Mistrial declared in murder of Alaska Native woman

[Smokin' Ace]

Indianz.Com. In Print.
URL: http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006760.asp


Mistrial declared in murder of Alaska Native woman
Tuesday, March 1, 2005

A judge in Alaska declared a mistrial in the case of a former police officer accused of murdering an Alaska Native woman.

Jurors had been deliberating since last Tuesday and informed the judge yesterday that they could not reach a verdict against Matthew Owens. Authorities say the former Nome officer shot Sonya Ivanoff, 19, in the back of the head and dumped her naked body on the side of the road.

The state is considering whether to bring Owens to trial again. Defense attorneys said there was no evidence linking him to the Ivanoff's death in August 2003.

Ivanoff spent most of her life in a Native village before moving to Nome in 2001.

Get the Story:
Mistrial ends Nome murder case (The Anchorage Daily News 3/1)
Username: [email protected], Password: indianz

Related Stories:
Jury deliberates in murder of Alaska Native woman (2/23)
Judge won't move trial for murder of Native woman (02/12)
Ex-cop indicted for murder of Native woman (11/06)
FBI considering charges in death of Native woman (11/5)

Copyright © 2000-2005 Indianz.Com

[ak1upik1990]

Update!

Owens guilty of murder
SONYA IVANOFF: Ex-Nome police officer convicted at second trial.

Daily News staff and wire reports

Published: December 7, 2005
Last Modified: December 7, 2005 at 07:32 AM


KOTZEBUE -- Former Nome police officer Matthew Owens swore from the witness stand that he did not shoot Sonya Ivanoff, but the people he was trying to convince did not believe him.


On Tuesday, a Kotzebue jury convicted Owens of first-degree murder in the 2003 death of the 19-year-old, who had moved from her home village of Unalakleet to Nome about a year earlier.

Jurors also found him guilty of tampering with evidence.

"We're very grateful and happy that no other parents have to go through what we went through," said Maggie Ivanoff, the victim's mother.

Owens, now 30, showed no emotion when Judge Ben Esch read the verdict. Members of the Ivanoff family hugged and cried. Defense attorney Jim McComas then requested that the jury be polled to confirm the verdict.

Each of the jurors, when asked their decision, said "Guilty."

Owens was then placed in handcuffs.

Once the courtroom cleared, Ivanoff family members shook hands with state troopers and thanked Esch. Later, they were allowed into the jury room to convey their appreciation to the jury.

"This comes as a real relief," said state prosecutor Rick Svobodny. Owens' first trial earlier this year in Nome ended in a hung jury. The second was moved to Kotzebue.

Svobodny said he kept Sonya Ivanoff's picture in his office as a reminder, until he had to admit it as evidence.

A sentencing date will be set at a court hearing Dec. 15. Svobodny said he will ask for the maximum: 99 years in prison.

Back in Nome, radio station KNOM broadcast the verdict live, and for a moment Tuesday the town was frozen as residents stopped to listen.

For the rest of the day people talked about the conviction in restaurants, stores and bars. Mostly, people seemed glad the ordeal had finally come to an end -- for the town and the Ivanoffs.

"I think it's a big relief for the family to have it over," said retired attorney Jon Larson, a volunteer firefighter who found Sonya's body and testified in both trials. "I felt very sorry for them when I was up in Kotzebue. ... Hopefully (this) will be something that will allow our Police Department to continue working toward having a professional and competent organization. I think our (new) chief is taking some good steps in that direction."

Dorothy O'Connor, a bartender at the Arctic Native Brotherhood, said she heard about the conviction from her son, who heard it from a friend.

"When I got in the cab to go to work, the cabdriver asked me, 'Did you hear the news?' " she said.

"Everybody is so happy that he finally got convicted," O'Connor said. "I think the whole town is happy with the outcome."

News of the conviction also spread quickly through the Bering Strait region, where several villagers, emboldened by Owens' arrest, have recently come forward with allegations of past abuse by Nome police.

Gambell resident Paul Apangalook, 54, said the conviction gives hope to Natives in the region that justice will be served.

"It's a big victory," he said. "It's most unfortunate it has to happen this way that our people are speaking up. I just hope this will help for reconciliation and for healing to begin with law enforcement."

Jurors deliberated more than three days before returning the verdict Tuesday afternoon in the small, crowded courtroom. A collective gasp was heard when Esch read it.

Throughout the trial, defense lawyer McComas tried to pin the murder on three other suspects. He said the prosecution twisted the evidence to fit Owens.

He also stressed that Owens took the stand.

"He didn't have to testify, but he did," McComas said in closing arguments.

McComas claimed that Owens had no motive to kill Ivanoff.

Svobodny said all the evidence pointed to Owens. He used his position of authority to lure young women into his police cruiser, Svobodny told jurors. Owens was one of two Nome police officers on duty early Aug. 11, 2003. Witnesses said they saw Ivanoff get into a police car that circled the block and pulled up to her.

Police launched a search for Ivanoff and found her body two days later near the end of an access road near gold dredges about three miles from downtown. She died from a single gunshot.

In late September 2003, a Nome police vehicle was stolen from the department's parking lot. A Nome police officer -- later identified as Owens -- said he found the vehicle about 90 minutes later in a gravel pit north of the city.

A few days after the incident, an envelope was discovered in the same patrol car with Ivanoff's identification card and a letter by someone who implied he was Ivanoff's killer. The letter warned the police he would kill them if they got too close to him.

Alaska State Troopers announced Oct. 1, 2003, that they were taking over the case. On Oct. 23, Owens was arrested.

According to charging documents, Owens behaved oddly during the investigation, raising suspicions. He showed up at the abandoned gold dredges on a four-wheeler with his 4-year-old son when Ivanoff's body was discovered, even though he was not working at the time and no radio traffic disclosed the location.

Prosecutors said during the first trial that Owens made three known trips to Coffee Creek, north of Nome, in the weeks after Ivanoff's death, where clothes linked to her and keys connected to Owens were found in a burn pit.



The Associated Press and Daily News reporter Tataboline Brant contributed to this story. Brant can be reached at [email protected] or 257-4321.

[Wolf Lady]

Thank you for the update! This is very good news......justice has now been served! I pray her family can now begin to heal and start to have some peace in their lives.

Tamra

Owens guilty of murder
SONYA IVANOFF: Ex-Nome police officer convicted at second trial.

Daily News staff and wire reports

Published: December 7, 2005
Last Modified: December 7, 2005 at 07:32 AM


KOTZEBUE -- Former Nome police officer Matthew Owens swore from the witness stand that he did not shoot Sonya Ivanoff, but the people he was trying to convince did not believe him.


On Tuesday, a Kotzebue jury convicted Owens of first-degree murder in the 2003 death of the 19-year-old, who had moved from her home village of Unalakleet to Nome about a year earlier.

Jurors also found him guilty of tampering with evidence.

"We're very grateful and happy that no other parents have to go through what we went through," said Maggie Ivanoff, the victim's mother.

Owens, now 30, showed no emotion when Judge Ben Esch read the verdict. Members of the Ivanoff family hugged and cried. Defense attorney Jim McComas then requested that the jury be polled to confirm the verdict.

Each of the jurors, when asked their decision, said "Guilty."

Owens was then placed in handcuffs.

Once the courtroom cleared, Ivanoff family members shook hands with state troopers and thanked Esch. Later, they were allowed into the jury room to convey their appreciation to the jury.

"This comes as a real relief," said state prosecutor Rick Svobodny. Owens' first trial earlier this year in Nome ended in a hung jury. The second was moved to Kotzebue.

Svobodny said he kept Sonya Ivanoff's picture in his office as a reminder, until he had to admit it as evidence.

A sentencing date will be set at a court hearing Dec. 15. Svobodny said he will ask for the maximum: 99 years in prison.

Back in Nome, radio station KNOM broadcast the verdict live, and for a moment Tuesday the town was frozen as residents stopped to listen.

For the rest of the day people talked about the conviction in restaurants, stores and bars. Mostly, people seemed glad the ordeal had finally come to an end -- for the town and the Ivanoffs.

"I think it's a big relief for the family to have it over," said retired attorney Jon Larson, a volunteer firefighter who found Sonya's body and testified in both trials. "I felt very sorry for them when I was up in Kotzebue. ... Hopefully (this) will be something that will allow our Police Department to continue working toward having a professional and competent organization. I think our (new) chief is taking some good steps in that direction."

Dorothy O'Connor, a bartender at the Arctic Native Brotherhood, said she heard about the conviction from her son, who heard it from a friend.

"When I got in the cab to go to work, the cabdriver asked me, 'Did you hear the news?' " she said.

"Everybody is so happy that he finally got convicted," O'Connor said. "I think the whole town is happy with the outcome."

News of the conviction also spread quickly through the Bering Strait region, where several villagers, emboldened by Owens' arrest, have recently come forward with allegations of past abuse by Nome police.

Gambell resident Paul Apangalook, 54, said the conviction gives hope to Natives in the region that justice will be served.

"It's a big victory," he said. "It's most unfortunate it has to happen this way that our people are speaking up. I just hope this will help for reconciliation and for healing to begin with law enforcement."

Jurors deliberated more than three days before returning the verdict Tuesday afternoon in the small, crowded courtroom. A collective gasp was heard when Esch read it.

Throughout the trial, defense lawyer McComas tried to pin the murder on three other suspects. He said the prosecution twisted the evidence to fit Owens.

He also stressed that Owens took the stand.

"He didn't have to testify, but he did," McComas said in closing arguments.

McComas claimed that Owens had no motive to kill Ivanoff.

Svobodny said all the evidence pointed to Owens. He used his position of authority to lure young women into his police cruiser, Svobodny told jurors. Owens was one of two Nome police officers on duty early Aug. 11, 2003. Witnesses said they saw Ivanoff get into a police car that circled the block and pulled up to her.

Police launched a search for Ivanoff and found her body two days later near the end of an access road near gold dredges about three miles from downtown. She died from a single gunshot.

In late September 2003, a Nome police vehicle was stolen from the department's parking lot. A Nome police officer -- later identified as Owens -- said he found the vehicle about 90 minutes later in a gravel pit north of the city.

A few days after the incident, an envelope was discovered in the same patrol car with Ivanoff's identification card and a letter by someone who implied he was Ivanoff's killer. The letter warned the police he would kill them if they got too close to him.

Alaska State Troopers announced Oct. 1, 2003, that they were taking over the case. On Oct. 23, Owens was arrested.

According to charging documents, Owens behaved oddly during the investigation, raising suspicions. He showed up at the abandoned gold dredges on a four-wheeler with his 4-year-old son when Ivanoff's body was discovered, even though he was not working at the time and no radio traffic disclosed the location.

Prosecutors said during the first trial that Owens made three known trips to Coffee Creek, north of Nome, in the weeks after Ivanoff's death, where clothes linked to her and keys connected to Owens were found in a burn pit.



The Associated Press and Daily News reporter Tataboline Brant contributed to this story. Brant can be reached at [email protected] or 257-4321.

[WocusWoman]

About GD time. I'd been following this story, cuz I'm sick and tired of native women in the state of Alaska becoming victims!

[Blackbear]

Exactly Wocus! Hurrah For The Jurors!~!

[Smokin' Ace]

thanks so much for the update!!! Great - I am happy for the parents and the town!

[ak1upik1990]

Your welcome.

FYI: Sentencing date set for Matthew Owens
Thursday, December 15, 2005 - by Lee Bullington
Anchorage, Alaska - Former Nome police officer Matthew Owens will be sentenced next spring.

The 30-year-old was convicted last week of first-degree murder for the 2003 shooting death of 19-year-old Sonya Ivanoff. Officials say he picked her up in his police cruiser and then killed her on the outskirts of town by shooting her in the head. Sentencing is scheduled for April 17.

The state is seeking the maximum penalty of 99 years.


Another thing is that the family won a suit against the City of Nome & how this case was handled! They actually won their suit about a month ago, but it wasn't disclosed to the public until after Owens was found guilty. This case has brought up a lot about how natives are treated in Nome, and also in Anchorage. Just over the weekend another native woman was killed in Anchorage by her boyfriend. In the article it isn't stated that she was native, her family used to live in the same village that I grew up in, but moved away in the late 80's after her dad died. Here's an article on it.


Anchorage man accused of murdering girlfriend
Sunday, December 11, 2005 - by Rebecca Palsha
Anchorage, Alaska - A man charged with the murder of his girlfriend says he's not guilty. Forty-two-year-old Brian Hurley appeared in court Sunday to enter his plea in the death of Isabell Matthews.

Saturday afternoonm the Anchorage Police Department says Hurley's mother called them worried about her son. She said he sounded panicked.

On the same day in Anchor Point, some residents there contacted the Alaska State Troopers to report a suspicious man. According to court papers, the man had told one of the residents that he woke up next to the woman he loves and she was cold. Shortly after, troopers located the body of Isabell Matthews.

On Dec. 3, court documents say Brian Hurley started renting a home on 1110 West 77th Ave. The next day, police were called to the home after reports of a fight between Hurley and his girlfriend, Isabell Matthews.

Court papers say her mother and a friend were worried about her relationship to Hurley.

“I know the neighbor said that the lady had knocked on her door one morning,” said James Weatherby, Brian Hurley’s neighbor.

Sunday afternoon, however, Hurley has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence after his girlfriend's body was found on beach in Anchor Point. Court documents say the body was on a sled, with a blanket wrapped around her naked body. A heavy black plastic sheeting covered the blanket. She was found with bruising on her neck, along with other scrapes and blood near the hairline.

“Anything is possible at this point, but apparently, the information that we're gaining indicates that this is was a homicide, that's why brought about the criminal charge,” said Lt. Paul Honeman, the spokesman for the Anchorage Police Department.

According to court documents, 60 yards from the body, troopers found a red Ford Explorer leased to Brian Hurley stuck in the mouth of Stariski Creek. Boxes of personal items, including black trash bags, were scattered in the area. Later that night, troopers found Hurley in another location, wet from the waist down and missing a shoe.

“Well, he seemed to be very uncooperative. He knew the severity of the case, what's going on, immediately began invoking his right to speak with counsel,” said Honeman.

For now, Hurley says he's innocent of the crime. Bail has been set for $500,000 cash. That bail also comes with an approved third-party custodian. Hurley has had no criminal convictions in Alaska, although court records show he has had multiple charges of domestic violence from different women. Again, however, he has no criminal convictions in this state.

Investigators did search Hurley's home and found items in disarray, along with some black trash bags. This is the 16th homicide in Anchorage this year. Police say more will be known later in the week, that's when an autopsy is scheduled.

[GrandePaw]

My heart is saddened

My heart is saddened by these posts. My father taught me not to believe all that I read/hear without searching for the truth for myself. First I would like to say that we should all know by now that what is written in the newspapper and reported on television is seldom all the information that is available. All to often only sound bytes and sensationalism is reported. I personally knew both victims. Yes, they are both victims. Justice has not been served here. Many facts have been left out of the reported news. If the facts were the same except that Sonya were a white woman and Matt were a native the posts would be entirely different. If you would like to know more of the real facts let me know. If you want to believe what has been reported then that is youe choice.

This is what has happened in Nome. Rumors, evidence not gathered, evidence lost, evidence ignored, lies belived, jurors asleep at trial, witnesses that were never interviewed. The accussed was found guilty before any evidence was presented at trial. I only ask that you review all the facts before passing judgment on someone as you would want the same for yourself.

"Make no harsh judgements lest you be judged harshly"

GrandePaw
Formerly of Nome, Alaska

[ndldy68]

My heart is saddened by these posts. My father taught me not to believe all that I read/hear without searching for the truth for myself. First I would like to say that we should all know by now that what is written in the newspapper and reported on television is seldom all the information that is available. All to often only sound bytes and sensationalism is reported. I personally knew both victims. Yes, they are both victims. Justice has not been served here. Many facts have been left out of the reported news. If the facts were the same except that Sonya were a white woman and Matt were a native the posts would be entirely different. If you would like to know more of the real facts let me know. If you want to believe what has been reported then that is youe choice.

This is what has happened in Nome. Rumors, evidence not gathered, evidence lost, evidence ignored, lies belived, jurors asleep at trial, witnesses that were never interviewed. The accussed was found guilty before any evidence was presented at trial. I only ask that you review all the facts before passing judgment on someone as you would want the same for yourself.

"Make no harsh judgements lest you be judged harshly"

GrandePaw
Formerly of Nome, Alaska

You must have been close to this person. (Owens)

[WocusWoman]

My heart is saddened by these posts. My father taught me not to believe all that I read/hear without searching for the truth for myself. First I would like to say that we should all know by now that what is written in the newspapper and reported on television is seldom all the information that is available. All to often only sound bytes and sensationalism is reported. I personally knew both victims. Yes, they are both victims. Justice has not been served here. Many facts have been left out of the reported news. If the facts were the same except that Sonya were a white woman and Matt were a native the posts would be entirely different. If you would like to know more of the real facts let me know. If you want to believe what has been reported then that is youe choice.

This is what has happened in Nome. Rumors, evidence not gathered, evidence lost, evidence ignored, lies belived, jurors asleep at trial, witnesses that were never interviewed. The accussed was found guilty before any evidence was presented at trial. I only ask that you review all the facts before passing judgment on someone as you would want the same for yourself.

"Make no harsh judgements lest you be judged harshly"

GrandePaw
Formerly of Nome, Alaska

You know you will not get simpathy here for what this law inforcement officer did to this woman who was killed while he was in charge. Not only did he commit the crime, he tried to hide the crime, and then he tried to pretend to go looking for her afterwards. By all means this is not the first or last case of abuse, violence, or murder of women in this state. Our numbers are very high for things that range from domestic violence, child abuse, and murder compared to the small population of the state. Our state is nearly 20% native alaskan, this includes both the Indian and Eskimo groups of people. A crime is a crime, and every person that commits a crime, whether white, black or native needs to pay for what they do. Too many people these days make excuses for their behaviors and I'm tired of it.

[GrandePaw]

Nome

I do not ask for sympathy. I simply ask... what do you know of this crime? Is it only what was reported in the news? What do you know of the communities involved? I lived there. I was involed. I knew both of them. I worked with both of them. The guilt or innocence was decided long before the first trial was ever started.

For the record many natives (mostly women) in Nome do not believe that Matt did it. This is not a ranting by outsiders, this is quiet talk by frightened people because they believe the real killer is still free. And they still fear for their safety.

I agree there is too much violence against our native women! It must be stopped. The lynch mob mentallity displayed during this is what saddened me. So many people jumping to conclusions and not looking at the evidence. Not looking for the truth. A killer is still out there. The killer may be white, may be native. May be a man, may be a woman. All I ask is lets look for the truth and examine "all" the evidence.

I agree, that if a person commits a crime they should pay the price. It does not matter what the color of their skin, their gender or their heritage.