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Spate of violent crime in Fairbanks, including 2 homicides, prompts special investigative detail from Alaska State Troopers

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Spate of violent crime in Fairbanks, including 2 homicides, prompts special investigative detail from Alaska State Troopers


An evening view of the Chena River and downtown Fairbanks on January 31, 2023. (Marc Lester / ADN)

A series of violent crimes in Fairbanks, all in the past month, has prompted the Alaska State Troopers to deploy a team of investigators from Anchorage and Mat-Su to focus on several unsolved cases and ongoing searches for suspects.

Two people were killed in Fairbanks in cases reported within an hour of each other early Saturday. A few days earlier, authorities say, someone fired shots at two trucks involved in a gold-hauling operation in the Fairbanks area. And the search continues for an 18-year-old wanted on murder charges in the death of a teenager at a Fairbanks party in late October.

The decision to send investigators as well as support staff from Southcentral to the Interior city comes in response to “the level of violent criminal activity in Fairbanks in such a short period of time,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel said Tuesday.

The troopers are the lead investigative agency on all four of the cases and are adding to their existing staffing. The agency’s post in Fairbanks includes a major crime unit composed of a sergeant and six investigators, McDaniel said. The total additional staffing is under a dozen people, he said.

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Troopers made a fairly immediate arrest in one of the homicides on Saturday: Brooklyn Whitman, 27, is charged with first-degree murder. Whitman is accused of firing a pistol through an apartment door, killing a woman who lived there with several young children, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. The two had been involved in a relationship; the woman’s neighbors described hearing prior altercations and Whitman banging on the door that morning, the complaint said.

The other homicide that morning remains unsolved: 37-year-old Michael Boyd was found dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked near a gas station in the Farmer’s Loop area, troopers said in an online dispatch. Boyd died of a gunshot wound, McDaniel said Tuesday.

Troopers are also involved in two ongoing searches for suspects in attempted murder and murder cases over the past month.

The agency is asking for assistance finding the occupant or occupants of a white Honda Pilot they say fired shots at two Black Gold Transport trucks on the Richardson Highway and near the Steese Highway and Chena Hot Springs Road last week.

They also continue to search for 18-year-old Darius Morgan, wanted on a $1 million warrant for murder in the death of a 15-year-old at a house party on Oct. 25. Witnesses saw him brandishing a black pistol at the party before the teen was shot, according to a criminal complaint filed in that case. Morgan was convicted of second-degree robbery last year and was not supposed to possess any weapons, the complaint said.

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It’s possible Morgan is still in Fairbanks or is in Anchorage or the Southcentral area, McDaniel said Tuesday. He is considered armed and dangerous, and anyone who sees him should call 911 rather than approaching him, he said.

The violent crime detail in Fairbanks is part of a change the Alaska Bureau of Investigation made several years ago for unsolved homicides and other serious violent crimes like sexual assaults, McDaniel said. Instead of assigning a small team of case officers to run an investigation, he said, troopers deploy extra investigative resources to make progress more quickly.

“Everyone who wasn’t actively working on their own dynamic violent crime that had time sensitivity was either physically pulled up here or working on other supportive aspects,” McDaniel said. He said some investigators are prepared to stay in Fairbanks “for a significant amount of time.”

Anyone with information about the recent crimes in the Fairbanks area is asked to contact troopers at 907-451-5100.





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Alaska

National Native helpline for domestic violence and sexual assault to open Alaska-specific service

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National Native helpline for domestic violence and sexual assault to open Alaska-specific service


A national support line for Native survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault has begun work to launch an Alaska-specific service. Strong Hearts Native Helpline is a Native-led nonprofit that offers 24-hour, seven-day-a-week support for anonymous and confidential calls from people who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault. The line is staffed by Native […]



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Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska

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Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Up to a foot of snow has fallen in areas across Southcentral as of Tuesday, with more expected into Wednesday morning.

All sports and after-school activities — except high school basketball and hockey activities — were canceled Tuesday for the Anchorage School District. The decision was made to allow crews to clear school parking lots and manage traffic for snow removal, district officials said.

“These efforts are critical to ensuring schools can safely remain open [Wednesday],” ASD said in a statement.

The Anchorage Police Department’s accident count for the past two days shows there have been 55 car accidents since Monday, as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, there have been 86 vehicles in distress reported by the department.

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Snow measuring up to 17 inches deep in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 6, 2026.(Alaska’s News Source)

The snowfall — which has brought up to 13 inches along areas of Turnagain Arm and 12 inches in Wasilla — is expected to continue Tuesday, according to latest forecast models. Numerous winter weather alerts are in effect, and inland areas of Southcentral could see winds up to 25 mph, with coastal areas potentially seeing winds over 45 mph.

Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected...
Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected through the day.(Alaska’s News Source)

Some areas of Southcentral could see more than 20 inches of snowfall by Wednesday, with the Anchorage and Eagle River Hillsides, as well as the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountain, among the areas seeing the most snowfall.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com



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Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt

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Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt


Sen. Rob Yundt

On January 3, 2026, Districts 27 and 28 of the Alaska Republican Party received formal charges against Senator Rob Yundt pursuant to Article VII of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.

According to the Alaska Republican Party Rules: “Any candidate or elected official may be sanctioned or censured for any of the following
reasons:
(a) Failure to follow the Party Platform.
(b) Engagement in any activities prohibited by or contrary to these rules or RNC Rules.
(c) Failure to carry out or perform the duties of their office.
(d) Engaging in prohibited discrimination.
(e) Forming a majority caucus in which non-Republicans are at least 1/3 or more of the
coalition.
(f) Engaging in other activities that may be reasonably assessed as bringing dishonor to
the ARP, such as commission of a serious crime.”

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Party Rules require the signatures of at least 3 registered Republican constituents for official charges to be filed. The formal charges were signed by registered Republican voters and District N constitutions Jerad McClure, Thomas W. Oels, Janice M. Norman, and Manda Gershon.

Yundt is charged with “failure to adhere and uphold the Alaska Republican Party Platform” and “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles and priorities of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.” The constituents request: “Senator Rob Yundt be provided proper notice of the charges and a full and fair opportunity to respond; and that, upon a finding by the required two-thirds (2/3) vote of the District Committees that the charges are valid, the Committees impose the maximum sanctions authorized under Article VII.”

If the Party finds Yundt guilty of the charges, Yundt may be disciplined with formal censure by the Alaska Republican Party, declaration of ineligibility for Party endorsement, withdrawal of political support, prohibition from participating in certain Party activities, and official and public declaration that Yundt’s conduct and voting record contradict the Party’s values and priorities.

Reasons for the charges are based on Yundt’s active support of House Bill 57, Senate Bill 113, and Senate Bill 92. Constituents who filed the charges argue that HB 57 opposes the Alaska Republican Party Platform by “expanding government surveillance and dramatically increasing education spending;” that SB 113 opposes the Party’s Platform by “impos[ing] new tax burdens on Alaskan consumers and small businesses;” and that SB 92 opposes the Party by “proposing a targeted 9.2% tax on major private-sector energy producer supplying natural gas to Southcentral Alaska.” Although the filed charges state that SB 92 proposes a 9.2% tax, the bill actually proposes a 9.4% tax on income from oil and gas production and transportation.

Many Alaskan conservatives have expressed frustration with Senator Yundt’s legislative decisions. Some, like Marcy Sowers, consider Yundt more like “a tax-loving social justice warrior” than a conservative.

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