Cynthia Hoffman

I don’t usually do an episode about a case until the case either works through the legal system or it seems unsolvable. I could not ignore this sickening crime, though. There is nothing worse than children killing children, except perhaps when a teenager murders her best friend for thepromise of money.

Sources

Brehmer, Schilmiller, McIntosh, and Leyland all pleaded not guilty. I’ll keep you updated.

Denali Brehmer

Sources:

Farzan, Noori. Chilling Tale of killing, catfishing. The Washington Post. https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=019ceeaf-d496-43d1-95e6-70dea767eba9

Burke, Jill. 6-17-2019. Who is accused killer Darin Schilmiller? Former classmates of catfishing ‘millionaire’ – turned – murder suspect talk about disturbing past. Alaska’s News Source. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Who-is-accused-killer-Darin-Schilmiller-Cynthia-Hoffman-murder-suspect-511444111.html

Ortega, Michael. 6-18-2019. Interactive timeline: The murder of Cynthia Hoffman. 650kenai.iheart.com. https://650keni.iheart.com/content/2019-06-18-interactive-timeline-the-murder-of-cynthia-hoffman/

Darin Schilmiller

Downing, Suzanne. 6-18-2019. Accused of thrill killing, Schilmiller, Brehmer now indicted for child porn. https://mustreadalaska.com/accused-thrill-killing-schilmiller-brehmer-indicted-child-porn/

Derysh, Igor. 6-19-2019. Denali Brehmer: 5 Fast facts you need to know. Heavy.com. https://heavy.com/news/2019/06/denali-brehmer/

McGee, Madeline. 8-9-2019. Indiana man accused of plotting Cynthia Hoffman killing pleads not guilty to murder charges. Anchorage Daily News.  https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2019/08/09/indiana-man-accused-of-plotting-cynthia-hoffman-killing-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-charges/#:~:text=In%20his%20second%20court%20appearance,the%20murder%20charges%20against%20him.

Now Available

______________________________________________

Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

I still have a few promo codes available for this audiobook. If you would like a code, send me an email.

these are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

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

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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.

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

Join her on:

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Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com

Check out her books at Author Masterminds

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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

Keith Raniere

Perhaps you heard about the NXIVM (pronounced Nexium) scandal when the police tracked down and arrested the cult leader, Keith Raniere, in Mexico. Soon, tales of sex trafficking, branding, and child pornography painted Raniere as an evil man. Like me, you probably shook your head and wondered how anyone could get drawn into a cult. From the outside looking in, cults always seem crazy.

I didn’t pay much attention to the news about NXIVM. I didn’t want to read about more evil in our world. Then, a friend sent me a news story about an Alaska woman who disappeared after attending a NXIVM Executive Success Program class in Anchorage. When Kristin Snyder repeatedly blurted out that she was pregnant with Keith Raniere’s child, NXIVM officials dragged her out of the class, and she was never seen again. I suddenly wanted to know what happened to Kristin, more about NXIVM, and why successful, intelligent women flocked to Raniere to be close to him. Raniere is an average-looking man who denigrates women and believes their purpose is to serve him.

This is the story about NXIVM and the disappearance of Kristin Snyder.

Kristin Snyder

Sources

Parlato, Frank. 2021. The Lost Women of NXIVM. Discovery+

McLaughlin, Kelly and Nichole Einbinder. 9-8-2021. How NXIVM, a so-called self-help company, crumbled after former members exposed it as a cult that abused sex slaves. Insider. https://www.insider.com/what-is-nxivm-keith-raniere-explainer-2019-4

Parlato, Frank. 8-9-2017. Was Kristin Snyder murdered? Sources claim Snyder said she was pregnant with Raniere’s child right before disappearing. Frank Report. https://frankreport.com/2017/08/09/was-kristin-snyder-murdered-sources-claim-snyder-said-she-was-pregnant-with-ranieres-child-right-before-disappearing/

Helmar, Leo. 12-28-2020. The curious case of Kristin Snyder: An outsider delves into the rabbit hole of a woman’s disappearance. Frank Report. https://frankreport.com/2020/12/28/the-curious-case-of-kristin-snyder-an-outsider-delves-into-the-rabbit-hole-of-a-womans-disappearance/

Parlato, Frank. 5-14-2020. Following leads of a possible living Kristin Snyder. Frank Report. https://frankreport.com/2020/05/14/following-leads-of-a-possible-living-kristin-snyder/

Now Available

______________________________________________

Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

I have 25 promo codes available for this audiobook. If you would like a code, send me an email.

these are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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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.

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

Join her on:

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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...

As the 40-ft. waves crashed down upon him and threatened to wash him and his charge, Captain Singh, off the deck of the sinking ship, Petty Officer Aaron Bean knew the helicopter would not return to rescue them for several hours. Would the freighter remain afloat? Could he survive the relentless pounding by the freezing North Pacific waves? Would Captain Singh, who wore only street clothes, survive? Bean shook off his doubts and concentrated. As long as he could, he would do his job to the best of his ability, and he would give his life if necessary to save Captain Singh.

Sources:

My primary source for this story was On the Edge of Survival by Spike Walker. If you want to know more about this event, I strongly recommend this book. I have only touched on the bare facts of the story here, but Mr. Walker puts the reader in the helicopter in the fierce storm. I couldn’t put the book down.

Walker, Spike. 2010. On the Edge of Survival. St. Martin’s Press. New York, NY.

Alex Haley

12-10-2012. MV Selendang Ayu grounding – Investigation Report. Officer of the Watch. https://officerofthewatch.com/2012/12/10/mv-selendang-ayu-grounding/

Protecting the Last Frontier. Pacific Area. United States Coast Guard. https://www.pacificarea.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/District-17/17th-District-Units/Air-Station-Kodiak/

12-10-2012. MV Selendang Ayu grounding – Investigation Report. Officer of the Watch. https://officerofthewatch.com/2012/12/10/mv-selendang-ayu-grounding/

Selendang Ayu. Shipwreck Log. https://shipwrecklog.com/log/history/selendang-ayu/

Ropeik, Annie. 12- 12, 2014. 10 years on, Selendang Ayu spill’s legacy still evolving. Alaska Public Media. https://www.alaskapublic.org/20

14/12/12/10-years-on-selendang-ayu-spills-legacy-still-evolving/

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now Available

______________________________________________

Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

I have 25 promo codes available for this audiobook. If you would like a code, send me an email.

these are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Listen to a New Podcast from the Members of Author Masterminds

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

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

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Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com

Check out her books at Author Masterminds

_________

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!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In September 2000, Shelia Toomey, a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, wrote a front-page story about six unsolved homicides in Anchorage.  The article displayed the photos of the six victims. All were women; five were Native Alaskan, and one was African American.  Nothing connected the victims, and the police did not know if they were looking for one, two, or six murderers.

Serial Killer Joshua Wade eventually admitted that he murdered Della Brown, the last murder victim profiled in Toomey’s article. Investigators believed Wade might have also killed some of the other victims. The police also found the murderer of Cynthia Henry, but the murders of the other four women listed in the article remained unsolved. One of these women was Genevieve Tetpon.

Police initially thought they were on the right path to solving Genevieve’s murder, but they hit a dead end and had nowhere else to turn. Finally, in 2009, a new cold-case detective looked at Genevieve’s file, and what he found turned the case on its head.

Sources:

Fatal Frontier: Evil in Alaska. Season 1. Episode 6. Murder in Winter.

Hopkins, Kyle. 2-4-2011. Suspect arrested in 2000 stabbing death. Available at: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/suspect-arrested-2000-stabbing-death/2011/02/05/

Edge, Josh. 2-4-2011. Alaska Public Media. Man Charged with Nearly 11-Year-Old Murder. Available at: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2011/02/04/man-charged-with-nearly-11-year-old-murder/

Dziemianowicz, Joe. 11-28-2021. Strange Emails Lead To Arrest In Cold Case Murder Of Alaskan Native Woman. Oxygen True Crime. Crime News. Available at: https://www.oxygen.com/fatal-frontier-evil-in-alaska/crime-nesws/how-genevieve-tetpon-cold-case-was-solved

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now Available

______________________________________________

Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

I have 25 promo codes available for this audiobook. If you would like a code, send me an email.

these are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Listen to a New Podcast from the Members of Author Masterminds

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

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

_________

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!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

On a cold February night in 1921, Jack Sturgus, Anchorage's first police chief, patrolled downtown Anchorage. He strolled past local businessman Oscar Anderson at 9:00 P.M., and they exchanged pleasantries, but what happened over the next few minutes constitutes one of the biggest mysteries in Anchorage history. At 9:30 P.M., night watchman John McNutt discovered Sturgus lying in an alley behind the Anchorage Drug Store and the Liberty Café near Fourth Avenue and E Street. Sturgus was bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The watchman summoned help, and several men carried Sturgus to the hospital. Sturgus kept mumbling about being cold and needing to be turned over. In the hospital, he complained about the bright lights. He repeatedly called, 'Oh, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby." but when asked who shot him, he did not reply. Sturgus died at 10:50 P.M.

 

Who murdered Jack Sturgus? A hard look back into history reveals several possible suspects. Still, authorities never arrested anyone for his murder, and until now, no one has ever answered the question of who shot Jack Sturgus. Recent in-depth research by two Anchorage history buffs brings us as close as we will ever be to knowing what happened between 9:00 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. on February 20, 1921, in a back alley in the newly incorporated city of Anchorage, Alaska.

 

 

Sources:

Koenig, Laura and Goodfellow, Rick. 2-18-21. The Life and Once-Mysterious Death of Anchorage's First Police Chief. Cook Inlet Historical Society Lecture. Anchorage Museum. https://www.crowdcast.io/e/4592q90u

Reamer, David. Who killed Anchorage's first police chief? Nearly 100 years later, it's still a mystery. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/01/13/who-killed-anchorages-first-police-chief-nearly-100-years-later-its-still-a-mystery/

Accesswire. 2-19-2021. A Hundred Years Later, Shooter Is Identified in Death of First Anchorage Police Chief. https://apnews.com/press-release/accesswire/alaska-homicide-anchorage-shootings-police-1c3c0a5a199196c0224363f53b0a56c3

1812Blockhouse. 1-13-2021. Richland Roots: The Mysterious Shooting of Jack Sturgis. History and Tourism. https://1812blockhouse.com/history-tourism/richland-roots-the-mysterious-shooting-of-jack-sturges/

Our Haunted Hotel: Where Ghosts Are More than Just Stories. The Historic Anchorage Hotel. https://www/historicanchoragehotel.com/

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Available for Pre-Order

Karluk Bones Audiobook is Now Available

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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.

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

Join her on:

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Twitter

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Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com

Check out her books at Author Masterminds

_________

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

David Grunwald

Any murder represents a level of greed, lust, or stupidity abhorrent to most humans, but when a child murders another child, the depravity reaches a new low. It is a sign of a rip in our society's moral fabric when a teenager thinks murder is the best way to handle a petty fight with his friend. I do not like to read or write stories about kids killing kids, but I also do not feel it is acceptable to look the other way. The problem won't simply disappear if we ignore it. Two horrible incidents of teen murderers have occurred in Alaska in the last few years, and in this episode, I will profile one of them.

 

 

Sources:

12-7-2016. Docs: Alaska teen was walked into woods, shot execution-style. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/david-grunwald-docs-alaska-teen-was-walked-into-woods-shot-execution-style-suspect/

5-24-2018. The details in the Grunwald killing fell into place one early December day in 2016 – Investigators lured suspects to a Palmer hotel, found the 16-year-old's body, and arrested the first teen charged with the killing – all in the same day, according to testimony. Anchorage Daily News. https://adn.newsbank.com/doc/news/16C1DF6C34370508?Search_terms

12-27-2018. Deliberations begin in murder trial of second teen charged in Grunwald slaying – Was Dominic Johnson the catalyst that triggered the killing, or was he not even in the car that drove David Grunwald to his death? Anchorage Daily News. https://adn.newsbank.com/doc/news/17090E308AECB8f0?search_terms

Hollander, Zaz. 10-1-2019. Teen on trial for murder of David Grunwald recounts moments leading up to shooting. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2019/10/01/teen-on-trial-for-murder-of-david-grunwald-recounts-moments-leading-up-to-his-death/

10-8-2019. Jury delivers 8 guilty verdicts in Alaska teen murder trial. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/e60bbefa195a47129048307f499f8d9c

Hollander, Zaz. 10-9-2019. Third teen convicted of murder in David Grunwald's 2016 killing. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2019/10/08/third-teen-convicted-of-murder-in-david-grunwalds-2016-killing/

Clark, Taylor. 2-5-2020. Fourth suspect in David Grunwald murder case pleads guilty to murder, kidnapping. Alaska's News Source. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Fourth-suspect-in-David-Grunwald-murder-case-pleads-guilty-to-murder-in-second-degree-567600251.html

Hollander, Zaz. 11-20-2020. First defendant sentenced in Palmer teen's 2016 murder gets 45 years during emotional live-streamed hearing. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2020/11/20/first-defendant-sentenced-in-palmer-teens-2016-murder-gets-45-years-during-emotional-live-streamed-hearing/

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Coming Soon

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.

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

Join her on:

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Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com

Check out her books at Author Masterminds

_________

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!

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.

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

Join her on:

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Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com

Check out her books at Author Masterminds

_________

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!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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

An electrician found the badly beaten and defiled body of 48-year-old Martha Hansen behind the Elks Club on 3rd 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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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.

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

_________

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!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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

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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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.

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

_________

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!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________

Erin Marie Gilbert

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

Jonnie Renee White

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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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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