I am always intrigued by people who can’t seem to color inside the lines. Most of us are law-abiding citizens. We might get a traffic ticket occasionally or march in protest against a law or action we think is wrong, but we usually play by the rules. Then there are those who skirt the law at every opportunity. The worst of these are sociopaths, and I’ve written about several who were serial killers. John Martin III committed at least one despicable crime, but most of the time, he just seemed to follow a difficult path through life, doing things many of us would describe as “crazy.” He likely had a mental illness, and I doubt many were surprised when he met with a violent end.

“Anchorage man charged with manslaughter in July Seward Highway crash that killed Wasilla woman.” February 12, 2015. Anchorage Daily News.

“Anchorage man convicted of murder in homeless advocate’s death.” November 19, 2025. Anchorage Daily News.

Boots, Michelle Theriault. “The improbable voyage of an Anchorage man who tried to sail to China to see his wife and son.” November 29, 2018. Anchorage Daily News.

Burke, Jill. “A homeless camp at Anchorage City Hall.” June 29, 2011. Anchorage Daily News.

Cadotte, Joe and Shannon Cole. “Man shot to death in Anchorage had colorful checkered past. June 16, 2023. KTUU Alaska’s News Source.

“Indictment handed down in July 9th fatal Seward Highway accident.” February 11, 2015. Alaska Native News.

“Jury finds man guilty of killing Anchorage homeless advocate, sex offender in murder trial.” November 19, 2025. KTUU AK News Source.

Maxwell, Lauren. “Jury finds man guilty of killing Anchorage homeless advocate, sex offender in murder trial.” November 19, 2025. KTUU Alaska’s News Source.

Maxwell, Lauren. “Trial underway for man accused of shooting Anchorage homeless advocate, sex offender.” November 12, 2025. KTUU Alaska’s News Source.

Traver, Matthew. “The man who tried to walk from Alaska to China.” February 26, 2019. Explorers Web.

Williams, Tess. “Shooting of man sleeping in South Anchorage parking lot was unprovoked attack, prosecutor says.” June 19, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.

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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.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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Alcatraz prison in California, built on a small, rocky island in the Bay of San Francisco, operated from the time of the US Civil War in the 1860s until it was closed in 1963. The island’s remote location made it the perfect site for a prison, but this location also made it expensive to maintain, and the cost of maintenance finally led to its closure. During the years it operated, Alcatraz housed many infamous prisoners including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, but the one prisoner whose nickname is synonymous with the prison is The Birdman of Alcatraz.

Why am I telling you about Alcatraz and its prisoners? Because this episode is about Robert Stroud, better known as the Birdman of Alcatraz. You may not associate Stroud with Alaska, but he was originally incarcerated for a murder he committed in Juneau. Robert Stroud spent 54 years in prison, and he was in solitary confinement for 42 of those years. He is one of Alaska’s most famous criminals.

Bovsun, Mara. November 10, 2019. “Justice story: How the ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ soared to fame.” New York Daily News.

Brennan, Tom. 2001. Murder at 40 Below. Chapter 4: “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press.

Ott, Tim. August 20, 2020. “Robert Stroud.” Biography.

“Robert Franklin Stroud.” n.d. Murderpedia.

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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.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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I’ve shared the statistics many times. Alaska repeatedly ranks as one of the most dangerous states in the U.S.  for women. This statistic has been accurate since agencies began keeping records, and it was likely true long before anyone started tracking such information. Historically, spousal abuse was often overlooked and considered a private matter between a husband and his wife. However, even in Alaska in the 1950s, surely the authorities and the courts would have arrested, tried, and put a husband in jail for life if he murdered his wife and then confessed. Wouldn’t they? Maybe – or maybe not. Consider the case of Charles Cannon, who confessed in 1955 to killing his wife, Ruth.

“1953 Inauguration.” n,d, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home.

“Cannon, accused slayer, is freed by grand jury.” December 21, 1955. Anchorage Daily Times.

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.

“Jury frees murder suspect.” December 21, 1955. Anchorage Daily News.

“Murderer re-acts crime.” September 19, 1955. Anchorage Daily News.

“Police hunt woman missing since April 1.” July 19, 1955. Anchorage Daily Times.

Reamer, David. “He reenacted his wife’s killing in 1955 and confessed – but a grand jury refused to indict him.” November 26, 2023. Anchorage Daily News.”

“Trapper says he killed wife.” September 28, 1955. Anchorage Daily Times.

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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.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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Retirees Robert and Dagmar Linton eagerly embarked on a long-planned camping trip in the Pacific Northwest, and they promised their children they would be careful. The Lintons did not express any concerns about their journey, but Dagmar ensured their wills and affairs were in order before they left home. Was she just cautious, or did she have a premonition that something terrible would befall them? Her son and daughter would always wonder whether their mother had concerns, and they would never know exactly what had happened to their parents.

Sources:

Charles T. Sinclair. Murderpedia.

“Devil’s Den.” Season 2, Episode 3. Ice Cold Killers.

McMillan, Penelope. “Suspect in murder spree takes secrets to the grave: serial killings: detectives are convinced the man who died in Alaska cell left trail of bodies across west.” November 23, 1990.  Los Angeles Times.

Smith, Pete. 1-18-2016. “2015 coin shop murders add to a long list of tragic ends for the hobby.” January 18, 2016. Coinweek.com.

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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.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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Considering Alaska’s violent past as a frontier territory, it’s not surprising to find restless spirits roaming the state.

“Alaska.” N.d. The Paranormal World Database.

Cobb, Deborah. “The tale of Fannie and the Van Gilder Hotel in Alaska.” December 6, 2022. Ghostlandia.media.

DeMarban, Alex. “Feels like teen spirit and other phantoms in UAA’s Wendy Williamson Auditorium.”  October 31, 2013. Anchorage Daily News.

Ellis-Knapp, Jody. Ghosts of Alaska. 2009. Atglen, Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

“Kennicott Mine & Ghost Town Walking Tour Points.” N.d. Alaska.org.

O’Harra, Doug. “The lonely lady haunting West High School in Anchorage, Alaska. October 30, 2013. Anchorage Daily News.

“Van Gilder Hotel.” N.d. Alaska.org.

Williamson, Avery. “The haunting of the Wendy Williamson Auditorium.” October 24, 2023. Thenorthernlight.org.

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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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

Starr, Douglas. 12-1-2013. Do police interrogation techniques produce false confessions?

Episode 4: The Benolken Murders, the police investigation and Special Agent Malone

Episode 2: Introduction to the Benolken Case. Available at:

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

Who Really Murdered the Benolkens? KTOO Public Media

Juneau man wants DNA tested, seeks review of nearly 30-year old homicide conviction. KTOO Public Media.

Integrity of preserved 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.

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

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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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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Those who knew Willie Pickton described him as mentally slow and socially awkward. They said he smelled like the pig farm where he lived and wore dirty clothes. Some considered him a friend, but others found him creepy. Only a few suspected what Willie did in his spare time.

Butts, Edward. “Robert Pickton Case.” October 8, 2020. The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Cameron, Stevie. On the Farm: Robert William Picton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver’s Missing Women. 2010. Toronto: Vintage Canada.

“Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who brought victims to pig farm, is dead after prison assault.” June 1, 2024. NBC News.

Clarke, Malcolm. The Pig Farm. 2011. IMDb.

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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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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 Altair:

Sources:

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

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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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The pain of child abuse follows its victims to adulthood. Many seek therapy, but some internalize the pain and then inflict it upon others, continuing the cycle of abuse. Jason Vukovich chose a different path to exorcise the demons inflicted upon him by his adopted father.  Jason consulted the sex offender registry of Alaska and physically assaulted known pedophiles in Anchorage. Jason’s story is not a murder nor a mystery, but it is a true tale about a crime that is far too common and a victim who took the law into his own hands.

If you want to learn more about Jason Vukovich, I suggest listening to “The Alaskan Avenger – Jason Vukovich” on the One Minute Remaining Podcast.

Hanlon, Tegan. “Anchorage man charged with attacking sex offenders seeks plea deal – Jason Vukovich, who claims to be an ‘avenging angel,’ proposed an unconventional plea deal in a letter sent from his state prison cell.” September 29, 2016. Anchorage Daily News.

Hanlog, Tegan, “Anchorage man who attacked sex offenders hopes his story can be a lesson for others – ‘If you have already lost your youth like me, due to a child abuser, please do not throw away your present and your future by committing acts of violence,’ Jason Vukovich says.” December 30, 2017. Anchorage Daily News.

Laurence, Jack. “The Alaskan Avenger – Jason Vukovich”  –  Parts 1 through 6. One Minute Remaining Podcast.

Margaritoff, Marco. “Jason Vukovich: The hammer-wielding pedophile-hunter known as the ‘Alaskan Avenger.’” January 17, 2021. All That is Interesting.

Matthews, Cheyenne. “Anchorage man who attacked sex offenders loses appeal that PTSD factored into his crimes.”  October 30, 2020. KTUU.

“What is an Adverse Childhood Experience, or ACE?” n.d. Childhood Domestic Violence Association.

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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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The endless supply of larger-than-life characters in Alaska makes the state fertile ground for reality television shows and movies based on true stories. If you made a list of the strong, fascinating individuals in the history of this vast state, though, Joe Vogler would rank near the top. Picture a sharply dressed man, wearing a fedora, a bolo tie, and a plaid flannel shirt while he stands in front of a group of rowdy people and proclaims his controversial opinions in a booming voice.

Joe Vogler developed a large following of folks who agreed with his politics, but he also made many enemies. When he disappeared from his remote home, people wondered if an enemy had killed him, or if the murderer was someone who claimed to be his friend and colleague?

Brenan, Tom. Cold Crime. 2005. Epicenter Press. Death of a Maverick.

Coppock, Michael. “On Joe Vogler, an independent Alaska.”March 14, 2008. Juneau Empire.

Ice Cold Killers. Season 2, Episode 6. “Guns, Gold, and Murder.”

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https://youtu.be/7Fv52Bf8yfY

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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.

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.

Send me an email: [email protected]

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Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

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