We called her the Pulaski County Jane Doe as for 40 years, we didn’t know her name. Now we do: Karen Kaye Knippers. From KCRG: “Three Sheriffs, J.B. King, Ronald Long, and current Sheriff Jimmy Bench continued searching for answers through the years, along with Coroner Mikel Hartness, who got a court order in 2015 […]
DNA
Zeigler, at long last: DNA testing
A motion was filed today by the William Thomas Zeigler defense team with the approval of the Orange County State Attorney’s office for DNA testing. It still needs a judge’s approval however, these joint motions are seldom denied. But, as we have been asking for DNA testing since 1994, I will not be able to […]
Sophie Sergie: cyber attacks
The pretrial evidence hearings in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie are delayed till further notice. Why? The Alaska court system’s cybersecurity has been breached. Nobody is safe from cyber attacks. About two weeks ago, the Alaska court system was forced offline. Without internet connection, no Zoom. Steven H. Downs, charged with Sophie Sergie’s murder, […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 8
On Tuesday, April 13, the pre-trial hearings continued in the 1993 rape-murder of Sophie Sergie. Both the Sun Journal and the Union Leader reported about a crucial piece of information: the bullet that caused her death. Again, the hearing was by video conference. Sophie Sergie was killed with a single bullet to the back of […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 7
On Monday, April 12, the hearings in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie continued by video conference. This time, the possibilities of alternative suspects were discussed, that is, suspects other than Steven H. Downs. I hinted in other posts that I wondered about phenotyping in this case, if it was done, and if Downs resembles […]
Helen Ruth Conwright Young (1936–1976)
Helen Ruth Conwright Young (Aug 31, 1936 – July 31, 1976) was born in Ore City, Texas, to the Rev. Freddie D. Conwright and Mrs. Luella Jane Walker Conwright. She left behind husband Roy Young , eight sons, and one daughter. She had five brothers and nine sisters. Her case is unsolved. The Case Helen […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 6
Central Maine reports that on Thursday, the hearings in the 1993 rape-murder of Sophie Sergie continued by video conference. Steven H. Downs attended. He is charged in this case. We heard from CeCe Moore, the chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs. She matched part of the DNA found in semen to a profile in GEDmatch. […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 5
Jennifer Foster, an Alaska Crime Lab supervisor, testified March 10, 2021 by video during the pretrial hearings in the case of Sophie Sergie who was raped-murdered on April 25, 1993. Steven H. Downs is charged in her sexual assault and murder and appeared in the Alaska Superior Court, Fairbanks. He is represented by defense attorney […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 4
On Friday, Feb 5, the evidence hearings in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie continued. Gun Steven H. Downs’ former girlfriend Katherine deSchweinitz Lee testified through videoconference in court: according to her Steve did not own a gun during the years they dated at Alaska State University (ASU) and they dated for about 4 years. […]
Sophie Sergie: Hearing Day 3
The defense team of Steven H. Downs led by Attorney James Howaniec, filed 11 motions in the 1993 murder of Sophie Sergie. I previously wrote nine motions so this is a correction. All the hearings did start on Feb 1, 2021, a delay from April 2020 due to the pandemic. Two things dominated this day: […]