Within the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, there are two units focused on investigating unresolved homicides that occur within the Alaska State Troopers’ area of responsibility. ABI established a Cold Case Investigative Unit (CCIU) in 2002, which has been staffed by retired troopers or former police officers. Since its founding, the highly experienced and capable investigators who have been assigned to this unit have also acted as a resource for mentoring less experienced investigators within AST. In 2022, ABI established the state’s first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) unit, which is solely focused on investigating unresolved homicides and suspicious missing persons cases involving Alaska Natives or American Indians victims. 

The Alaska State Troopers consider a homicide to be an unresolved homicide and eligible for investigation by either the CCIU or MMIP investigators when it remains unsolved for five years or more after being reported and has no viable unexplored investigatory leads. Additionally, cases may be designated as cold cases earlier if all leads are exhausted and approved by the ABI Commander. In addition to the unresolved homicides within AST jurisdiction, CCIU or MMIP investigators can assist and conduct investigations, upon request, from local police agencies with approval from the Colonel of the Alaska State Troopers.

DPS maintains two publicly available lists associated related to unresolved homicide investigations. Each quarter, it proactively publishes a quarterly list of all missing Alaska Natives, American Indians, and individuals whose race law enforcement does not know. This list includes the circumstances of each missing person’s case, including identifying any as suspicious. This report is available online here. Additionally, below is a list of every unresolved homicide that the Alaska Bureau of Investigation is aware of that was initially investigated by the State Troopers or has been formally adopted from a local police department. Cases may be removed from the unresolved homicide list if the case has been accepted for prosecution by a state or federal prosecutor.

If anyone has information regarding any of the unresolved homicide cases, please contact the Alaska Bureau of Investigation (ABI) at 907-269-5611, or you can submit an anonymous tip through the AKTips smartphone app or online here.