A drifter from Hoffman Estates, Michael C. Silka, allegedly killed nine people, including a state trooper, before being fatally shot by police near a small Alaskan fishing village. Silka, 25, suspected of multiple murders, had only been in Alaska for a month when he committed the spree. His victims included a pregnant woman, a toddler, and several locals from Manley Hot Springs, whose bodies were disposed of in the Tanana River. Silka, heavily armed and evading capture, was eventually located and confronted by state troopers. During the shootout, he killed Trooper Troy L. Duncan before being gunned down by return fire. Silka's troubled past, marked by multiple arrests and a history of violent behavior, foreshadowed the tragic events that unfolded in Alaska.