Eklutna Annie: Hansen's First Victim, Still Unidentified
An unidentified woman whose remains were found in Eklutna, Alaska on July 17, 1980 has been known for over four decades as "Eklutna Annie." She is a confirmed victim of serial killer Robert Hansen, who murdered between 17 and 21 women in the Anchorage area between 1971 and 1983. She is believed to have been Hansen's first victim, with her death estimated to have occurred approximately one year before her remains were discovered. She remains the only one of Hansen's recovered victims who has never been identified.[1][2]
Discovery
On July 17, 1980, remains were discovered in a heavily wooded area approximately one mile south of South Eklutna Lake Road, near mile post two, in Eklutna, Alaska, within Anchorage Borough. Based on the condition of the remains at the time of discovery, investigators estimated she had been deceased for at least one year prior, placing her probable year of death at approximately 1979. The remains were in a partial state with soft tissue present but not in a recognizable condition.[1]
Description
The decedent was an adult female, estimated to have been between 16 and 25 years of age at the time of death, with an estimated year of birth between 1954 and 1964. Her height was estimated at approximately 61 inches (5 feet, 1 inch). She had long, light brown hair with a red tint. Her primary ethnicity was recorded as White/Caucasian, with possible admixture of Native American.[1]
Clothing and Personal Effects
The following items were found near or on the body at the time of discovery:[1]
- Brown leather jacket (hip length), a light colored knit sweater, and jeans, found near the body
- Red knee-high high-heel women's boots with a nylon zipper on the side, worn on the body
- Salem brand matches found in the jacket pocket
- A wide copper bracelet with three inset turquoise pieces
- A turquoise and brown shell necklace with a heart pendant
- Twisted metal hoop earrings, gold in color
- A white shell ring with brown inset
- A ladies Timex chain-linked wristwatch with gold plate and brown face
Investigation
The case is jointly investigated by the Anchorage Police Department (case number 80-43262, lead agency), the Alaska State Troopers (case numbers 030012184; I83-66030; I830065851), and the Alaska Medical Examiner's Office (case number 04-00106).[1]
Robert Hansen was arrested in 1983 and sentenced in 1984 to life plus 461 years in prison for a series of murders in and around Anchorage. He died of natural causes in 2014. Among the 12 bodies recovered from Hansen's crimes, Eklutna Annie is the only victim who has never been identified.[2]
The Alaska State Troopers maintain two active public law enforcement flyers for this case: an original bulletin and an updated 2020 bulletin, both publicly accessible through the Alaska Department of Public Safety unidentified persons bulletin index. The 2020 update indicates a case review or renewed public outreach occurred that year.[3]
By December 2021, cold case detectives were actively using genetic genealogy in their efforts to identify her. In October 2021, a parallel effort identified fellow Hansen victim Robin Pelkey using Parabon Nanolabs, a Virginia-based laboratory, which uploaded Pelkey's DNA profile to GEDmatch and traced relatives to Arkansas and Alaska. Pelkey's family had never reported her missing; her identification was confirmed when a close relative provided a matching DNA sample. This case established a direct methodological precedent for the Eklutna Annie effort.[2]
Forensic Analysis
A DNA profile exists for Eklutna Annie sufficient for genetic genealogy processing. As of December 2021, that profile was being actively worked through genetic genealogy methods, with Parabon Nanolabs identified in contemporaneous reporting as the laboratory involved based on their role in the parallel Pelkey identification.[2] No public update confirming family tree leads or a match has been issued since that time.
Multiple artist renderings and facial reconstructions have been produced for this case over the years, including updated versions through at least 2020.[1][3]
Rule-Outs
Nineteen missing women have been ruled out as candidates for Eklutna Annie through the course of the investigation. The Anchorage Police Department holds the lead agency role and would be the authoritative source on the status of each exclusion.[1]
How to Help
Anyone with information that may help identify this woman is asked to contact:
Anchorage Police Department Case number: 80-43262
Alaska State Troopers Case numbers: 030012184; I83-66030; I830065851
Alaska Medical Examiner's Office Case number: 04-00106
The NamUs case profile is publicly accessible at namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10217.[1]
Active law enforcement flyers, including an updated 2020 bulletin, are available through the Alaska Department of Public Safety at dps.alaska.gov/AST/ABI/MissingPerson/MPBulletin.[3]
References
- "NamUs Case UP10217." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Fire Island John Doe genetic genealogy IDs second Alaska cold case victim in 6 weeks." Fox13 Memphis / Associated Press, December 1, 2021. fox13memphis.com
- "Alaska State Troopers Active Unidentified Persons Bulletin." Alaska Department of Public Safety. dps.alaska.gov