A Kipnuk man has been charged with murder in the death of a man in Tununak more than a year ago that has remained under investigation by Alaska State Troopers.
Ryan Samson, 33, was indicted by a Bethel grand jury Thursday and taken into custody without incident on a no-bail warrant Saturday in Kipnuk, about 85 miles southwest of Bethel. According to a Saturday trooper dispatch, Samson is charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence; all three offenses are felonies.
Troopers spokesperson Beth Ipsen said Monday the arrest was linked to the October 2014 death of 36-year-old Walter "Jason" Walter, whose body was found near the former clinic in Tununak, about 60 miles northwest of Kipnuk. He had been shot, Ipsen said, and the initial scene suggested foul play. Further details on the case weren't immediately available from investigators Monday morning.
Walter's body underwent an autopsy at the state medical examiner's office in Anchorage. Ipsen said the investigation took so long because officials "wanted to ensure we had the best case possible" before presenting it to a grand jury.
A Thursday indictment against Samson said the evidence-tampering charges were in connection with allegedly moving Walter's body and attempting to mop blood from the floor of Samson's home.
Samson was arraigned Sunday morning in Bethel Superior Court, telling a judge he had been "unemployed for some time" and required the appointment of a public defender. Court records showed he has a second appearance scheduled for Tuesday.
Alaska Dispatch News reporter Lisa Demer contributed information to this story.