Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier

Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier


FTA: The Chulitna Charmer

April 24, 2024


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