Tag Archives: Alaska True Crime

Mysterious Murderer William Dempsey

November 20, 2024EpisodeAlaska History, Alaska Murder, Alaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Alaska True Crime Podcast, Deputy Marshal Isaac Evans, Marie Lavor, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder Podcast, Mystery Podcast, Robin Barefield, True Crime Podcast, William Dempseymurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:55 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

What was his name? How old was he? Where did he come from? What happened to him? These are a few of the questions concerning the man known as William Dempsey. Eyewitnesses saw him murder Deputy U.S. Marshal Isaac Evans, and a jury convicted him of killing Marie Lavor, but did he murder others? Was he a young man named William Dempsey, as he claimed, or did he steal the real William Dempsey’s identity? One hundred years later, these questions continue to elude historians.

Sources

Herron, Charles.”Charles E. Herron questions arch-fiend and obtains inside information on Lavor murder.” September 6, 1919. Anchorage Daily Times.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 1.” February 3, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 2.” March 23, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 3.” March 30, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 4.” April 6, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 5.” April 13, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 6.” April 20, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 7.” April 27, 2023. Homer News.

Fair, Clark. “A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey Story – Part 9.” May 11, 2023. Homer News.

Heaton, John W. 1915. Ed Krause. “William Dempsey.” Outlaw Tales of Alaska. TwoDot. Guilford, CT.

“Deputy Marshal Evans dies of wounds received at hand of Dempsey – Bandit at large.” September 3, 1919. Anchorage Daily Times.

“Last chapter of Lavor mystery has been told in confession of Wm Dempsey, confessed murderer.” September 6, 1919. Anchorage Daily Times.

“William Dempsey, murderer of Deputy US Marshal Evans is captured this afternoon.” September 4, 1919. Anchorage Daily Times.

_______________________________________________

Visit the Christmas Book Bazaar on Facebook. Meet the authors, win prizes, and shop for good deals on great books! I’ll see you there!

Featured Books for the Christmas Book Bazaar

______________________________________________________

Robin Barefield lives in the wilderness on Kodiak Island, where she and her husband own a remote lodge. She has a master’s degree in fish and wildlife biology and is a wildlife-viewing and fishing guide. Robin has published six novels: Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge, and The Ultimate Hunt. She has also published two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. She draws on her love and appreciation of the Alaska wilderness as well as her scientific background when writing.

FTA: The Palmer Machete Killer

November 6, 2024EpisodeAlaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Alaska True Crime Podcast, Alaska True Murder, Christopher Rogers, Elann Moren, Erin Rogers, Machete Killer, Murder Podcast, Palmer Alaska, Robin Barefield, True Crime Podcastmurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:21 — 21.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

We’ve all seen the horror movie where a stranger towers over his unsuspecting victim while she sleeps, and she awakes just in time to see him swing the machete toward her head. Imagine if this is no horror movie but a terrible, true event happening as you struggle to clear your mind from sleep and attempt to focus on your survival instincts. Now, what if you know the maniac wielding the machete, and he is someone close to you? Can you fathom anything so horrible? Elann Moren had no choice; she had to grapple with the situation and spring into action. In one moment, her beautiful, new life turned into a horrible nightmare.

Sources

Associated Press. “Another 189 years for Alaska machete murderer.” December 26, 2012. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Associated Press. “Man charged with killing father with machete.” December 4, 2007. MSNBC.

Court of Appeals of Alaska, no. A-10635. Rogers v. State. June 15, 2012.https://caselaw

McKinney, Deborah. “Palmer machete killer’s sentences now total 498 years.” January 11, 2010. Anchorage Daily News.

Wellner, Andrew. “Hero dog done in by tumor.” December 8, 2011. MatSu Valley Frontiersman.

___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

Robin invites you to join her at her website: https://robinbarefield.com, and while you are there, sign up for her free monthly newsletter about true crime in Alaska. Robin also narrates a podcast, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. You can find it at: https://murder-in-the-last-frontier.blubrry.net

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

___________________________________________________________________________________

Would you 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! Visit the Store

Murder at the Mayor’s House

October 23, 2024EpisodeAlaska Murder, Alaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Alaska True Crime Podcast, Anthony Richards, Clement Richards Jr., Clement Richards Sr., Jennifer Kirk, Kotzebue, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder Podcast, Robin Barefielde, Susanna Norton, True Crime Podcastmurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:28 — 22.5MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

When the Kotzebue police entered a bedroom in a house on the mayor’s property on May 23, 2018, they found the lifeless body of twenty-five-year-old Jennifer Kirk curled at the foot of the bed. A rifle lay across her feet. She had strangulation marks on her neck and a bullet wound under her chin. Even before receiving the autopsy report, the Kotzebue police quickly ruled Kirk’s death a suicide. Two years later, the police were called to an adjacent house on the same property to examine the body of Susanna Norton. They could not so easily dismiss Susanna’s death because the medical examiner ruled it a homicide. Someone had strangled Susanna to death. The deaths of Jennifer Kirk and Susanna Norton, both Inupiaq women, highlight the continuing issue of violence against Alaska Native women.

Sources:

Boots, Michelle Theriault. “’No more silence’: her kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder stunned a town and started a movement. Anchorage Daily News.

College of Health. “Alaska Victimization Survey.” University of Alaska Anchorage.

Dobbyn, Paula. “Victimization of Alaska women staggeringly high and rising.” October 12, 2021. Victims for Justice.

Hopkins, Kyle. “For families in Northwest Alaska, questions remain about unsolved deaths and ‘suicides.’” November 21, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.

Hopkins, Kyle. “One woman died on an Alaska mayor’s property. Then another. No one has ever been charged.” November 11, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.

_______________________________________

Visit the Christmas Book Bazaar for Fun, Games, and Good Deals on Great Books!

________________________________________________

Now Available at 25% off the Cover Price in The Reader’s and Writers Facebook Club Christmas Book Bazaar

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

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! Visit the Store

FTA: Serial Killer Joshua Wade

October 9, 2024EpisodeAlask Serial Killer, Alaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Joshua Wade, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder Podcast, Robin Barefield, Serial Killer, Serial Murderer Podcast, True Crime, True Crime Podcastmurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:44 — 25.5MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

In one of my last episodes, I profiled Israel Keyes, a serial killer who moved to Anchorage in 2007. Many serial-killer experts consider Keyes to be one of the most intelligent, organized serial killers of all time. He randomly chose victims who lived thousands of miles from his home, and he stashed murder kits around the country, planning to access them at some future date. It is easy to understand why Israel Keyes wasn’t captured sooner than he was. He methodically planned his crimes and always had an exit strategy. He only began making mistakes when his murderous impulses grew too strong for him to control, and these mistakes led to his apprehension.

Around the same time Israel Keyes was active, another serial killer stalked the residents of Anchorage, but the story of Joshua Wade and his crimes is far different than that of Israel Keyes. Investigators consider Wade intelligent, but he did not stalk his victims or plan his crimes. His crimes were sloppy, happened on the spur of the moment, and usually were the result of him losing his temper. The legal system should have stopped Joshua Wade long before it did.

Sources:

Boots, Michelle Theriault. “Alaska Serial Killer Joshua Wade dies in Indiana prison.” June 20, 2024. Anchorage Daily News.

“Convicted Killer Joshua Wade Claims Responsibility for Additional Murders.” June 20, 2014. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Anchorage.

Francis, Monte. Ice and Bone. Tracking an Alaskan Serial Killer. 2016. Denver, CO. WildBlue Press.

“Joshua Wade – I Am Not a Serial Killer – Confesses to 5 Murders.” n.d. WickedWe.

Shedlock, Jezy and Jill Burke. “Authorities: Joshua Wade admits to 3 additional killings.” June 20, 2014. Anchorage Daily News.

__________________________________________________

Now Available at 25% off the Cover Price in The Reader’s and Writers Facebook Club Christmas Book Bazaar

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

Serial Killer Harvey Louis Carignan

September 25, 2024EpisodeAlaska Podcast, Alaska Serial Killer, Alaska True Crime, Harvey Carignan, Minnesota Serial Killer, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Murder Podcast, Robin Barefield, Serial Killer, Serial Killer Podcast, True Crime, True Crime Podcast, Washington Serial Killermurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:00 — 36.6MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Harvey Carignan was a vicious serial rapist and killer. He murdered his first victim in Alaska, and she should have been his last because the jury condemned him to death by hanging for the crime. Unfortunately, the sentence was overturned when it became clear a police officer had obtained Carignan’s confession illegally. Instead of death, Harvey Carignan served eight years at Alcatraz and then headed out into the world to prey on more women.

Sources

Azarian, Nash. “Harvey Carignan: Harv the Hammer.” n.d. Serial Killer Magazine.

Krauss, Louis. “Serial killer Harvey Carignan dies in Minnesota prison at 95.” March 16, 2023. Star Tribune.

Rule, Ann. The Want-Ad Killer. 1983. New York, NY: Berkley.

Murderpedia. “Harvey Louis Carignan.” n.d.

_______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Now Available at 25% off the Cover Price in The Reader’s and Writers Facebook Club Christmas Book Bazaar

Join the Club

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

Klutuk: A Hunter of Humans

July 31, 2024EpisodeAlaska History, Alaska Myths, Alaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Klutuk, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Murder Podcast, Mystery Podcast, Robin Barefield, Western Alaskamurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:30 — 21.5MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Klutuk is Alaska’s version of the boogeyman – a terrifying character you tell stories about around the campfire. He is a man shrouded in mystery and myth. What was his actual name? Was he tall or short? How many men did he kill? Did he possess mystical powers? How did he die? One hundred years after he terrorized western Alaska, it is impossible to separate truth from fiction.

Sources

Dihle, Bjorn. “Klutuk, the mad trapper of Bristol Bay.” June 6, 2020. Outdoorlife.com.

Heaton, John. “Klutuk: ‘The Man from the Mountain.’” 2015. Guilford, CT. TwoDot.

Hunt, William R. Chapter 18: “Native Legends.” 1987. Norman, OK. University of Oklahoma Press.

___________________________________

My New Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560476951157

___________________________________________________

Facebook Podcast Group (If not already a member, please try to join and let me know if you are admitted to the group) https://www.facebook.com/groups/704680564121523

Now Available

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

Robin Barefield is the author of five Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, and Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge. She has also written two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Sign up to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

FTA: Double Murder at a U.S. Coast Guard Base

June 19, 2024EpisodeAlaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Kodiak Island, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Murder Podcast, Robin Barefield, True Crime, True Crime Podcast, U.S. Coast Guardmurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:42 — 32.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

The double homicide I describe in this episode occurred on a secure Coast Guard base near the town of Kodiak, Alaska, on Kodiak Island, approximately 60 miles from where I live. This murder happened toward the end of the most brutal winter anyone on Kodiak can remember, and when the police did not quickly apprehend the killer, tempers flared, and citizens carried firearms wherever they went. Our mail plane pilot, reporting the news to us on his weekly stop, compared the residents in town to a powder keg ready to blow. When it was all over, many in law enforcement and the judicial system praised the investigation, but at the time, it seemed as if no one was doing anything to look for and apprehend the killer.

Sources:

Associated Press. “Man arrested in 2012 Alaska Coast Guard base deaths.” November 21, 2015. KOMO News.

Grove, Casey. “Wells convicted, again, of Kodiak Coast Guard double murder.” Alaska Public Media.

Joling, Dan. “Car expert testifies in CG trial.” April 10, 2014. Ketchikan Daily News.

Saint Louis, Julie. “Ninth Circuit orders new trial for man accused of Coast Guard killings.” December 9, 2017. Courthouse News.

Silverman, Adam. “FBI: Coast Guard murder suspect resented co-workers.” February 19, 2013. USA Today.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, no. 14-30146. United States of America v. James Michael Wells. January 11, 2018

“Wives of murdered tower techs sue the Coast Guard for wrongful death.” August 16, 2016.

_________________________________________________________________

Now Available

_________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

________________________________

Join me on June 21st for a Book Blanket Beach Summer Solstice Party!! I will be hosting from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. ADT (8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time). I plan to give away prizes, so don’t miss it!

_________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

Saint Michael’s Pain

June 5, 2024UncategorizedAbuse against children, Alaska Murder, Alaska True Crime, Catholic Church, Catholic church sexual abuse, Father Endal, Joe Lundowski, Murder Podcast, Mystery Podcast, Robin Barefield, St. Michael Alaska, Stebbins Alaska, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:16 — 21.3MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Imagine a small town where, between 1968 and 1983, the clergy sexually abused eighty percent of the children — a village where today, the city government is forced to hire police officers with extensive criminal records, including domestic violence, because there is no state law enforcement in this remote area of Alaska. Imagine this same community where the violent murder of a young woman remains unsolved six years after her body was found bruised and bloody on a lonely beach. Now, put this village on an island at the southeastern end of Norton Sound, where it is exposed to the Bering Sea and some of the most hazardous weather in the world. This is the village of St. Michael, Alaska.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW AVAILABLE!

__________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Join Beach Blanket Books—a Facebook Event. It is happening now and lasts until the Summer Solstice on June 21st. I will host from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ADT (8:00 to 9:00 p.m. EDT) on June 21st. Please stop by the event and say hi! Join in the games and win some prizes. Sign up now so you don’t miss a thing!

________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

______________________________________________________________________________________

Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

FTA: The F/V Investor Murders

May 22, 2024EpisodeAlaska Podcast, Alaska True Crime, Cold Crime, Commercial Fishing in Alaska, Craig Alaska, Investor, John Kenneth Peel, Mark Coulthurst, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder Podcast, Mystery Podcast, Robin Barefield, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:42 — 25.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

What happened on a foggy September day in 1982 in the small fishing village of Craig, Alaska? Many believe they know who killed the crew and passengers of the Investor, but only the killer knows why the massacre occurred.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

NOW AVAILABLE!

__________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Join Beach Blanket Books—a Facebook Event. The Fun begins on May 15th and lasts until the Summer Solstice on June 21st. Join in the games and win some prizes. Sign up now so you don’t miss a thing!

________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

______________________________________________________________________________________

Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Merchandise! Visit the Store

Greed, Betrayal, and the Murder of Doctor Eric Garcia

May 8, 2024EpisodeAlaska True Crime, Dr. Eric Garcia, Jordan Joplin, Ketchikan, Ketchikan Murder, Murder and Mystery in Alaska, Murder Podcast, Robin Barefield, Trrue Crime Podcast, True Crimemurder-in-the-last-frontier

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:59 — 17.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

By all accounts, Doctor Eric Garcia truly cared for Jordan Joplin, but Joplin considered his relationship with the doctor as a means to an end; or as the

prosecutor put it, Garcia believed he was in a romantic relationship with Joplin, but Joplin considered it transactional. Garcia had money and objects of value, and Joplin wanted it all for himself.

Sources

“Anchorage jury finds Jordan Joplin guilty of murder in Dr. Eric Garcia case.” June 2, 2023. Ketchikan Daily News.

Cole, Shannon. “WA man sentenced to 99 years for murder of Ketchikan doctor.” April 9, 2024. KTUU.

Gremore, Graham. “Sean Cody star Jordan Joplin charged with murdering wealthy Alaskan surgeon.” February 6, 2018. Queerty.

“Ketchikan doctor’s death, home thefts investigated.” April 3, 2017. Anchorage Daily News.

“Washington man held in Ketchikan murder.” July 24, 2017. Anchorage Daily News.

Williams, Tess. “Jury convicts Washington man of murder in 2017 killing of Southeast Alaska surgeon – An Anchorage jury on Thursday found Jordan Joplin guilty on charges of first-and second-degree murder in the death of Dr. Eric Garcia.” June 1, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.

Williams, Tess. “Trial begins for Washington man accused of killing Southeast Alaska surgeon – Prosecutors said Jordan Joplin killed Dr. Eric Garcia and stole hid money and belongings. Defense attorneys said Garcia used morphine to relieve pain and anxiety and the drug killed him.” May 8, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

COMING SOON!

__________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Join Beach Blanket Books—a Facebook Event. The Fun begins on May 15th and lasts until the Summer Solstice on June 21st. Join in the games and win some prizes. Sign up now so you don’t miss a thing!

________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF

MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE

______________________________________________________________________________________

Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________