Understanding the 1986 Laura Henderson-Ibach disappearance is not easy. This case is as mind-boggling as it gets. I call it a disappearance because Laura’s body has never been found. No forensic evidence points to a crime scene. Yet, two men are serving 99 years in prison. They have been convicted of kidnapping and first degree murder in Laura’s case.
It was known that Laura Henderson-Ibach had for some time been a police informant on illegal drug activities in Kodiak, Alaska. It was also known that an alleged Kodiak drug dealer, James McLaughlin, told a number of people that he was responsible for Laura’s killing.
In 1987, no dead body was produced. Neither means nor motive was presented for killing Laura. No murder weapon was produced nor was any method of Laura’s alleged death proven because it was unknown if in fact, she was dead. No fingerprints, no hair, no blood, no skin, no physical evidence of any kind was found to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed by anyone related to Laura’s disappearance. Despite all this, Donald McDonald and Jack Ibach were sentenced to 99 years.
This case will be discussed by a guest blogger in a three part series. Stay tuned!