A St. Michael man was charged Sunday with first- and second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend.
The family of 43-year-old Michaeline Snowball called for help Saturday when they found her unresponsive, according to a sworn affidavit written by troopers investigator Elizabeth Jordan. Snowball had been treated Friday night at a clinic for injuries and told medics she had been beaten but didn’t say who hurt her, the affidavit said. She was released from the clinic during the early hours of Saturday and went to a family member’s house, according to the affidavit.
Medics responded to the house after she was found unresponsive, and Snowball was taken to a clinic and pronounced dead later Saturday, according to the affidavit.
Troopers were shown messages between Snowball and her boyfriend, 47-year-old Leroy Kobuk Sr., in which Kobuk threatened to hurt and kill Snowball unless she paid him money, the affidavit said. Kobuk, when interviewed by investigators, denied hitting her but said he’d sent the messages and thrown her out of his house Friday night, the affidavit said.
He was arrested Sunday and remained in custody at the Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome on Tuesday.
St. Michael is located roughly 125 air miles southeast of Nome across Norton Sound.