The man killed in what looks to be the city's first murder of 2010 died in his kitchen while his child was in its crib inside a home on a quiet South Anchorage street, police said Friday.
Steven Hardies, 44, was discovered dead in the home in the 11300 block of Polar Drive about 12:40 p.m. Thursday by his wife, who called police. The child was found safe in its crib.
Hardies' wife told investigators she last saw her husband alive Thursday morning when she left for work, police said. After he failed to drop the baby off at day care, she called home several times but got no answer.
She went home to find out what was wrong and found Hardies dead on the kitchen floor, according to police. She told police that her husband had been stabbed in the head with a knife and there were bullet casings on the floor but no gun in sight.
After the discovery of Hardies' body, police brought his wife in to give a statement in what they characterized as a standard procedure. She was later released.
Police did not identify Hardies' wife, but property and other records show that he was married to Leslie McDonald, 39.
"As is customary with any person who finds somebody who's deceased, they would be interviewed," police spokeswoman Marlene Lammers said. "We would interview associates, we would interview family members, so it's not something that's (uncommon) for us to do."
Police on Friday released few details about the case, including how and why Hardies was killed. Investigators have not named a suspect.
The couple's home is on a wooded lot in a quiet neighborhood near the intersection of O'Malley Road and Lake Otis Parkway and is apparently in the midst of a major expansion. A large addition to the home is covered only in plywood and Sheetrock, with some windows without panes. Neighbors say work began last summer.
According to court documents, Hardies bought the home with Jana Hensen, 41, after they got married in 1997. After five years of marriage, Hardies and Hensen, who did not have children, divorced in 2002, according to the court filings.
Hensen said Friday Hardies was a good man but that she hadn't been in contact with him for a number of years.
Hardies, who in the divorce papers listed his job as a "material handler" for Alcan Electrical & Engineering, bought Hensen's share of the home and continued to live there. He married McDonald in September 2006, according to a published marriage notice.
McDonald, who co-owned the home with Hardies at the time of his death, is a licensed general contractor and the owner of SKL Enterprises, a residential remodeling contractor, according to state business license records. She could not be reached for comment Friday.
At the scene Friday, McDonald's SUV sat in her closest neighbor's driveway, the same spot she left it after she found her husband and police told her to grab the baby and get out of the house. The neighbor declined to comment.
Fresh-fallen snow on the front porch of Hardies' home was largely untouched. There was no answer at the door, which showed no apparent signs of forced entry. In the driveway, a set of tire tracks glowed bright green with the florescent spray paint investigators use to mark evidence.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 786-8900 or Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP.
Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call 257-4589.
By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com