James Dale Ritchie

James Dale Ritchie (November 4, 1976 – November 12, 2016) was an American serial killer. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. Ritchie was killed during a shootout with police officers in downtown Anchorage on November 12, 2016. Following his death, a Colt Python handgun on his person connected him to the string of murders he committed over the course of two months.

James Dale Ritchie
Driver's license photograph
(Anchorage Police Department)
Born(1976-11-04)November 4, 1976
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
StatusDeceased
DiedNovember 12, 2016(2016-11-12) (aged 40)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Cause of deathBallistic trauma
Alma mater
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Details
Victims5+
Span of crimes
July 2016–August 2016
CountryUnited States
State(s)Alaska
Injured1
WeaponsColt Python handgun

Personal history

James Dale Ritchie was born on November 4, 1976.[1] He grew up in Anchorage's Wonder Park neighborhood and attended East Anchorage High School, where – standing at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) – he was noted as being a standout athlete, having played on the 1994 state championship football and basketball teams alongside future professional athletes Trajan Langdon and Mao Tosi.[2] Ritchie was a close friend of Quincy and Bobby Thompson, whose family hosted him often throughout his teenage years.[3]

Ritchie scored 1200 on his SAT and was recruited by the West Virginia University (WVU) football team in 1994, one day following the death of Quincy. He subsequently fell out of contact with the Thompson family.[4][1]

After a semester at WVU, Ritchie dropped out and returned to Alaska, and became involved in drug dealing and dog fighting in 1995.[1] By 1998, Ritchie had adopted the street name "Tiny". Over the following seven years, Ritchie was arrested a number of times, predominantly for drug-related offenses. He was arrested for the last time in Alaska in 2005, when he was apprehended while committing a home invasion with plastic handcuffs and two handguns in his possession. After serving two years in custody, he resided in Alaska, during which time he acquired a Colt Python handgun.[5]

In 2013, Ritchie lent his handgun over to an acquaintance and moved to Broadway, Virginia, where his parents had been living at the time.[5][2] Save for a pair of moving violations, Ritchie had no court appearances and was observed by the police as being a law-abiding citizen.[4] Following a breakup with his girlfriend, Ritchie returned to Alaska in March 2016.[4] He reacquired the Colt Python from his acquaintance and moved to Airport Heights, where he stayed before moving to Penland Parkway trailer park in Anchorage. Ritchie sought mental health treatment, though the Anchorage Police Department (APD) could not ascertain if he had received a diagnosis.[5]

Murders
The gun used in the serial murders

Ritchie committed his first two confirmed murders during the early morning hours of July 3, 2016, when he shot 20-year-old Brianna Foisy and 41-year-old Jason Netter Sr. The two bodies were discovered together along a bike path near Ship Creek by a bicyclist at 7:45 a.m.[6] Netter was noted for having extensive run-ins with the law, often regarding his drug-related activity, as well as child support issues with his two daughters, one of whom changed her name. Foisy was homeless and had fallen into substance abuse as well, denying intervention offered by her adoptive mother, Marcella Foisy. The nature of Foisy and Netter's relationship – if any – was not determined or disclosed.[7] On July 5, the murders were ruled a double homicide by the APD.[6] After reviewing hours of surveillance footage, the APD released images of two unidentified men who were persons of interest for the investigation.[8]

FBI composite sketch of Treyveonkindell Thompson's killer, later identified as Ritchie.

The third recorded murder committed by Ritchie took place 26 days later, on July 29. Shortly after 3 a.m., Ritchie shot 21-year-old Treyveonkindell Thompson, the son of his childhood friend Bobby Thompson, multiple times while he was riding his bicycle home from work, between Duben Avenue and Bolin Street in East Anchorage.[3] Three girls who had spotted Ritchie lingering in the woods near Bolin Street through their window just prior heard the gunfire and witnessed him grabbing Thompson's bicycle.[9] Ritchie rode the bicycle away from the scene and brought it to his home, where it was spotted but not identified as being involved in a crime by witnesses.[10]

The police arrived at Bolin Street, where they found Thompson, who was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.[11] Under Sergeant Slawomir Markiewicz's direction, witnesses were interviewed and enough testimonials were given that a composite sketch of the suspect – who would later be positively identified as Ritchie – was created.[12] Shortly after Thompson's murder, the Alaska State Crime Lab confirmed that the same murder weapon used in Foisy and Netter's murders was also used in Thompson's murder.[13]

The Valley of the Moon Park, where Kevin Turner and Bryant De Husson were murdered.

During the early hours of August 28, Ritchie shot dead 34-year-old Kevin Turner and 25-year-old Bryant De Husson in Valley of the Moon Park. An unidentified female passerby who was walking through the park discovered De Husson's body along the trail at 1:42 a.m. Shortly after arriving, police discovered Turner's bullet-riddled body under the pavilion in the park.[14]

Turner, suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was homeless at the time, as he had not fared well at assisted living facilities recently. De Husson, a notable environmental activist in Anchorage, was thought by his father, Gordon De Husson, to be doing a late-night bicycle ride on his new Schwinn to meet a friend when he stumbled upon the fatal encounter between Ritchie and Turner. There was no relation between De Husson and Turner.[15] In the police report, the APD noted that very little evidence was left at the scene of the crime. However, the Alaska State Crime Lab confirmed that the weapon used to kill Turner and De Husson had also been used in the earlier homicides.[13]

Recognizing a modus operandi displayed by the string of murders, the APD released an advisory notice for citizens to avoid isolated trails after dark.[16] Following the murders of Turner and De Husson, the FBI was brought on to assist with the investigation. On September 6, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz hosted a press conference that asserted that gang violence was largely responsible for the record-breaking number of murders in the city, though he refused to acknowledge the evidence lending credibility to the serial killer theory.[17]

The FBI offered a $10,000 reward leading to the apprehension of the suspect responsible for Thompson's murder, while refusing to comment on any connection to the other murders, due to the concern that acknowledging that a weapon tying all the crimes together would run the risk of prompting the killer to dispose of it.[18][2] The joint APD and FBI task force subsequently received upwards of 175 tips over the following two months – at least one of which pertained to Ritchie.[5]

Following Thompson's murder, his mother, Mandy Premo, had conducted an independent investigation to discover her son's killer. After searching homeless camps and low-income neighborhoods, Premo claimed to have located an armed Ritchie near the Alaska Regional Hospital in October 2016. Premo claimed to have contacted the APD lieutenant and reported that she had found her son's killer. She claimed to have contemplated over the phone confronting Ritchie directly, which the lieutenant advised against, as he was armed and her infant child was in the car.[9]

Death

Ritchie was killed near the corner of 5th Avenue and Cordova Street in Anchorage during a gunfight with Officer Arn Salao and Sergeant Marc Patzke of the APD on November 12, 2016.[19] Officer Salao, while responding to an unrelated report of unpaid taxi cab fares, spotted Ritchie walking down the street at 4:30 a.m.[20] Salao pulled up alongside Ritchie and asked for him to stop, presumably to ask him if he had witnessed the crime. Ritchie continued walking, prompting Salao to repeat the question over his megaphone.[19]

Without warning, Ritchie turned, walked towards officer Salao's vehicle, drew his Colt Python and opened fire on Salao, hitting him six times,[21] which resulted in damage to his bones, intestines and liver. Salao exited his patrol car and returned fire while also engaging Ritchie in a physical confrontation. Simultaneously, Sergeant Patzke of the K9 Unit spotted the confrontation and fired upon Ritchie, who was killed by a number of gunshot wounds. Salao was taken to an area hospital, where he was moved out of the intensive care unit after seven hours of surgery.[19][22]

Aftermath

Following Ritchie's death, the Colt Python on his person was sent to the Alaska Crime Lab, where it was confirmed to have been the murder weapon responsible for the deaths of Brianna Foisy, Jason Netter Sr., Treyveonkindell Thompson, Kevin Turner and Bryant De Husson.[2] The investigative task force had not considered Ritchie a suspect, due to his lack of run-ins with the law over the decade prior.[23]

After seventy-eight hours of investigation and contacting the victims' families, APD Chief Chris Tolley hosted a press conference in which he announced the connection between the homicides and the attempt on Officer Salao's life. Additionally, Lieutenant John McKinnon confirmed that the investigation had revealed a connection between the murders, but the task force withheld it from the public out of concern that Ritchie would have disposed of the Colt Python had he realized it was being sought. The weapon, which had been purchased in 1971, was not registered to Ritchie; the original owner was questioned by the APD, with the intent of discovering how it found its way into Ritchie's possession.[2]

Ritchie was immediately identified as being the assailant responsible for Thompson's murder, due to the witnesses and the identification of his photo identification matching the composite sketch. While the APD continued to collect evidence implicating Ritchie's involvement in the other homicides tied to the Colt Python, the FBI looked to trace Ritchie's activities in Virginia and Nevada prior to returning to Alaska in 2016.[10]

On April 26, 2017, APD spokesperson Renee Oistad announced that sufficient probable cause was determined to confirm that Ritchie was solely responsible for the five murders and, therefore, a confirmed serial killer. Investigators had traced the Colt Python handgun's whereabouts back to confirm that it had found its way into Ritchie's possession prior to the murders of Foisy and Netter in July 2016. With Oistad's announcement, the cases were closed.[24] A month later, on May 23, the Anchorage Police Department released dashcam footage recorded just prior to Ritchie and Salao's confrontation, as well as details pertaining to Ritchie's personal history.[5]

Known victims

Through ballistics, Ritchie's Colt Python was connected with four crime scenes that include two double homicides, one homicide and the attempted murder of a police officer. The victims include:

  • Brianna Foisy, 20, and Jason Netter Sr., 41: shot and killed on July 3, 2016, along a bike path near Ship Creek, west of N Post Road and Viking Drive, east of Anchorage. Coordinates: 61°13′21.3″N 149°51′37.8″W
  • Treyveonkindell Bobby Dwayne Thompson, 21: shot and killed on Bolin Street on July 29, 2016, in East Anchorage. Coordinates: 61°13′14.0″N 149°43′10.1″W
  • Kevin S. Turner, 34, and Bryant C. De Husson, 25: shot and killed on August 28, 2016, at Valley of the Moon Park, in Downtown Anchorage. Coordinates: 61°12′16.2″N 149°53′27.9″W
  • Officer Arn Salao: shot and wounded on November 12, 2016 at 5th Street and Cordova Street, in Downtown Anchorage. Salao and Sergeant Marc Patzke returned fire and killed Ritchie. Coordinates: 61°13′03.2″N 149°52′45.2″W
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See also

References
  1. Hopkins, Kyle (December 30, 2016). "TIMELINE: The life of accused killer James Dale Ritchie". KTUU-TV. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  2. Anderson, Ben; Theriault Boots, Michelle (November 15, 2016). "1 gun, 5 killings: Weapon recovered in officer shooting tied to multiple Anchorage homicides". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  3. Hopkins, Kyle (November 30, 2016). "Father surprised to learn identity of son's accused killer". KTUU-TV. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  4. Hopkins, Kyle (December 29, 2016). "Super intelligent: 'Multiple-murder suspect James Dale Ritchie's life outside Alaska". KTUU-TV. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  5. Hopkins, Kyle (May 23, 2017). "Dashcam video shows police encounter with accused serial killer James Dale Ritchie". KTUU-TV. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  6. Angaiak, Samantha (July 5, 2016). "Discovery of two bodies on Anchorage trail is ruled a homicide". KTUU-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  7. Theriault Boots, Michelle (July 6, 2016). "Young victim in bike path killings had a backstory few knew". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  8. KTVA CBS 11 News (July 10, 2016). "'What did you see?': Police seek 2 persons of interest in double-homicide case". KTVA. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  9. Hopkins, Kyle (June 7, 2017). "'Closer than anybody thought.' Inside the hunt for an Alaskan serial killer". KTUU-TV. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  10. Mackintosh, Cameron. "Five Anchorage homicides linked to same revolver; detectives reveal new details on investigations". KTUU-TV. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  11. KTVA CBS 11 News (July 29, 2016). "Update: Anchorage police release name of early morning homicide victim". KTVA. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  12. Hughes, Zachariah (September 11, 2016). "Police offer $10K for info on suspect in homicide case". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  13. "Investigative Findings by APD Detectives of Linked Homicide Cases" (PDF) (Press release). Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage Police Department. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  14. Staff (August 30, 2016). "UPDATE: Second victim ID'd in Valley of the Moon killings". KTUU-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  15. Dobbyn, Paula; Hopkins, Kyle; Hatch, Carlson (August 30, 2016). "VIDEO: Families of homicide victims hope for answers and justice". KTUU-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  16. The Associated Press (September 3, 2016). "Unsolved Homicides in Anchorage Alarm Residents and Baffle Police". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  17. Palsha, Rebecca; Dobbyn, Paula; Hopkins, Kyle (September 6, 2016). "Q&A: Why are there so many killings this year in Anchorage?". KTUU-TV. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  18. Theriault Boots, Michelle (September 11, 2016). "FBI offers $10,000 reward as police seek 'person of interest' in July slaying". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  19. Lohr, David (November 16, 2016). "Suspected Serial Killer Unmasked After Chance Police Encounter". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  20. Wang, Amy B. (November 12, 2016). "Alaska officer 'ambushed' and shot multiple times, police say". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  21. Aramburo, Ariane (January 21, 2020). "2YH: APD officer shares story of survival thanks to blood donations". KTUU-TV. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  22. Good, Dan (November 16, 2016). "Gun used to shoot Alaska police officer connected to five Anchorage homicides". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  23. Thiessen, Mark (November 16, 2016). "Officer Shooting Probe Gives Alaska Police Break in 5 Cases". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  24. Hopkins, Kyle (April 26, 2017). "Serial killer: Police say James Dale Ritchie committed 5 murders in 2016". KTUU-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
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