Alaska is a land of mystery, danger, stunning beauty, and valuable resources. Over the decades, fortune seekers have been drawn to Alaska in search of gold, oil, fish, and crab. These fortune seekers are usually young men with little to lose and big dreams of becoming rich. Throughout Alaska’s history, a wave of crime has followed each economic boom, and in my podcast, I will tell you these stories of crime while I share a little about the rich cultural history and geography of this complex state I call home.
https://murder-in-the-last-frontier.blubrry.net
Finding the Murderer of Jessica Baggen
When a small Alaska town loses one of its children, the entire community grieves, and when a monster brutally rapes, murders, and discards that child, the residents cry out for answers and justice. In the case of Jessica Baggen, the folks in the community of Sitka, Alaska, would not have those answers for twenty-four years.
Sources
Boots, Michelle T. 8-11-2020. Suspect in 1996 cold-case murder of Sitka girl killed himself last week in Arkansas, troopers say. Anchorage Daily News. Available at https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2020/08/11/troopers-announce-theyve-identified-killer-in-1996-sitka-cold-case-murder-of-teenage-girl-arkansas-suspect-kills-himself/#:~:text=When%20cold%20case%20investigators%20traveled,the%20Alaska%20State%20Troopers%20Tuesday.
Boots, Michelle T. 9-9-2020. 23 years ago, Alaska tried the wrong man for the murder of a Sitka teenager. Now police say they’ve found the real killer. Why wasn’t he a suspect all along? Available at https://www.ktoo.org/2020/09/09/23-years-ago-the-state-of-alaska-tried-the-wrong-man-for-the-murder-of-a-sitka-teenager-now-police-say-theyve-found-the-real-killer-why-wasnt-he-a-suspect-all-along/
1996 Cold Case Solved: Jessica Baggen Killer Identified Through DNA. Public Information Office. Alaska Department of Public Safety. Available at https://dps.alaska.gov/AST/PIO/PressReleases/1996-Cold-Case-Solved-Jessica-Baggen-Killer-Ident
Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. It can also accuse the wrong person. 11-7-2019. PBS News Hour. Available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/genetic-genealogy-can-help-solve-cold-cases-it-can-also-accuse-the-wrong-person
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I 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.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds
____________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW BOOK RELEASE
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.