Friends and family describe Vladimir Petrovich Kostenko as a seeker, a man searching for the meaning of life and hoping to find his place and purpose in the universe. Alaska, with its raw, untamed wilderness, is a place popular for “seekers” trying to find themselves, calm their minds, and even attain spiritual enlightenment. Unfortunately, though, many of these dreamers have no idea how to survive in the harsh environment of the northern wilderness. Alaska is often breathtaking, beautiful, and peaceful, but it can also be a fierce monster waiting for you to make a fatal mistake. Chris McCandless either starved to death or ate something poisonous during his quest for enlightenment, and Timothy Treadwell felt he was “at one” with the bears until one killed him and ate him. The Alaska environment

demands respect from those who travel there, and if you neglect to respect the wilderness, you will be lucky to survive. Was Vladimir Kostenko an ill-prepared “seeker,” or did something more sinister happen to him?

Sources:

Vladimir Petrovich Kostenko. The Charley Project. http://Charleyproject.org/case/Vladimir-petrovich-kostenko

Washington man missing after spiritual quest to Alaska’s Hatcher Pass. 10/19/2019. Pacific Northwest https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2019/10/washington-man-missing-after-spiritual-quest-to-alaskas-hatcher-pass.html

Medred, Craig. 10/19/2019. Gone Guy. Craig Medred. A Home for Readers and Thinkers. https://craigmedred.news/2019/10/19/gone-guy-2/

Medred, Craig. 10/21/2019. $60 Million Man. Craig Medred. A Home for Readers and Thinkers. https://craigmedred.news/2019/10/21/60-million-man/

Wasilla Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Defraud Alaska Consumers. 8/15/2019. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/pr/wasilla-man-sentenced-federal-prison-scheme-defraud-alaska-consumers

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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.