• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About the author and her website
  • References
  • Archives
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Page

Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

  • My Research Method
  • How to search for cases
  • Cold Case Database
    • Index
      • Cases Index A-G
      • Cases Index H-N
      • Cases Index O-Z
    • Summaries
      • Case Summaries A-G
      • Case Summaries H-N
      • Case Summaries O-Z
  • Case of the Month: Rita Hester
  • Book Reviews
You are here: Home / Cold Case News / Sophie Sergie: evidence hearing

Sophie Sergie: evidence hearing

February 2, 2021 By Alice

Sophie Sergie
Sophie Sergie

Yesterday, an evidence hearing took place in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Crime

Steven H. Downs (now 46) faces two felony counts for Sophie’s murder. According to the authorities, Sophie was shot in the back of her head with a .22-caliber gun. Police found such a caliber gun in Downs’ dorm room. I have not read anywhere yet that Downs’ gun has been established as the murder weapon. It is the same type though.

Sophie had also been stabbed in both eyes. What instrument was used to inflict this horrific violence isn’t clear. Also not clear yet, what kind of blunt instrument was used to hit her on her head.

When a janitor found her, Sophie was gagged with some sort of ligature (no details as of yet) and she had also been shocked with a stun gun.

All in all, an overkill on violence that usually indicates a very personal attack on the victim.

Evidence

What ties Downs to Sophie’s murder is DNA. “Downs semen was found in the victim’s vagina” and that “was traced to Downs through a genetic mark on his mother’s side of his family.”

Sophie Sergie was murdered in the time that Downs himself was a student at Alaska State University. His room was one floor above the bathroom where Sophie was found. Downs, at the time of Sophie’s murder eighteen years old, claims that he has an alibi for the evening that Sophie was killed. He claims that he was with his then-girlfriend who had a dorm room one floor above his. However, the then-girlfriend told the authorities that she had a party in her room. Downs was there “intermittently.”

Motions

Downs is represented by James Howaniec. Howaniec filed several motions concerning:

  • Alaska State Trooper Randel McPherron’s interview with Downs
  • the gun found during the search of Downs’ home
  • Downs’ DNA from the saliva swab

In total, nine motions are filed and these hearings may take this whole week. All was scheduled for April 2020 but where postponed due to the pandemic.

The Case

On April 26, 1993, around 2pm, Sophie Sergie (20) was found dead by a janitor. Her body was in a bathtub in the second floor women’s restroom of Bartlett Hall, University of Alaska. She was raped and killed. The cause of death: a gunshot wound. The murder weapon was never found. Forensic tests revealed that her body had sat in the bathtub for up to 13 hours before she was found.

Sophie studied marine biology. She was not attending classes during the spring semester when she died. She led a quiet life, no risk behaviour. She had decided to take a year off from university and worked as a teacher’s assistant at the Pitkas Point School.

She flew to Fairbanks for a dental appointment and was supposed to fly back home to Pitkas Point afterwards. However, she decided to stay over in the Bartlett Hall dorm room of one of her best friends from back home, Shirley Wasuli.

To be continued.

Thank you for sharing!

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Cold Case News Tagged With: Alaska, DNA, Sophie Sergie

Primary Sidebar

Dina Fort

Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 325 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

Copyright

If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

Protected by Copyscape

Categories

Top Posts & Pages

  • Cold Case Database
  • Case of the Month: Hinterkaifeck
  • How to search for cases
  • Boy in the Box by Silvia Pettem
  • Gina Renee Hall partial remains found

Subscribe to DCC by email

Enter your email address to get new posts notifications in your inbox

RSS Unknown Feed

William Thomas Zeigler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.

Richard Lapointe

Category: ALL POSTS

In March 2015, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard lapointe. On Oct 2, 2015, International Wrongful Conviction Day, Richard was set free. The judge ruled that he cannot be retried for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin. Richard Lapointe died on Aug 4, 2020 of Covid19 complications.

In 1987, someone killed Bernice Martin. I hope that she will not become a forgotten file.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2009–2021 - Defrosting Cold Cases - All rights reserved · Hosting & WordPress: 3J WordPress Write Data

wordpress counter

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.