Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier

Most parents can imagine no nightmare worse than the disappearance of a child, but how can a parent possibly cope when both of their children vanish, swallowed by the Alaska wilderness? Sometime during the late-night hours of Sept. 5 or the early morning hours of Sept. 6, 1978, Scott Fandel, 13, and Amy Fandel, 8, disappeared from their Sterling, Alaska home on the Kenai Peninsula, 136 miles (218.9 km) south of Anchorage. The mystery of what happened to the Fandel children has baffled Alaska State Troopers for over four decades. How can two kids vanish from their home without a trace? Age Progression ________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

If you want to murder someone, consider inviting them on a cruise. With little law enforcement oversight and a fear of negative publicity, cruise ship officials often prefer to look the other way and ignore unpleasantness on one of their vessels. Cruise ship officers have even been accused of covering up murder scenes or pretending missing passengers never existed. Cruise ships play an essential role in the tourism industry in Alaska. Cruise ships boost the economy of a handful of port towns in the state, and overland excursion packages tied to the cruise lines provide money to many interior regions of Alaska. While cruise ships are not the best way to visit the state's wild, remote regions, they offer a comfortable, easy way to get a feel for the 49th state. Many people think cruise ships provide a much safer way to travel, but do they? When Kenneth and Kristy Manzanares decided to celebrate their eighteenth wedding anniversary with a family cruise to Alaska, they probably looked forward to a relaxing week with their daughters and other family members. Instead, the trip ended in a bloody murder, and by the time the ordeal was over, their daughters had lost both of their parents. ____________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

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! _________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

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! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

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! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

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. Jordan Joplin 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! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

People move to the Alaska wilderness either because they enjoy solitude and crave a subsistence lifestyle or because they wish to escape society. People who fall into this second category are either misfits who don’t know how or don’t want to blend in with others, or they are criminals, seeking to escape arrest and hoping to disappear into the vast wilderness. Many of my episodes have dealt with individuals who ran to Alaska from a life of crime elsewhere. They might have hoped to turn their lives around but instead, most brought their problems and psychopathic tendencies with them. Until Memorial Day weekend in 1997, Paul Stavenjord seemed to have succeeded at escaping his criminal past, but then something in him snapped, leaving two people dead and forever altering the course of Stavenjord’s life. Sources: Brennan, Tom, 2003. Murder at 40 Below. Chapter 7: “The bank robber next door.” 2001. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press. Court of Appeals of Alaska, no. A-7418. Stavenjord v. State. March 28, 2003. Ice Cold Killers. Season 1, Episode 3: “Mountain man.” Menerey, Amy. “Convicted murderer’s appeal denied.” April 8, 2003. Mat Su Valley Frontiersman. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ COMING SOON! __________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ 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! ________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

As a state, Alaska has never had the death penalty. It was abolished in 1957, two years before Alaska became the 49th state in the union. However, from 1869 until 1957, twelve male felons were hanged for murder, robbery, and other crimes. This is the story about the unequal application of the death penalty in Alaska and why capital punishment was abolished in the state. Sources: Heaton, John W. Outlaw Tales of Alaska. “Fred Hardy.”2015. Guilford, CT. Rowman & Littlefield. Green, Melissa S. “A History of the Death Penalty in Alaska.” July 20, 2001. UAA Justice Center Website. Green, Melissa S. “The Death Penalty in Alaska.” Winter, 2009. Alaska Justice Forum. Kiffer, Dave. “Abolition of Alaska’s Death Penalty.” October 15, 2005. Sitnews. Lerman, Averil. “The Trial and Hanging of Nelson Charles.” Spring, 1996. Alaska Justice Forum. ______________________________________________________________________________________ COMING SOON! __________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVEL, CHECK OUT MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

Anchorage, Alaska, is the small plane capital of the world, and flying in Alaska is a thrilling experience where you can view spectacular scenery and reach remote lakes, rivers, and stretches of wilderness that are inaccessible by road. For the commercial pilots who fly these small planes, though, the job can be stressful at times, and they must depend on their skills and common sense. Commercial pilots in Alaska have a tough job, but near the bottom of a pilot’s list of concerns is the fear he will be murdered on the job. After all, who would want to kill his pilot? Sources: “Duryea v. State.” Court of Appeals No. A-6964. Court of Appeals of Alaska. Any Law. Rinehart, Steve. “Sniper fire kills pilot man who called plane in custody.” May 18, 1983. Anchorage Daily News. Sullivan, Patty. “Judge sentences killer to 50 years.” January 14, 1998. Anchorage Daily News. “William Duryea v. State of Alaska, Department of Corrections, and Joseph Schmidt, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections.” July 16, 2012. THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT AT PALMER. _____________________________________________________________________________________ NOW AVAILABLE THE AUDIOBOOK OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

On the evening of July 7th, 1979, a plane disappeared near Kodiak Island in fair weather and moderate seas. News agencies in Alaska reported little about the missing plane and its occupants. Although reports of the apparent fatal crash made more of a splash in Great Britain, official sources offered no comment about the loss of a man who had done so much to protect Britain against the USSR during the Cold War. Even now, the disappearance of Ian Mackintosh is cloaked in secrecy, and many wonder if he died in the plane crash or if the accident was a cover story, allowing Mackintosh to disappear. The 2012 book, The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian Mackintosh by Robert G. Folsom explores everything the author could uncover about a brilliant man's secret life and mysterious disappearance. Sources Folsom, Robert G. The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian Mackintosh.2012. Washington, D.C. Potomac Books, Inc. Mackintosh, Lawrie. “My brother, Ian Mackintosh.” OpsRoom.Org. MacLeod, Calum. “Did spy writer’s disappearance mirror his fiction?” January 3, 2013. John O’Groat Journal and Caithness Courier. Ian Mackintosh. Check-Six.Com. ________________________________________________________________________________________ NOW AVAILABLE THE AUDIOBOOK OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

You might be familiar with the recent National Geographic documentary series, Alaska State Troopers. The show followed several troopers from different areas of the state as they made their daily rounds. Two of the troopers featured on the show were Sergeant Patrick “Scott” Johnson and Gabriel “Gabe” Rich. Both men worked out of the Alaska State Troopers’ Fairbanks Rural Service Unit. A camera crew was not with the men on the fateful day of May 1st, 2014. Sources Chomicz, Dorothy. “Kangas found guilty of evidence tampering in Alaska State Trooper deaths.” April 23, 2015. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Chomicz, Dorothy. Arvin Kangas sentenced in case related to Alaska StateTrooper killings.” September 3, 2015. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Chomicz, Dorothy. “Courtroom tenses as Nathanial Kangas murder trial gets underway.” May 9, 2016. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Chomicz, Dorothy. “Pilot describes scene in Tanana minutes after troopers killed.” May 10, 2016. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Edge, Josh. “Man convicted in Tanana trooper killings sentenced to 203 years in prison.” November 3, 2016. Alaska Public Media. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOW AVAILABLE THE AUDIOBOOK OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

This story has all the elements of a Greek tragedy or a Shakespearean play, and it could easily inspire the plot of a movie or a mystery novel. Unfortunately, this is a true drama, and the outcome deprived children of their father and a wife of her new husband. We will never know how this event truly ended. The last few moments aboard the R66 helicopter and the pilot’s mindset will remain a mystery. Did Andy Teuber’s helicopter crash into the Gulf of Alaska because he purposely flew it into the ocean, sparing his family and himself the embarrassment of a tawdry, drawn-out court case that could land him in prison? Or was Teuber distracted and perhaps taking chances he wouldn’t usually take because he was rushing to get home to his family in Kodiak before the news media broke the story about his messy affair? Some people believe the Anchorage Daily News, the largest newspaper in Alaska, bears a portion of the blame for Teuber’s tragic death. If the paper hadn’t rushed to print a story about Teuber before carefully fact-checking it, perhaps Andy Teuber would still be alive. Sources Downing, Suzanne. “‘He said, she said’: Was this a case of journalistic murder?” March 3, 2021. Must Read Alaska. Hopkins, Kyle and Boots, Michelle T. “ANTHC boss resigned after employee accused him of ‘unrelenting’ abuse.” March 2, 2021. Anchorage Daily News. Herz, Nathaniel. “Alaska’s top tribal health executive, Andy Teuber, has resigned. February 23, 2021. Alaska Public Media – Anchorage. Hollander, Zac. “Alaska health executive’s helicopter crashed during flight to reach family before report on allegations of sexual misconduct, pilot tells NTSB.” March 23, 2021. Anchorage Daily News. Hollander, Zac. “Missing Alaska health executive’s ‘death by accident’ verdict leaves questions surrounding helicopter crash.” April 28, 2021. Anchorage Daily News. Medred, Craig. “Speed kills.” March 24, 2021. Craig Medred News. Rivera, Daniella. “NTSB: Investigation into missing helicopter might not include examination of wreckage.” March 3, 2021. KTUU. Simard, Dylan. “Mask burning ceremony held in honor of Andy Teuber.” June 1, 2022. KMXT. Smith, Valerie. “Never found: the disappearance and presumed death of Alaska’s Andy Teuber and everything that led up to his Robinson R66 crash on March 2, 2021.” September 26, 2022. Writing by Valerie. Accident Number: ANC21LA020. National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOW AVAILABLE THE AUDIOBOOK OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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 ...

Gary Zieger, a brutal serial killer, stalked the streets of Anchorage in the early 1970s. We’ll never know how many people Zieger killed, but eventually, the psychopath made a fatal mistake. Sources Brennan, Tom. Cold Crime. Chapter 8: “Alaska’s Billy the Kid.” 2005. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press. Gordon, Mike. “The hired gun.” March 26, 2014. Turnagain Currents. Hale, Leland. “The lonesome death of Beth van Zanten: The killer is killed.” October 17, 2018. Butcher Baker. Hale, Leland. “Lonesome death of Beth van Zanten: Whodunnit.” October 18, 2018. Butcher Baker. __________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Now Available Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

Neighbors suspected Elmer Haab was up to no good, and when his wife, Bonnie, mysteriously disappeared, they feared Elmer had done something to her. Alaska State Troopers also found the disappearance of Bonnie Haab suspicious, but with no body, there was little they could do. Sources: Anderson, Dianne. “Haab leads troopers to pyre where he burned wife’s body.” July 17, 1969. Anchorage Daily Times. Anderson, Diane. “Man admits he cremated body of his wife.” July 16, 1969. Anchorage Daily Times. Anderson, Dianne. “The last time he saw Bonnie, her face was bruised and bleeding.” July 7, 19, 1969. Anchorage Daily Times. Brennan, Tom. Cold Crime. Chapter 2: “Mystery of Mendeltna Lodge.” 2005. Kenmore, WA. Epicenter Press. Drebert, Richard. “Ashes on the Mendeltna.” Cache of Grace. Maguire, Sean. “The Mendeltna Creek Lodge near Glenallen has burned down.” KTUU News. Webster, Dave. “Police crack theft ring; three sought.” February 22, 1968. Anchorage Daily Times. Webster, Dave. “Suspect in theft ring is arrested.” February 23, 1968. Anchorage Daily Times. “Elmer Haab nabbed by Arizona Sheriff.” April 10, 1968. Anchorage Daily Times. “Haab sent to Arizona.” September 4, 1969. Anchorage Daily Times. “Police jail theft suspect.” March 15, 1968. Anchorage Daily Times. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

Plane crashes are far too common in Alaska, and many of these accidents are due, at least in part, to poor weather conditions. If commercial pilots refused to fly in marginal weather, though, they would not make money because the weather is often bad in Alaska. For those of us who live or work in remote areas, we must fly in small planes, and we can’t always pick our weather. Mysteries abound in Alaska about airplanes that took off and were never seen again. The following is a story of one of the most famous airplane disappearances in the history of the state. Sources: Alpert, Bruce. “Author writes about disappearance of plane carrying Hale Boggs 43 years ago over Alaska.” June 16, 2015. Nola.com. Glass, Andrew. “Hale Boggs’ plane vanishes in Alaska.” October 16, 1972. Politico. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hale-boggs-plane vanishes-in-alaska-oct-16-1972-229692 Liefer, Gregory P. 2011. Aviation Mysteries of the North. Chapter 16: “Accident or conspiracy?” Publication Consultants: Anchorage. “New podcast Missing in Alaska takes on 50-year-old mysterious plane disappearance.” May 21, 2020. Inside Radio. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Listen to a new podcast! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

The U.S. military defines a “Broken Arrow” as an “unexpected event involving nuclear weapons that result in the accidental launching, firing, detonating, theft, or loss of the weapon.” The first Broken Arrow event occurred in 1950 during a mission from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. Questions still surround this event and the mystery of what happened to the B-36 aircraft and the Mark IV atomic bomb it carried. Map Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada Sources Adams, Sharon. “The lost nuke of British Columbia.” January 26, 2022. Legion. Wreckage Clearwater, John M. “The first one to get away.” November/December 2004. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Liefer, Gregory P. Chapter 12: “Broken Arrow.” 2011. Anchorage, AK. Publication Consultants. Roos, Dave. “’Broken Arrow’: When the first U.S. atomic bomb went missing.” January 13, 2020. History. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

After a string of murders of young women near Fairbanks in the late 1970s and early ’80s, the abductions and murders mysteriously stopped. Troopers didn’t believe the vicious killer had suddenly halted his murder spree, but they feared the predator had moved somewhere else. Unfortunately, at the time, they had no database to track the killer’s movements beyond Alaska. Only the deductive reasoning and hard work of seasoned investigators traced the monster to his new hunting grounds, four thousand miles away. Sources: Brennan, Tom. Murder at 40 Below. Chapter 9: “Having trouble with girls.” 2001. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press. Capps, Kris. “Bunday never denied he was killer, trooper recalls.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Capps, Kris. “Bunday was suspect in 1980.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Fisher, Susan. “Authorities were awaiting more facts.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Ice Cold Killers. Season 1, episode 5: “North Pole slay ride.” “Troopers release summary of Thomas Bunday murder case.” April 29, 1983. Fairbanks Pioneer All Alaska Weekly. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ For this offer, go to https://publication consultants.com At checkout, request an autographed copy, and you will receive a 30% discount. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

Trailer for Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier Welcome to Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Listen to tales of true crime and mystery in Alaska. What evil lay in store for the residents of McCarthy, Alaska, when they gathered to meet their weekly mail plane? Did infamous serial killer Robert Hansen fly his victims into the wilderness and hunt them just as he had hunted the trophy animals hanging on the walls of his home? Who slaughtered the Coulthurst family and their crew on the Fishing Vessel Investor and then set fire to the boat? Who kidnapped the Fandel children? What horrors awaited the residents of Manley Hot Springs when they visited the boat landing? Why did a young man in Palmer, Alaska, attack his father and his girlfriend with a machete? Was the disappearance of the plane carrying Representatives Hale Boggs and Nick Begich an accident or something much more sinister? Why do so many people step into the Alaska wilderness and disappear? What is the Alaska Triangle, and is there any evidence that it actually exists? I invite you to listen to Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier and hear these and many other tales about the dark side of Alaska. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read More Alaska Murder and Mystery ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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

A wealthy, powerful man, a beautiful widow, a scandalous affair, a murder, and a suicide: This true-life crime drama had it all, except for the answer to the question: Who killed Cecil Wells? Sources Bartlett, James T. The Alaskan Blonde. 2022. North Haven, CT. Territory Books. Johnny Warren Reamer, David. “In 1953, Cecil Wells was a rich and powerful Alaska Businessman. His murder made headlines nationwide.” August 30, 2020. Anchorage Daily News. “Wells, Cecil M.” Alaskahisitory.org. Anchorage 1910 – 1940. Legends and Legacies. https://www.alaskahistory.org/biographies/wells-cecil-m/ For more information on this case: Read The Alaskan Blonde by James Bartlett https://www.amazon.com/Alaskan-Blonde-Secrets-Hollywood-Shocked/dp/0984973028/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PUC5AS77DQ9&keywords=The+Alaskan+Blonde&qid=1700280903&s=books&sprefix=the+alaskan+blonde%2Cstripbooks%2C192&sr=1-1 Check out The Alaskan Blonde Website Watch my interview with James Bartlett, the author of The Alaskan Blonde. ________________________________________________________________________________ Read More Alaska Murder and Mystery _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store

Manley Hot Springs, located 160 miles west of Fairbanks, marks the end of the road, where civilization meets wilderness, and the boat landing in Manley Hot Springs offers the last portage for fishermen, trappers, and wanderers to launch their boats and travel further up the icy Tanana River. Because the road ends in Manley, residents admit they see their share of drifters and people trying to escape from somewhere or something. When Michael Silka arrived in Manley on Monday, May 13, 1984, folks accepted him as another straggler searching for a new life. They should have been terrified. Michael Silka was about to forever change sleepy Manley Hot Springs. Sources: Brenan, Tom. Murder at 40 Below. Chapter 8: "Manley Hot Springs Murders." 2001. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press. Hall, Jeff. "Michael Alan Silka and the firefight at Manley." Tactical Life magazine. Ice Cold Killers. Season 1, episode 5: "Frozen carnage." Murderpedia. "Michael Alan Silka." n.d. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Read More Alaska Murder and Mystery _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin _________________________________________________________________________________________ Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. 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! Visit the Store