A man has been charged with murder in the death of Susan Ragan, whom police described as his girlfriend, in an Anchorage homeless camp Wednesday, but her family says the two met only days earlier.
Police say Jeffrey McCracken, 37, was Ragan's boyfriend, but the family says that's not true. Ragan, 48 and a mother of six, had been living at an Anchorage homeless shelter for about a month. She lost her apartment when her fiancé went to jail, they said.
The family hadn't met McCracken, said Ragan's sister Michelle Westphal-Wheeler. They don't even know what he looks like, she said.
McCracken's initial court appearance at the Anchorage jail was postponed until Friday. Court records show he was previously convicted of assault for recklessly causing the injury of another person.
Police said McCracken reported Ragan was not breathing when he called police Wednesday morning. He was taken into custody by police after that initial call for help, said Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro.
McCracken was interviewed, charged, arrested and taken to the jail, Castro said. He faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter, according to a charging document filed by Deputy District Attorney Christina Sherman.
Here's how prosecutors claim it happened:
On Wednesday, police responded to a homeless camp near an elementary school in Mountain View after getting the call from McCracken. Emergency responders took Ragan to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Hospital staff told police there were signs she may have been strangled.
At the scene, McCracken said he'd known Ragan for the past month and she stayed in his tent for the past three days.
"McCracken said they had consumed meth together and had consensual sex and then Ragan went to sleep and he left and walked to the gas station," the charges say. "McCracken claimed that when he returned, Ragan wasn't breathing (and) felt cold …"
The State Medical Examiner's Office has scheduled an autopsy, which will include toxicology results.
As the interview continued, McCracken said he choked Ragan during sex, using one hand and then his other hand when he got tired. This lasted for about 45 minutes, he said.
Eventually, McCracken changed his story – he told police he didn't go to a gas station. He panicked when Ragan became unresponsive, dressed her and called 911.
Westphal-Wheeler said her sister chose to stay in Anchorage so she could visit her fiance in jail. The family lives in the Mat-Su area, she said.
The sister and other relatives have been saddened by the attacks on social media directed at Ragan and homeless people since her death was reported. She described Ragan as a good Christian woman who wasn't a drug addict.
"The people in the camps are still human beings," she said.
Westphal-Wheeler said the family would like to see McCracken spend time in prison for killing Ragan.
"I'll pray for forgiveness for him," she said. "But it's obvious he needs some counseling."
The family has seen the details in the charges and are confused how someone could have hurt Ragan as described, she said.
Ragan's six children, all grown, have extensive family support, said brother Jack Ragan.