A Ketchikan grand jury has indicted two young adults and one 17-year-old on multiple charges Thursday for the death of 80-year-old Lincoln Peratrovich on March 21 in Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, 56 miles from Ketchikan.
Alaska State Troopers found Peratrovich, known locally as “Bingo,” dead in his Klawock mobile home.
Moses Scott Blanchard, 22, and Blaise Andrew Dilts, 21, are being charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, and first-degree burglary. Gonzalo Sanchez, 17, is being charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and first-degree burglary.
The men reportedly told investigators they had read a Facebook post stating Peratrovich had catcalled at a 13-year-old girl, and had chased her with an ax. The young men then beat Peratrovich to death with their hands, feet, and objects from around the house.
Another version of the incident was that Peratrovich talked to the girl and invited her to come inside for a bite to eat, while he was chopping firewood wood next to his home, but he continued to chop wood when she continued on her way.
The men told investigators they didn’t know if the allegations posted on Facebook were true. But comments on the Facebook post about the victim had urged violence against the elder.
“My uncle has been killed over gossip,” wrote Pamela Huteson on Facebook.
On March 21, after 1 am, the door to Peratrovich’s trailer was broken in. The three men reportedly entered and assaulted Peratrovich, while he was in bed.
Sanchez was arraigned Friday. Dilts and Blanchard are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Ketchikan Superior Court.
All the defendants could face up to 99 years in custody as a maximum sentence. All are in custody and held on the same bail amounts- $500,000 100 percent cash performance and $100,000 appearance bail with 10 percent to post.
Peratrovich family is well known in Southeast and around Alaska. Frank Peratrovich, who died in 1984, was the mayor of Klawock, and also served in the territorial legislature. Frank’s brother Roy married Elizabeth Peratrovich; the two would fight for civil rights for Alaska Natives and Elizabeth Peratrovich Day is now a nationally recognized day of honor on Feb. 16.
In 2009, the late Lincoln Peratrovich and the Shakan Kwann Tlingit band of rural residents sued the Secretary of Interior Kenneth Lee Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Villas, and chairman of the Federal Subsistence Board Tom Toward over a matter relating to subsistence fishing. His case was consolidated with the famous Katie John case, which became a pivotal case for Alaska Native subsistence rights.
