon extensively researched the losses of the Americus and Altair. He talked to fishermen, families of those lost, investigators, marine architects, and many other experts and observers. He tells a heart-felt and fact-filled story, not only about the “A” boats but about the commercial fishing industry and the politics of commercial fishing in the early 1980s. There’s so much more in his book than I’ve told you here, and if you’re like me, you won’t be able to put it down once you start reading it.

Twenty Years After A-Boat Disasters, Scars Remain in Community. Available at: https://djcoregon.com/news/2003/02/13/twenty-years-after-aboat-disaster-scars-remain-in-fishing-community/

United States Coast Guard Marine Casualty Report. Available at: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/amerialtair.pdf

_______________________________________________________________________

If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry
Become a Patron!

________________________________________________________________________

Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds

__________________________________________________________________________

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.