Darren Peterson, a resident of Mountain Village, was indicted by a grand jury in Bethel on Tuesday for the shooting death of Larry Andrews of St. Mary’s.
Andrews was shot multiple times in the back, allegedly by Peterson, on March 24 after a group of people had been drinking at a home in Mountain Village, a small community with around 800 residents.
Peterson was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of third-degree assault. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 11 in Bethel Superior Court before Judge Terrence Haas, and his bail has been previously set at $1 million.
The Tribal Police officers in Mountain Village contacted Alaska State Troopers on March 24 to report the homicide at a residence in Mountain Village and that Peterson had turned himself in and was in custody. Troopers from St. Mary’s post and the Western Major Crimes Unit responded and found Andrews, aged 35, dead with multiple gunshot wounds to his body. It was revealed that Andrews had fled from the home in fear for his life while Peterson was reloading a .22 caliber rifle.
It is worth noting that Peterson had been on parole from a 2008 conviction for the murder of his uncle in 2007, which had occurred while he was drinking with a group of people in Mountain Village. He had been sentenced to 19 years in prison but was released in August.
Currently, Peterson is being held at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center.
