Justice done: No parole for coed killer

COLD-BLOODED MURDERER MUST CONTINUE TO SERVE HIS LIFE SENTENCE

Allen Walunga was denied parole by the Alaska Parole Board today.

On Dec. 10, 1972, he strangled and raped Juneauite Jody Stambaugh in her University of Alaska Fairbanks dorm room, where she had been sleeping. Walunga had a history of sexual attacks, and had snuck into her room, where he watched her sleep for 10-30 minutes before killing her.

Stambaugh had graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School and was studying home economics at UAF.

Walunga has applied for parole over the years, forcing the victim’s family to remain vigilant. Her brothers, now both retired, continue to attend every hearing that comes along.

• September 1987 – applied for a hearing and was denied
• December 1989 – requested a commutation of his sentence and was denied
• October 1991 – applied for a parole hearing and then waived the hearing
• September 1992 – applied for a parole hearing and was denied
• November 1997 – applied for a parole hearing and then waived the hearing
• August 1998 – applied for a parole hearing and was denied
• April of 2008 – applied for a parole hearing and it was denied in November of 2008

Today’s parole hearing kept Walunga behind bars to continue serving what is a life sentence.

The parole board received 215 letters from Alaskans and they were packed into three-ring binders on the table at Goose Creek Correctional Institute.

Stambaugh’s brothers attended the hearing — one in person and the other by telephone. The other victim who was also strangled but who survived the attack attended, her husband at her side.

DeeDee Jonrowe, mushing legend in Alaska, also attended the parole hearing. She was a resident assistant in the dorm when Walunga killed Stambaugh. An advocate from the Office of Victims Rights was there as well for the entire hearing, which took less than a half an hour.

Walunga made his statement, saying he is not the same person he was 45 years ago. The victim’s family members and associated Alaskans made their statements. The parole board excused them from the room, and only took a few minutes to reach their decision to deny Walunga parole, and then told the group who had attended.

The original story of the gruesome case Must Read Alaska is here:

Should her rapist-murderer go free? Tell the parole board