The Doomed Wilcox Expedition

November 14, 2022EpisodeMount Denali, Mountain Climbing, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefield, Wilcox Expeditionmurder-in-the-last-frontier

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On July 18, 1967, a catastrophic snowstorm pummeled Alaska’s Mt. Denali, killing seven of the twelve young men in the Wilcox Expedition attempting to reach the summit. This is still the worst climbing disaster ever to occur in the United States. We will never know what happened at the top of Mt. Denali. Experts can only guess the fate of those seven unlucky climbers.

Sources:

My primary source for this episode was Denali’s Howl by Andy Hall. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about this tragic event.

Hall, Andy. 2014. Denali’s Howl. Plume, the Penguin Group. New York, NY.

Manley, Kelley McMillan. 7-2017. Disaster on Denali. 5280.com/ Magazine. https://www.5280.com/2017/06/disaster-on-denali/

Duke, Kevin. 3-28-2012. Finishing the climb: Babcock finally tells his story of Denali tragedy. Gvnews.com. https://www.gvnews.com/sports/finishing-the-climb-babcock-finally-tells-his-story-of-denali-tragedy/article_d158684c-78f7-11e1-871e-0019bb2963f4.html

Worrall, Simon. 7-2014. The Denali climb that became one of the deadliest. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/140720-mountain-climbing-denali-mount-mckinley-alaska-national-parks

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

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Each month Robin 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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Searching for the Killer of Martha Hansen

October 19, 2022EpisodeAnchorage Police Department, Fingerprints from skin, Martha Hansen, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Robin Barefield, Violence against Alaska womenmurder-in-the-last-frontier

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An electrician found the badly beaten and defiled body of 48-year-old Martha Hansen behind the Elks Club on 3^rd Avenue in downtown Anchorage. She was naked except for a white sock on her left foot. When police detectives arrived at the scene, they were determined to do everything they could to find the animal who had perpetrated this horrible crime. They put in hours of dogged perseverance and executed a forensic technique few investigators thought was possible.

Sources:

Man Charged in Woman’s Death. 8-19-1996. The Daily Sitka Senitnel.

Man Sentenced in Murder Case. 9-22-1997. The Daily Sitka Sentinel.

D’Oro, Rachel. Bar Video Cameras Give Vital Clues in Homicide. 9-4-1996. The Daily Sitka Sentinel. Reprinted from the Anchorage Daily News.

Toomey, Sheila. Anchorage police get palm print off body, a ‘rare’ forensic feat. 10-22-1996. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Reprinted from the Anchorage Daily News.

Ice Cold Rage. Fatal Frontier-Evil in Alaska. E03. 11-21-2021.

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The Saga of Chris McCandless

September 19, 2022EpisodeChris McCandless, Death in the Alaska Wilderness, Into the Wild, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefieldmurder-in-the-last-frontier

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On September 6, 1992, two young hikers from Anchorage arrived at the old Fairbanks city bus #142, a makeshift shelter located on the Stampede Trail, twenty-five miles west of Healy. They immediately noted a stench emanating from the bus. A red leg warmer swung from an alder branch near the vehicle’s rear door. A note taped to the door terrified the hikers. It read:

S.O.S. I NEED YOUR HELP. I AM INJURED, NEAR DEATH, AND TOO WEAK TO HIKE OUT OF HERE. I AM ALL ALONE, THIS IS NO JOKE. IN THE NAME OF GOD, PLEASE REMAIN TO SAVE ME. I AM OUT COLLECTING BERRIES CLOSE BY AND SHALL RETURN THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, CHRIS MCCANDLESS. AUGUST?

Sources:

Krakauer, Jon. 1996. Into the Wild. Anchor Books. New York, New York.

Krakauer, Jon. 9-12-2013. How Chris McCandless Died. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-chris-mccandless-died

Saverin, Diana. 12-18-2013. The Chris McCandless Obsession Problem. Outside Magazine.https://www.outsideonline.com/1920626/chris-mccandless-obsession-problem

Holland, Eva. 7-29-2019. Another ‘Into the Wild’ Pilgrimage Has Ended in Death. Outside Magazine. https://www.outsideonline.com/2400297/hiker-dies-into-the-wild-bus-chris-mccandless?itm_source=parsely-api

Holland, Eva. 6-28-2020. Alaska Airlifts ‘Into the Wild’ Bus Out of the Wild. Outside Magazine. https://www.outsideonline.com/2415017/alaska-airlifts-wild-bus-out-wild?

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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 Robin 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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Vanished in the Alaska Wilderness

September 2, 2022EpisodeErin Marie Gilbert, Jonnie Renee White, Missing in Alaska, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefieldmurder-in-the-last-frontier

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As I’ve mentioned in other episodes, each year, an average of 2,250 people disappear in Alaska, twice the national average. According to the Alaska State Troopers, approximately 1,520 people currently are listed as missing in Alaska. The cases date back to the 1950s. Some of these people vanished on purpose, and others suffered unfortunate accidents. We know a few met with foul play, though. They were alive, well, and happy one moment, and then they suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The two stories I’m covering in this episode describe every parent’s worst nightmare, and in both cases, I can’t help but wonder why more wasn’t done at the time to search for these young women. Since both cases technically remain open, though, the public cannot access

the police files, and perhaps authorities have done a great deal over the years to search for Erin and Jonnie. Maybe with new technology, detectives will solve these cases.

Sources:

Alaska Unsolved. Evan Phillips https://alaskaunsolved.simplecast.com/episodes

Davis, Hank. 6-22-2019. ‘Alaska Unsolved’ podcast revisits 24-year-old cold case. KTUU. https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/DRAFT-Alaska-Unsolved-511551212.html

Erin Marie Gilbert. The Charley Project. http://charleyproject.org/case/erin-marie-gilbert

Hanlon, Tegan. 8-23-2017. She went to a Girdwood festival in 1995, then disappeared. Her family is still seeking answers. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2017/08/22/a-long-time-gone-she-went-to-a-girdwood-festival-in-1995-then-disappeared-now-theres-a-reward/

Cavallier, Andrea. 12-24-2019. Sister seeks answers 24 years after Erin Marie Gilbert vanished while on first date at Girdwood Forest Fair in Alaska. Dateline. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/sister-seeks-answers-24-years-after-erin-marie-gilbert-vanished-n1106786

Disappearance of Erin Marie Gilbert. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Erin_Marie_Gilbert

Finding Erin Marie Gilbert. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ErinMarieGilbert/

Jonnie Renee White. The Charley Project. http://charleyproject.org/case/jonnie-renee-white

Jonnie Renee White (16) – Kodiak Alaska. Websleuths. https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/jonnie-renee-white-16-kodiak-ak-1998.59092/

Kadel, Steve. 8-19-2003. Wasilla woman wins lawsuit in daughter’s death. Frontiersman. https://www.frontiersman.com/news/wasilla-woman-wins-lawsuit-in-daughter-s-death/article_e638a0db-02b0-50c7-803d-a16771939eb4.html

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Maximum Security Part 2: Bryan Perotti

June 28, 2022EpisodeBryan Perotti, Kristopehr MArcy, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefield, Spring Creek Correctional Center, True Crime, True Crime in Alaskamurder-in-the-last-frontier

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In 1994, Kristopher Marcy and his friend, Bryan Perotti, managed the unthinkable when they escaped from Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. When Marcy and Perotti first escaped, the police warned the public to be on the lookout for the pair. They considered both inmates dangerous, but they believed Bryan Perotti was the most violent of the two. Since Kristopher Marcy was in prison for stabbing a grandmother 26 times and then raping her as she lay dying, I couldn’t imagine a more violent predator and was curious to learn the details of Bryan Perotti’s young life and the crime that sent him to prison for 99 years.

Sources:

Stokes, Elisabeth Fairfield. 2017. Letters to Prison. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/social-justice/letters-to-prison

Court of Appeals of Alaska. 2-8-1991. Perotti v. State. https://law.justia.com/cases/alaska/court-of-appeals/1991/a-3314-0.html

Chief Judge Bryner. 12-24-1992. Perotti v. State. Court of Appeals of Alaska. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591486e4add7b049344dc8fc

Vanapalli, Viswa. 1-23-2022. Where is Bryan Perotti Now? The Cinemaholic. https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-byran-perotti-now/

Kalsnes, Lynette. 3-17-1994. Escaped murderers recaptured. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Kalsnes, Lynette. 3-18-1994. Prison assesses escape. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Kizzia, Tom. 3-20-1994. Escape changes feelings about Seward prison. Anchorage Daily News.

The Associated Press. 3-22-1994. Audit cited security problems at Spring Creek. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Kalsnes, Lynette. 3-24-1994. Officials link missing wirecutters to jailbreak. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

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

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For an exciting experience, watch short videos from some of the Author Mastermind authors.

Gog and Magog https://youtu.be/bvpfYW85MtA

Gorgon https://youtu.be/PT_h8Ojs8jw

Heart of Abigail https://youtu.be/SoDk94zvVFE

Impossible Crime Series https://youtu.be/cCULH4WMyYA

Ingress https://youtu.be/Wi9ar5yQnq8

Jimmy the Goat https://youtu.be/9LNiSUwiv0E

Karluk Bones https://youtu.be/gV7h1tgxUhY

Kashmir https://youtu.be/lc8ZKvdMwgo

Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge https://youtu.be/gUYxSndRxrk

My Wonderful Life With Diabetes https://youtu.be/tVI4y9WrTtI

One Last Cast https://youtu.be/2wzwWmim-2g

Oracle of Light https://youtu.be/P0COZN923Lo

Maximum Security Part 1: The Brutal Murder of Shirley Koonz

June 7, 2022EpisodeAlaska True Crime Podcast, Fairbanks Murder, Kristopher Marcy, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Murder in Alaska, Robin Barefield, Shirley Koonz, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

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Alaska is a dangerous place; many things can kill you here. Vicious predators, extreme temperatures, treacherous terrain, raging rivers, violent storms, and the churning ocean describe a few of the challenges facing humans in the 49^th state. Wilderness dangers did not worry Shirley Koonz, though. She’d spent most of her adult life in the Alaska wilderness, and along with her husband, she’d raised her six kids on a one-hundred-and-sixty-acre homestead. Shirley knew how to survive in the Alaska wilderness, but when circumstances forced her to move to Fairbanks, Shirley lost her footing. She didn’t fear wild animals, but she was wary of humans, and unfortunately, her instincts proved correct. Not long after moving into her double-wide trailer on the edge of Fairbanks, a monster entered her home and stabbed her 26 times.

Sources

Homicide probers seek clues in stabbing death. 6-14-1988. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Stabbing death stymies investigators. 6-24-1988. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Capps, Kris. 7-1-1988. Jury indicts man in death of Koonz. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Marcy to stand trial in Koonz murder case.7-2-1988. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Gale, Lin. 7-7-1988. Neighbor linked to Koonz murder. The Pioneer. All-Alaska Weekly.

Capps, Kris. 11-29-1988. State describes its case in Koonz murder trial. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Capps, Kris. 11-30-1988. Evidence in Marcy trial aired. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Capps, Kris. 12-1-1988. Marcy on tape, tells of knifing victim once. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Capps, Kris. 12-2-1988. Marcy offers no defense nor are witnesses called. Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

Capps, Kris. 12-3-1988. Jury convicts Marcy of murdering Koonz. Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

Farneski, Anna. 2-1-1989. Marcy gets 139 years for murder. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Marcy gets life for murder. 2-2-1989. The Pioneer. All Alaska Weekly.

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

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If you would like to check out one of my novels, visit The Readers and Writers Book Club, where you can read Murder Over Kodiak – Free! While you are there, take a look at some of the other free book serializations by wonderful authors in nearly every genre you can imagine.

For an exciting experience, watch short videos from some of my fellow Author Mastermind authors. Two of the videos are mine!

Gog and Magog https://youtu.be/bvpfYW85MtA

Gorgon https://youtu.be/PT_h8Ojs8jw

Heart of Abigail https://youtu.be/SoDk94zvVFE

Impossible Crime Series https://youtu.be/cCULH4WMyYA

Ingress https://youtu.be/Wi9ar5yQnq8

Jimmy the Goat https://youtu.be/9LNiSUwiv0E

Karluk Bones https://youtu.be/gV7h1tgxUhY

Kashmir https://youtu.be/lc8ZKvdMwgo

Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge https://youtu.be/gUYxSndRxrk

My Wonderful Life With Diabetes https://youtu.be/tVI4y9WrTtI

One Last Cast https://youtu.be/2wzwWmim-2g

Oracle of Light https://youtu.be/P0COZN923Lo

Ed Krause – Alaska’s First Serial Killer

May 18, 2022EpisodeAlaska Serial Killer, Ed Krause, Juneau Alaska, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefield, Serial Killer, True Crime, True Crime in Alaskamurder-in-the-last-frontier

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Many serial killers have called Alaska home, and if you apply the broadest definition to the term, then serial killers terrorized settlers here long before profilers coined the term “serial killer.” A near-total lack of law enforcement in Alaska in the early 1900s allowed human predators to prowl the territory and prey on settlers and gold miners. Imagine the nervous miners who had amassed a quantity of gold. How did they sleep? Terror must have gripped them during the long trek from their claim to the nearest town and bank where they could deposit their gold.

Ed Krause was a vile predator who killed with no remorse and then took what he wanted. We will never know how many people Krause murdered or how much money, gold, fox furs, land, and other valuables he stole, but what we do know paints Krause as one of the darkest figures in Alaska’s history.

Sources:

Heaton, John W. 1915. Ed Krause. Outlaw Tales of Alaska. TwoDot. Guilford, CT.

Hunt, William R. 1987. Hard to Convict. Distant Justice. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman, Ok.

Story Time with Aunt Phil: Alaska’s first serial killer. KTVA. Available at: https://auntphilstrunk.com/alaskas-first-serial-killer-strikes/

Nov. 19, 1915. Krause’s Career of Crime Was a Long and a Bad One. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Apr. 13, 1917. Edward Krause Saws bars and makes escape. Juneau Alaska Daily Empire.

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Betrayal of Trust: The Murder of Sonya Ivanoff

April 23, 2022EpisodeAlaska True Crime, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Nome Police Corruption, Robin Barefield, Sonya Ivanoff Murder, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

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Recent events have reminded us that we cannot always trust the police to protect us. In the U.S., though, bad policemen and women represent only a small minority of law enforcement. I feel I can turn to the police if I need help, and if I report a crime, I believe they will respond and investigate my claim. The police in Nome, Alaska, however, often did not take reports of sexual harassment seriously, especially claims made by Alaska Native women. The Nome Police Department had a serious problem, and it took the murder of a beautiful, 19-year-old woman to expose the ugly truth.

Sources:

Troopers whittle down murder suspects list. 10-22-2003. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Associate Press. Nome cop charged with murder. 10-27-2003. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Brant, Tataboline. 10-29-2003. Nome police must work to regain trust after officer charged with murder. Anchorage Daily News.https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2018/08/23/from-2003-nome-police-must-work-to-regain-trust-after-officer-charged-with-murder

Anchorage AP. 11-10-2003. Suspect demonstrated suspicious behavior. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-19-2005. Trial begins for officer charged with murder. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-21-2005. Officer killed woman, staged theft, court told. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-24-2005. Murder victim entered police car, women say. Whitehorse Daily Star.

2-23-2005. Jury to begin deliberations in Nome Murder Trial. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 2-25-2005. Murder trial hears final arguments. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Tsong, Nicole. 3-2-2005. Jury foreman: majority voted to convict officer. Sitka Daily Sentinel.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 11-30-2005. Ex-officer on trial for the second time. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Anchorage, Alaska AP. 12-9-2005. Nome, family settle suit over woman’s murder. Sitka Daily Sentinel.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 4-21-2006. Ex-officer jailed 99 years for murder. Whitehorse Daily Star. Owens v. State. 3-3-2010. Court of Appeals of Alaska. Court of Appeals No. A-9640. Casetext. https://casetext.com/case/owens-v-state-590

Mackenzie, Victoria and Maye-E, Wong. 12-22-2019. In Nome, Alaska, Review of rape ‘cold cases’ hits a wall. The Spokesman Review.

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I am excited to announce the release of my fifth novel — Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge.

Watch the short video about Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge.

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

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Funny River Bones

March 28, 2022EpisodeAlaska Mystery, Missing in Alaska, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Robin Barefieldmurder-in-the-last-frontier

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Alaska is big; the state spans an area as wide as the distance from California to Florida, and much of the terrain is wild and inhospitable. Alaska has 39 mountain ranges, 12,000 rivers, 100,000 glaciers, and 3 million lakes. Much of the state is heavily forested, while boggy tundra covers other areas. In some regions, mudflats along the ocean act like quicksand, entrapping a hapless interloper so tightly, he can do nothing but watch the tide rise until he drowns. Avalanches and mudslides are common in the winter, and residents expect floods in the spring. If you want to disappear, as this story will show, Alaska is the place to go.

Sources:

Tizon, Alex. 12-2-2017. In the land of missing persons: 2 families, 2 bodies, and a vast Alaska wilderness. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/we-alaskans/2016/12/18/in-the-land-of-missing-persons-2-families-2-bodies-and-a-vast-alaska-wilderness/

Richard Hills. Track Missing. http://www.trackmissing.org/Cases/Details/561

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I am excited to announce the release of my fifth novel — Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge.

Watch the short video about Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge.

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

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How to Become a Widow

March 5, 2022EpisodeAlaska Tue Crime, Fairbanks, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Murder in Alaska, Robin Barefield, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

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Someone entered Buck Hofhines’s Fairbanks home on a bitterly cold January night and shot him seven times. His young bride, Verna, discovered his body, and she appeared shocked and confused. She told the Alaska State Troopers that she didn’t know why anyone would want to murder her husband. Authorities immediately suspected her of the crime, but she had a convincing alibi. Verna Hofhines was on stage performing as an exotic dancer when someone brutally murdered her husband, Buck.

This crime and the resulting trial captivated the residents of Fairbanks. The trial included a “Perry Mason moment” and a violent offender who was not finished terrorizing the residents of Alaska.

Sources:

Brennan, Tom. 2005. A Fairbanks Divorce. Pgs. 7-87. Cold Crime. Epicenter Press.

Two Persons held in Hofhines’’ death. 2-24-1972. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Harmonica Player, Dancer Charged With Murder, 2-25-1972. Fairbanks Pioneer All- Alaska Weekly.

State Presents ‘Barebones’ Case in Brutal Hofhines Murder. 3-3-1972. Fairbanks Pioneer All-Alaska Weekly.

Hofhines’ wife held, man freed in murder. 3-3-1972. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Preliminary Hearing Held in Hofhines Murder. 3-3-1972. Fairbanks Pioneer All-Alaska Weekly.

‘I wanted to be a widow’ Mrs. Hofhines tells court. 6-15-1972. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The Hofhines Murder Case – A $5,000 Killing Done on Credit. 6-23-1972. Fairbanks Pioneer All-Alaska Weekly.

Anthony is guilty says jury verdict. 6-17-1972. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Anthony given life term in Hofhines murder case. 7-26-1972. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Go-Go Dancer Gets 20 Yr. Sentence For Murder One. 11-3-1972. Fairbanks Pioneer All-Alaska Weekly.

Anchorage jury finds Anthony guilty of murder. 10-12-1974. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Convicted killer Anthony flees, manhunt underway. 10-14-1974. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Anthony Convicted, Escapes, Captured, New Charges. 10-18-1974. Fairbanks Pioneer All-Alaska Weekly.

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I am excited to announce the release of my fifth novel — Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge.

Watch a short video about the novel.