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Legislator Offers $5,000 RewardFor Information onmurdersJUNEAU (AP) — Outragedt Alaska’s high rape rate and he recent murders of five vomen in Fairbanks and An-horage, Rep. Lisa Rudd has ffered a $5,000 reward for in-ormation about the crimes.Ms. Rudd said Wednesday ;he will pay the money to the irst person who provides infor-nation leading to the con /iction of one of the murderers.In a speech from the House loor Ms. Rudd said that since January five women — three in \nchorage and two in Fair :anks — have been murdered and left along roadsides. Police nave said some of the women also were raped.“There is a plague of rape ir the state...a crime of violence not just a sexual assault, Ms Rudd said.She pointed to state statistics which show that Alaska’s rapt rate is higher than 48 other states and 75 percent above the national average. She said that last year an average of IS rapes were reported statewide each month.Based on FBI estimates that only one out of every 20 rapes is reported. Ms. Rudd saic there probably were 5,000 rapes in Alaska last year.Ms. Rudd said that when she recently was told about the five women who have been murdered — and some also raped — in the past five months, that was the final straw. She said the reward she is offering is money she had been saving to buy a new car.She said the five deaths are not thought to be connected.“As far as I can tell all these women had no connection that would lead them to be murdered,” Ms. Rudd said.The first murder occurred Jan. 7 when the body of 16-year-old Shelley Connolly was found about iO miles south ofAnchorage along the Seward Highway.The body of Shirley Mod-demeyer was found May 19 near her car in the woods in Eagle River. She had been shot and is believed to have been abducted from a downtown hotel parking lot.Edith Kakaruk, 23, of Anchorage was found murdered May 30 near her car in southeast Anchorage.The body of Doreen Titus, 22., of Fairbanks, was found along the Nenana Highway in February. Police said she died of a gunshot wound. Another Fairbanks woman. 36-year-old Mary Covington, was found along the same road in April. Police said she had been strangled.No arrests have been made and police are continuing their investigations. Ms. Rudd said information about any of the murders should be turned over to police or the district attorney's office.Ms. Moddemeyer held a sec-retarial-transcribing contract with the Capital Site Planning Commission prior to her murder. Rep. Bob Bradley, D-An-chorage and an ex-officio member of the panel, said Wednesday he Co mi tisMon plans to send letters to all the people she worked with — including the dozens of consultants and planners who worked for the commission — requesting donations to be added to the one offered by Ms. Rudd.Let the Colenel do the cookingfor the Salmon DerbyWeSaturday and SundayA)weekendsI? * Mcall-1night before and we'll have your order waiting and reattKentucky fried thicken104 Lake Street Sitka-by-the-SeaGood luck and Happy Eating for the Derby!
Newspaper Details
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka, Alaska, US
Thu, Jun 08, 1978
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Patricia B.
USA 12 Jun 2019
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