Recent events have reminded us that we cannot always trust the police to protect us. In the U.S., though, bad policemen and women represent only a small minority of law enforcement. I feel I can turn to the police if I need help, and if I report a crime, I believe they will respond and investigate my claim. The police in Nome, Alaska, however, often did not take reports of sexual harassment seriously, especially claims made by Alaska Native women. The Nome Police Department had a serious problem, and it took the murder of a beautiful, 19-year-old woman to expose the ugly truth.

Sources:

Troopers whittle down murder suspects list. 10-22-2003. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Associate Press. Nome cop charged with murder. 10-27-2003. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Brant, Tataboline. 10-29-2003. Nome police must work to regain trust after officer charged with murder. Anchorage Daily News.https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2018/08/23/from-2003-nome-police-must-work-to-regain-trust-after-officer-charged-with-murder

Anchorage AP. 11-10-2003. Suspect demonstrated suspicious behavior. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-19-2005. Trial begins for officer charged with murder. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-21-2005. Officer killed woman, staged theft, court told. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 1-24-2005. Murder victim entered police car, women say. Whitehorse Daily Star.

2005. 2-23-2005. Jury to begin deliberations in Nome Murder Trial. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
      

Nome, Alaska, AP. 2-25-2005. Murder trial hears final arguments. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Tsong, Nicole. 3-2-2005. Jury foreman: majority voted to convict officer. Sitka Daily Sentinel.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 11-30-2005. Ex-officer on trial for the second time. Whitehorse Daily Star.

Anchorage, Alaska AP. 12-9-2005. Nome, family settle suit over woman’s murder. Sitka Daily Sentinel.

Nome, Alaska, AP. 4-21-2006. Ex-officer jailed 99 years for murder. Whitehorse Daily Star. Owens v. State. 3-3-2010. Court of Appeals of Alaska. Court of Appeals No. A-9640. Casetext. https://casetext.com/case/owens-v-state-590

Mackenzie, Victoria and Maye-E, Wong. 12-22-2019. In Nome, Alaska, Review of rape ‘cold cases’ hits a wall. The Spokesman Review.

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Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, and Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.