‘We’re engaged on it’: Troopers get vital lead on indoor lacking individuals case in 2020

(Elyssa Loughlin/KYUK)

Alaska State Troopers are investigating new information in one of four cases of Alaska Natives reported missing in the Fairbanks area in 2020.

Troopers Capt. Interior Alaska Division Commander Eric Spitzer mentioned the hiatus during a meeting Thursday held by the Fairbanks Native Association and the Tanana Chiefs Conference.

The meeting at Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall brought together local Aboriginal, city and law enforcement officials to update the community on the cases of Frank Minano, Debbie Nictune and Doren Sanford, who went missing in August 2020, and Willis Derendoff, who three months disappeared, to be reported later in November 2020. Fairbanks residents organized a community-wide search for the four the following spring, but none of them were found.

Spitzer said he learned new details about one of the cases on Wednesday after discussing them with a group of seniors.

“I can’t disclose exactly what happened, but I’ll tell you this: When the meeting ended, everyone left after the meeting, someone came up to me and tipped me,” Spitzer said.

According to Spitzer, four police officers are following this lead.

“I’m brimming with things I want to tell you,” Spitzer said. “But in the interest of transparency – there’s transparency, and then there’s safeguarding the integrity of the investigation. I’ll tell you this: there will be legal action in a case in the near future. I can’t tell you in which case, but I’ll tell you that we’re working on it. We will hold accountable those who will be held accountable.”

Law enforcement officials have said in the past that there appears to be no connection between the four unsolved cases, so a break in one indicates no progress in resolving the others. Spitzer also highlighted policies and tools aimed at improving the response and investigation of missing persons cases, including an anonymous AKtips report form on the AST website that allows information to be shared and soldiers to ask questions without knowing with who they communicate with.

“Some people are suspicious; They’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not anonymous, they’re going to find out who you are,'” Spitzer said. “It’s a real app that was developed – it’s encrypted so we can’t swim upstream. We can’t go back to find out who it is.”

A poster with information about four Alaska Natives who went missing in the Fairbanks area in 2020. (Courtesy of the Fairbanks Native Association and the Tanana Chiefs Conference)

Several others speaking at Thursday’s meeting also asked for the public’s help. One of them, Willis Derendoff’s aunt Rosie Simon, pointed to a poster with the four missing.

“People miss these people right here,” Simon said. “You have family. They have big families. And there’s someone out there. Everyone knows… they can’t just disappear all at once… without anyone knowing.”

Several speakers highlighted new efforts to improve collaboration and transparency between the public, local government and law enforcement, as well as the FNA and TCC. The focus is on investigating existing cases and acting proactively on new cases. Brian Ridley, chief and chairman of the TCC, said the program for public safety officers in the Interior Tribal Service Organization village has been given a special designation by the state.

“Where we can start a search in the Fairbanks North Star Borough if a tribe member is missing,” Ridley said. “This allows families to start searching for missing persons immediately and to officially file missing person reports as soon as the person goes missing.”

TCC and FNA are working on a memorandum of understanding on how they will work together on this matter. FNA Judiciary Director Shirley Lee stressed the importance of unity between communities and agencies.

“And I’m so hopeful about the work that we will do together with TCC to improve our working relationship with (Fairbanks Police Department) and the police officers and the new mayor,” Lee said.

Lee said the FNA and TCC will continue to hold quarterly meetings to update the public on cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people.