7 hours ago
A Michigan man suspected of having murdered a co-worker successful Alaska successful 1993 was arrested precocious aft he called successful what he intended to beryllium an anonymous extremity revealing wherever had hidden nan victim’s agelong missing body, according to investigators.
Christopher Popps, 54, faces charges of second-degree execution successful nan decease of Patrick Dearth, Alaska authorities constabulary said successful a connection detailing nan latest developments successful a lawsuit that had remained unsolved for much than 3 decades.
Dearth, 34, was reported missing to constabulary successful nan metropolis of Fairbanks successful November 1993. His whereabouts remained a enigma until an initially anonymous tipster called authorities successful January 2025, took work for Dearth’s disappearance and disclosed wherever nan victim’s remains were, nan authorities police’s connection said.
Investigators wished nan tipster was Popps but did not elaborate. And successful May 2025, they recovered what was later confirmed to beryllium Dearth’s remains successful a barrel, astatine nan bottommost of a steep road embankment wherever Popps had allegedly directed them, authorities constabulary said.
Alaska Public Media, citing a authorities constabulary spokesperson, Austin McDaniel, reported that Popps and Dearth had been colleagues astatine an car shop. The erstwhile had allegedly changeable nan second to decease during an altercation astatine their workplace, McDaniel said, according to nan outlet.
McDaniel told Alaska Public Media that it appeared Popps had provided aggregate anonymous tips astir Dearth and his work for nan victim’s disappearance to rule enforcement agencies successful nan state. It was not instantly clear what motivated Popps to do that, McDaniel added to nan outlet.
The authorities constabulary spokesperson besides reportedly said that investigators waited astir 4 months to hunt for Dearth’s assemblage because nan area wherever nan unfortunate had been near was covered successful snowfall astatine nan clip of nan January 2025 tip. Daylight is besides scarce astatine that clip of year, Alaska Public Media quoted McDaniel arsenic saying.
Court records show Alaska’s agency of typical prosecutions obtained an indictment from a Fairbanks expansive assemblage which charged Popps pinch Dearth’s execution connected 25 June.
Popps was listed successful tribunal records arsenic a resident of Battle Creek, Michigan, astatine nan clip of nan indictment. And authorities constabulary successful Michigan arrested Popps connected 16 July, booking him into nan Kalamazoo region jailhouse adjacent Battle Creek, according to officials.
He remained held without enslaved astatine that installation connected Monday, pinch his transportation to nan custody of Alaska authorities pending. Under Alaska law, Popps could get betwixt 10 and 99 years successful situation if yet convicted of second-degree murder.
Alaska authorities constabulary said they had notified Dearth’s family of Popps’s arrest.
Attempts to interaction survivors of Dearth connected Monday were unsuccessful. Information astir a ineligible typical for Popps was not instantly available.
