To allay concerns about the accuracy of voting, Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer will conduct an audit of votes cast on Ballot Measure 2, the ballot initiative to create ranked choice voting and jungle primaries.
The Division of Elections uses Dominion Voting Systems and its vote tabulation software, which has come under attack from the Trump campaign.
Meyer is in charge of the Division of Elections and is confident that a fair and accurate election was held but there’s much misinformation being passed around concerning the voting system.
An audit is different from a recount. A recount is not done unless requested by the defeated candidate or 10 registered voters. If the margin is within 1/2 of 1%, the State will pay for the recount. If not within that narrow margin, the defeated side must put up $15,000 for the recount.
Ballot Measure 2 passed 173,725 to 169,918, or 50.55 to 49.45 percent, slightly more than a 1 percent margin.
An audit cannot change the outcome, but is only done to provide proof one way or the other that the vvote count was correct.
The Division of Elections has not set a date for the audit, but presumably it will happen after the Thanksgiving holiday.
At the request of Mat-Su Borough Assembly candidate Lisa Behrens, the Assembly District 5 ballots will be recounted on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 8:30 am.
Clayton “Mokie” Tew leads Behrens by 11 votes, 1,312 to 1,301 for the open seat. The election was held Nov. 3, at the same time as the General Election, for the borough seats representing a region that is home to 108,317 residents.
In her letter to the borough clerk, Behrens cited the use of somewhat controversial Dominion voting machines and the fact that they were used for the first time in the Mat-Su Borough election. She also said it was the first time the Borough election had been held concurrently with the Alaska State elections, and the first time the Borough combined it polling locations in the same facility.
“More than three times the number of people voted in a MSB District 5 election than anytime over the past two decades,” she wrote. She said although she witnessed a thorough and detailed canvass of absentee and questioned ballots, there were an unusual number of cards cast. The difference between Tew and Behrens is just .27% of votes cast, roughly half of the Alaska statutory requirements for a recount (20 votes difference or .5 % of votes cast), she noted.
“This critical closeness seriously needs hand verification of the ballots that were counted by machine only one time,” she wrote, requesting a hand count of ballots counted only once by the Dominion machine.
Three years ago, Tew asked for a recount when he was running against Dan Mayfield for the Assembly District 5 seat. At the close of the polls in 2017, Tew led by 19 votes. After absentee and questioned ballots were counted, Tew fell back by 18 votes under incumbent Dan Mayfield. The recount awarded the win to Mayfield, 695-678.
During this year’s election cycle, Tew’s campaign made a big effort to chase the absentee ballots in the district.
District 5 encompasses the Big Lake, Knik Goose Bay (KGB), and Point McKenzie.
Nov. 18 was the last Borough Assembly meeting for Dan Mayfield and for fellow Assembly member Ted Leonard, who did not run for reelection for the District 4 seat.
Robert Yundt won the election to the District 4 seat and was sworn in on Nov. 18, after winning over 60% of the vote in that district.
The New York Young Republican Club announced the keynote speaker of its 108th annual gala as former Gov. Sarah Palin. The club’s Dec. 3 program hails Palin as a “history-making woman leader, GOP kingmaker and beloved ‘Mama Grizzly,’ Governor Palin’s maverick personality, spot-on political instincts and deep connection with “the silent majority” of American voters have made her one of the most influential women in conservative politics.”
The event is a black-tie affair at the Caldwell Factory event center in the West Chelsea Historic District of New York City. Tickets are going for $325 per person for non-members, $285 for members, and it includes a three-course meal.
Formally established in 1911, although with its roots dating to 1856, the New York Young Republican Club is the oldest Young Republican club in the United States.
“As one of the earliest endorsers of President Trump, Governor Palin injected vital support and game-changing momentum at a critical juncture in the battle for the Republican nomination. Today, Governor Palin continues to fight for the millions of Americans that are often overlooked by Washington and the mainstream media. Drawing full houses and standing-room-only crowds, Sarah Palin calls upon all Americans—of all political persuasions and beliefs—to get motivated, get involved and join together to build a brighter future. Known for her meteoric rise from first female (and youngest) Governor of Alaska to first woman on the GOP presidential ticket, Governor Palin has captured hearts and minds around the world with her outspoken honesty, fearless principles and passionate personality. Recognized as one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” and Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women,” Governor Palin is also one of only 21 women on Smithsonian’s “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time” list. In election after election, her endorsement and the support of her political action committee, SarahPAC, are considered the gold standard for conservative candidates,” the Young Republicans wrote on their announcement.
A 21-19 Republican majority in the House looks like a win this November for Republicans. On paper it is, but in reality, Republicans are still not in control this year. The truth is, they have not been in control for several years, and that’s partly because they cannot stick together. They’ve been experts at snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.
In 2014, Republicans won 23 of the House seats, Democrats had 17. The Muskox Caucus — recalcitrant or reluctant Republicans — was just getting started, and it would be led by former Reps. Jim Colver, Gabrielle LeDoux, and a couple of others, now retired.
By 2016, Republicans had lost two seats, and were down to 21, Democrats had 19. With Rep. Mike Chenault stepping down from the speakership at the beginning of 2017, House Republicans were adrift without strong, unifying leadership.
In 2018, Republicans won 23 seats, Democrats won 17, but due to eight Muskox Republican defections, the Democrats have been in charge for the past two years. Bryce Edgmon was speaker, agreeing to drop his Democrat label and masquerade as an undeclared.
The red wave that occurred on election night in 2020 dissolved into a red mirage after tens of thousands of unwitnessed and unverified absentee ballots washed in over several days. There is now evidence that these absentee ballots had a historically low rejection rate from the Division of Elections.
In spite of the 21-19 math, it’s actually now at 20-20 in 2020.
Rep. Louise Stutes, a Republican from Kodiak, will most likely caucus with Democrats, while no-party Josiah Patkotak of Utqiagvik says he will also caucus with Democrats, or at least stick with the Bush caucus, which is with the Democrats, led by Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham.
That leaves the other Republicans: Bart LeBon, Steve Thompson, Mike Prax, Mike Cronk, Chris Kurka, Kevin McCabe, George Rauscher, David Eastman, DeLena Johnson, Cathy Tilton, Ken McCarty, Kelly Merrick, David Nelson, Sara Rasmussen, Tom McKay, Laddie Shaw, James Kaufman, Ron Gillham, Ben Carpenter, and Sarah Vance.
With just 20, they can either work together on the items they can agree on, or some of them could form a bipartisan coalition with the Democrats. There is also a solid chance that the most conservative members in the Republican caucus break off into a sub-caucus, while the more liberal members join with the Democrats in a “something is better than nothing” bargain, leaving the Republicans out in the wilderness.
The 20 Republicans will have to decide if sticking together is more important than committee chairmanships and controlling spending.
They’ll have to decide if they want to even be in charge of a budget where there’s not enough money, where there’s pressure for a sales tax and eliminating the Permanent Fund dividend altogether, or whether being a powerful and united minority is just as impactful this time around.
The problem with Republicans in the Alaska Legislature is that holding together hasn’t been their strongest suit in recent years. But this year, if the majority of the 20 can unite, they can still control everything, as a strong minority.
The “don’t blink” theory also applies the 20 Democrats, however. They are made up of much more experienced lawmakers, with only three freshmen, while the Republicans have eight freshmen and a host of relatively new lawmakers who have never served in a majority. Democrats know how to count votes, and have dealmakers among them. The Democrats also have a leader in Edgmon, who has served as Speaker, while the Republicans have lost their own minority leader, with Lance Pruitt apparently losing by 16 votes to Liz Snyder in District 27.
In the words of a veteran lawmaker, “It’s a mess. Don’t expect this House to organize any time soon.”
One of Alaska’s first state legislators has passed.
James Fisher served in the inaugural Alaska State Legislature, 1959-1960. Friends of Fisher are reporting he died of COVID-19. Fisher had turned 93 on Aug. 24.
Fisher and other original members of the State Legislature were elected on Nov. 25, 1958, when Alaska was still a territory.
He had earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and, upon moving to Anchorage, had become involved with people who were pushing for statehood.
Fisher, whose nickname was Jamie, was a Democrat in a Legislature that was dominated by Democrats in pre-pipeline Alaska. Helen died in 2000.
The Fishers moved to Soldotna after he lost reelection in 1960. They had two children, Sally and Bruce, and an unofficially adopted son Cory Mann. Jamie Fisher opened up a law practice and lawyered for many years.
He served a stint as the city attorney for Kenai, and was involved in many civic affairs on the peninsula, such as the Chamber of Commerce. He was also well-known for his love and appreciation of live local music, attending performances all over the Kenai.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Texas, Fisher served overseas during the end of World War II in the U.S. Marine Corps., and in Korea with the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers.
The family says a celebration of his life will take place when it’s safe to gather again.
Here’s some information you won’t read in the Anchorage Daily News or KTUU about COVID-19 and the virus’ impact on Alaska.
Wyoming residents are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 compared to those living in Alaska. 30 out of every 100,000 Wyoming residents died this year that tested positive for COVID-19. In Alaska, 14 out of every 100,000 died after testing positive for the virus.
We don’t know how many of those patients died as a direct result of COVID-19. Some may have died of other causes even though they tested positive for the virus.
Those living in Minnesota are four times as likely to die of COVID-19 compared to Alaskans. 56 out of 100,000 Minnesotans testing positive for COVID-19 died compared to 14 in Alaska.
105 out of every 100,000 North Dakotans testing positive for COVID-19 died this year. Meaning someone living in North Dakota is 7 and a half times as likely to die from the virus compared to Alaskans.
133 out of every 100,000 Louisianans testing positive for COVID-19 died this year. People living in Louisiana are close to 10 times as likely to die of COVID-19 as Alaskans.
188 out of every 100,000 New Jersey residents testing positive for COVID-19 died this year. New Jersey has the highest per capita COVID-19 death rate in the country. Living in New Jersey means you are 13-times as likely to die of COVID-19 as those living in Alaska.
Alaska’s 14 COVID-19 related deaths per 100,000 are the third-lowest in the country. Only Maine and Vermont have lower per capita fatality rates. Maine has 13 deaths per 100,000 and Vermont comes in with 10.
There are 44 states with at least double the COVID-19 fatality rate per capita compared to Alaska.
The COVID-19 fatality rate is the best metric in determining the virus’ impact on Alaska.
The fearmongering media, Anchorage Assembly members, and Gov. Anne Zink often focus on the number of Alaskans testing positive for COVID-19. But Alaska has conducted more COVID-19 tests than there are people in the state.
Obviously, not every Alaskan has been tested. That number represents multiple tests for some. But Alaska tests more people per capita than 47-other states.
According to Johns Hopkins University, Alaska conducts 120,086 tests per 100,000 residents. That’s five times as many tests per capita than Pennsylvania. Of course, we have a lot of people testing positive. We conduct so many tests. The more you test, the higher the number of positive results.
But even though Alaska tests more of its residents than 47-other states, our positive case rate per capita is lower than 29-other states. It’s three times as low as North Dakota per capita.
But the fearmongering media love to play up the number of positive tests. The headline in Saturday’s Anchorage Daily News read: “Alaska Virus cases continue to swell, with 676 new cases and one new death reported.”
Generally speaking, there are plenty of questions surrounding COVID-19 tests. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX announced earlier this month he began to have flu-like symptoms and got tested. Musk says he was tested four times. Two tests came back positive and two came back negative.
I received a call recently on my radio show from someone who got in line to be tested at the Anchorage airport after returning to the state from the Lower-48.
The caller says he signed up to be tested but the line was too long, so he left. He says several days later he got notice he had tested positive for COVID-19 even though he never took the test.
When the state conducts more tests than there are people, fuzzy math is sure to surface.
It’s important to note the coronavirus is not something we should take lightly. More than 250,000 Americans have died either directly from or with COVID-19. The disease is especially troublesome for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Eight in 10 COVID-19 fatalities in the U.S. have come from those over the age of 65.
But if you are under 65 and are in relatively good health your chance of dying from the virus is minimal. To shut down our economy over a virus that impacts a small percent of our population seems foolish.
There’s never been a time in our history where we’ve for all practical purposes quarantined everyone, even the healthy, over a virus.
We know we can’t trust the media or most government officials to give us a balanced message on COVID-19. Their default position seems to be to stir up fear and play up the worst-case scenario in hopes we do what we can to defeat the virus.
They do so for one simple reason: they don’t trust us to protect ourselves or the vulnerable from the virus.
Dan Fagan hosts the number one rated morning drive radio show in Alaska on Newsradio 650 KENI.
Rep. Lance Pruitt lost his race in District 27 by 16 votes to Democrat activist Liz Snyder, but the question is being raised: Was there fraud?
The Alaska Supreme Court opened the door to fraud when it allowed absentee ballots to be voted on without a witness. Add to that the ballot harvesting that was rampant throughout the neighborhood, compliments of Outside groups pushing Democrat U.S. Senate Candidate Al Gross.
Normally 2.5 percent of vote-by-mail ballots in this district are discarded because of some failure on the ballot, be it a signature or some other mistake.
But this year, only .37 percent of the vote-by-mail ballots in District 27 were rejected. It’s a big anomaly when there’s a 16-vote difference.
In 2016, 819 mail-in ballots were received by the Division of Elections for District 27, and 25 were rejected for some fatal deficiency.
This year, 3,533 mail-in ballots were received, and just 13 were rejected, a 99.6 percent acceptance rate.
The court’s ruling on “no witness needed” may have also affected District 15, where Republican David Nelson leads Democrat Lyn Franks by about 90 votes.
In October, the Supreme Court agreed with the ACLU and liberal litigants that a witness signature is not needed on ballots this year, due to COVID-19. That’s overturning state law that requires the signature to ensure a greater level of voting security.
Once ballots are separated from their absentee vote envelopes by election officials, the votes cannot be traced back to those voters. There is no practical way to determine if the absentee votes in District 27 were legitimate, no way to put those ballots back in the envelopes and start over.
Ballot harvesters from the Al Gross and Alyse Galvin campaigns went through the voter rolls in Anchorage and Fairbanks and swarmed District 27, where they gathered up absentee ballots from low-turnout voters.
It’s hard to say who actually voted those ballots, but Must Read Alaska estimates show that up to 500 votes in District 27 may have been harvested by Democratic operatives who were shipped in from out of state.
To compare, in the 2018 election over 3.1 percent of all mail-in ballots were rejected statewide. The final totals from around the state are not in yet for 2020, but the District 27 results may be telling about whether signatures from voters are being verified at all.
The Left pushed vote-by-mail on Alaskans, promising it was secure. Many of the ballot harvesters told voters they did not want to go to the polls, because they might catch the coronavirus. They asked them to hand over their ballots instead.
Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer has said there will be a hand count of the district’s race, but once the ballot is separated from the envelope, there’s no putting it back and checking the signatures to see if legitimate voters really voted those ballots.
The entire statement of Edie Grunwald, to the court on Nov. 20, 2020, prior to the sentencing of Austin Barrett in the kidnapping that ended in the November, 2016 murder of Edie’s son, 16-year-old David Grunwald:
Judge Heath,
First, thank you and the district attorneys, the troopers, friends, and community members for sticking with us throughout this ordeal. The past four years have been miserable. Three trials, and two plea deals later and on the anniversary of David’s murder – tomorrow – Nov 13th 2016, here we are. I appreciate everyone’s diligence and considerations. None of this has been easy. Yet, I recognize how truly exceptional the District Attorney, Mr. Roman Kalycheck and Ms. Melissa Howard have been in their jobs along with Alaska State Trooper Tony Wegzryn and his team. Judge Heath, we recognize you have been very careful and protective of the rights of all involved.
As you might imagine, as David’s parents, we are crushed to our cores. Our hearts and soul have been drained over what our son had to endure the last couple of hours of his life. He was confused, hurt, in pain, crying, not understanding what or why these four guys were doing to him. He just wanted to hang out a little bit before heading home – get a little “guy time.” He went to the little bathroom, they held the door closed – Come on, stupid joke. The door opened and he felt his skull scream – over an over, trying to protect himself, he put his arms up – getting hit and bloody – crying – why, stop, hearing laughter and hateful words – why? Please stop. Feeling pulled and lifted and dragged to his Bronco, hearing whispers of guns, killing, getting pushed into the back seat between and caught – then asked where are the keys – take the keys, my wallet, anything, in and out of consciousness, yet coherent enough to know where he was and ask to be let out near his girlfriends house. David had entered the devils’ lair and had no idea what was in store for him. Ben and I think and weep about our son getting pistol whipped and his ride to his death. “Take my Bronco, my wallet, anything…” sitting in his own vehicle being lied to, his cell phone being broken and tossed out the window, “he won’t be needing this any longer.” Driving slowly 40-60 minutes – a long, long time for any one of these guys to change the course of everyone’s lives…. But stuck to the plan…. Finally stopping, pulling David out of his own vehicle, walking him deep into the woods with a sweatshirt and slippers on. I wonder how he was able to keep those slippers on, maybe he thought he would need them. It wasn’t an easy walk through the snow, trees, brush… David’s life, thoughts of his parents, his future, his friends, his mistake in deciding to go hang out a little bit before going home. Dear God.
The group stops, David looks up – I see, feel, hear the click of the trigger, instant noise and searing blackness with white dots. David’s soul is no longer in his body. He might be watching these guys run off, he might see his slipper that came off his foot at that point. Then again, the blackness, the loss, the vacancy of his body laying there in the sub-zero weather, light snow falling, treetops – empty of leaves, the dark sky with a few starts peeking through and moon light casting shadows…quiet, nothingness. They left his beaten, broken and brain-blasted body there, an empty shell, slowly oozing what gravity is pulling out. No heart beat, no breath, no life. They ran away with the intent of no one ever finding him as his body quickly cooled down, froze and frost bite settled in.
With adrenalin pumping, excitement, they proceeded to get rid of the evidence.
This was not supposed to happen. David was supposed to be home at 9:20 that night. To some, that might seem a bit strict or even odd. We had curfews, we had trust, we had love, hopes, dreams, chores, homework, errands, plans along with school the next day.
Before David left to drive his best friend/girlfriend home, he made me promise to pick up his new down hill skiis that we had his boots mounted on – while he was at school. He wanted to drive my new Jeep that night – oh, so bad!!! David helped me pick it out and I considered letting him drive that evening and even riding in the back seat, but figured – oh, he’ll have lots of opportunities to drive it.
Expressing this out loud – is a must – we have to be David’s voice. Victims often get lost in the judicial system. They get even more victimized during the judicial process. The defense attorneys, the defense families and their friends, the media – some who have jumped and mischaracterized our son’s actions and involvement. Yet, during the course of the trials, it came out that David was a good kid and not part of this group. Even though in one of the interviews, it was explicitly stated that this was NOT over smoking “all of their weed” – the media took the comment out of context and ran with it. Locals ran with it and took down David’s “Remember me” signs replacing it with “blaming marijuana” signs. I have come to despise the assumptions people make which has made me more aware of my own assumptions and backing away to get a bigger view and understanding – not just for my son’s horrific experience – but relationships, politics, and more.
When David didn’t call or show up at 9:20 p.m., we knew something was wrong. I tried calling him several times, left messages. Then I called Victoria to ask what time he left and where he might have been headed. We then called Eric, Eric’s father, even Devin Peterson at Eric’s father recommendation. Victoria started reaching out to all sorts of people for information and each of these vicious group members lied and mislead her, us, the troopers. The troopers even questioned us because of what they were saying. We had to write a letter describing David and that he was not a runaway and had no desire to go off the grid – lies given by this group.
All night on the 13th on November, David’s father and I drove around looking for evidence of breaking down, sliding off the road… anything… Stopped at the trooper station and they said they would look around.
The next day we got word that David’s Bronco was found burned – way across town, behind Wasilla on a trail. Instant fright, horrific scenes played out of David being burned to a crisp leading to scenes of David out there in those woods somewhere – people searching everywhere.
At this point, people came from all over as we started searching for our 16-year old son imagining all sorts of horrific and even hopeful situations! All the while, the deranged group were partying, lying, going about their lives.
During this time, the troopers, family, trackers, US Marshal, search and rescue groups, private investigators, drones, horses, dogs, a helicopter – community members, our military family, our church family, our neighbors – everyone searched. This went on for 19 days – Then… I had to ask the dentist for David’s dental records (David’s dentist for all of his life – they were invested). We had to give DNA samples. Hope slowly drained. The realization that the love and light of our lives is more than likely gone pushed us way down.
Dec 2nd, around 4 p.m. the trooper showed up. I didn’t move from the couch. Didn’t want to listen, or even know. The words: “We found David.”
The devastation, sadness, disbelief, need to regroup and try to think what’s next. It’s interesting the details that tend to derail the big picture – but it all adds up. The shock numbed me, tricked me… I heard “we got the bad guy.” Okay… but we don’t have our son. “There are more involved.” More? Then on the eve of a massive vigil for David, the others were arrested – including Austin Barrett.
Our nights have been sleepless, plagued with nightmares and waking yelling. Then and even now. Each time a hearing, a motion, a court date – we live it all over.
Our district attorneys worked hard, hard, hard with answering motions, filing motions, preparing for the trials, and working for the best possible outcomes – including what’s left with this plea deal for Austin Barrett. It’s too bad we are left with this – but we have it.
I joined the active duty Air Force in 1984 and come to Alaska on my first duty station. I have given up so much and invested so much for my state and country. I officially retired Sept 2015 planning to spend my time with David, get him through high school – his high school of choice: MatSu Career and Tech. He applied for the 9th grade and was supposedly #1 on the wait list. My awesome neighbors have two kids who have been extremely successful at Colony, so we figured, this might work out. David worked hard. He disliked the noise and crowds at Colony, but he liked certain subjects and we worked with the staff and kept in contact with the teachers to learn and advance.
School is oneopportunity to learn. During my career, I took David on many trips and exposed him to many different experiences – we called them “field trips.” We went to science centers, zoos, visited family, tried new foods, different cultures. I brought him to base, introduced him all sorts of activities, leaders, even the dining facility, climbing wall, bowling, golfing, family days, family programs events, air shows – he would take his hat off with his hand over his heart for the National Anthem. He attended many military events, ceremonies, pinned my promotions, and was the camera guy for a retirement ceremony. Those who worked with me enjoyed it when David joined in. He may not have always been compliant – an independent thinker, but he respected authority and was very proud of his parents and his connection to the military.
David built his own computer. He was a Lego-maniac and built projects years beyond his age group. David was a master at MineCraft with a logistics company that employed several hundred. David like aviation. David was very excited about his future and would often catch me, jumping up and down – aske me… what should I do? What will it be like? Tell me. Tell me. I wan to know. I would smile at his enthusiasm.
David attended Space Camp and Aviation Camp at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama each summer except one summer. This one summer – the plan was set to go, but he failed English. A kid has to be held accountable. English was difficult for him in the 9th grade, no book, lots to keep up with… it happens. Summer School was amazing. The teacher was incredible with David, he loved it and got an A. He was able to attend summer camp at Solid Rock Bible Camp, which he totally enjoyed each summer.
Tenth grade at Colony seemed to go fine, in addition he applied again to MatSu Career and Tech and was accepted for the 11th grade. This summer, 2016, David attended his Mach 4 Aviation camp in Huntsville and enjoyed it tremendously. We had a family reunion, we were able to spend time with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great uncles and great aunts from Louisiana, Mississippi, Washington DC, and Virginia. David then attended Solid Rock Bible Camp, enjoying his water sports. We got a call one evening and David told us his news: he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.
David was our only biological child, one whom I prayed for and was blessed with. He was God’s child. He attended a Montessori pre-school, then attended Anchorage Christian School for Kindergarten, he went with me to Alabama and attended Alabama Christian Academy for the 1stgrade. He played soccer, took karate, played basketball, attended military events, made friends, we went to church Wed and Sunday. We experienced tornadoes, a hurricane, flooding, insects. David had a parakeet named Zeeke who would hang out on his shoulder. We tried golfing, canoeing – made the best of this field trip. We topped it off with a miserable hot trip to Disney World. Wait, the best part: a deep sea fishing trip in the gulf of Mexico for Red Fish with me and his Aunt M.L.
Back at Anchorage Christian School for the 2nd – 4th grades, then after moving to the Valley, we homeschooled for two years. David went to Washington DC/Virginia with me for a three-month tour where he was in a co-op home school. David was the child who built and flew paper airplanes at the talent contest. Field trips consisted of a train ride to NY with me and his grandma, going to visiting all of the historical sites in Washington DC, with the Museum with dinosaurs being his favorite, well maybe next to the aviation museum. He enjoyed the soft hot dog from a street vendor. We got a tour of the White House. We visited our state legislators there. We met George Washington. A favorite was being able to hit a new release movie for 1st showing.
I would like to note that we spent time with extended family at every opportunity – every trip. It’s important to do this when we live so far away. When David’s sister was accepted into the Coast Guard Academy, we all went. We checked out the Academy, checked out Connecticut and went to Boston and explored the history there with his Aunt Cheri.
We all have mourned and mourned and grieved and grieved.
Thinking back 1999- When I found out that I was truly pregnant – 37 years old… dreams, joy, excitement was tremendous. Ben and I made the best of every moment the pregnancy. The older kids were very excited and looked forward to having a baby brother (or sister). Ben had a great sense of humor (I say had, because it has diminished since all of this) – David also had a sense of humor – a bit quirky and silly, but he had me as a mom. He always seemed to keep a smile on our faces. And apparently, he also used his humor with his friends and sometimes his teachers. After home school for two years, David was picked up at Academy Charter. Great School, staff, teachers – hands on with lots of field trips: to McCarthy and even to China! David decided he wanted to try a different math class, so sat in a class that he was not assigned to. It took a while for the teacher to pick up on this, and all of the students got a kick out of it. I’m told that to this day the kids “pull a David” by sitting in classes they are not assigned to. I had an assignment to Hawaii and brought David as a field trip. He had to journal and capture everything on his IPAD. We would drive past this nuclear-looking plant every day. While I was at his school afterwards, one of the teachers asked me about how David “saved” the nuclear plant. He cracked all of us up at times.
I would tuck David in most nights and would pray over him. Our Father, we pray to you tonight to keep David safe, give him good dreams, let him wake up healthy and happy. I prayed for his future wife and children. We were very protective, taught David how to be alert and aware of his surroundings. Who would’ve guessed that I was even worried about meningitis? And even more far-etched – who would have guessed dangers such as vicious, hateful violence from those around his own age were a threat.
Thinking about all of that now is very difficult. Those were the days when we could watch over him, protect him and keep him safe. No public bathrooms, don’t talk to strangers, don’t open the door, question everything. But, as you and every other parent knows and understands, all children have that unforgivable habit of growing up.
Weekends were filled with chores, recreation, church, French toast, bacon burgers, visiting with friends, skiing, biking, fishing, playing games on the computer, researching his ideas. We had a wonderful life, David was deeply loved and while he did not have everything he wanted – his Christmas and Birthday lists were always fun and off the charts. We were teaching and guiding him to be a problem solver and a leader.
Our lives seem to be divided into two parts- One: when David was alive and two, after his death. As I say this, the acrid taste in my mouth forms and the acid builds in my stomach…sixteen. He was barely three months into the 11th grade and all he wanted to do was graduate from MatSu Career Tech. David would have graduated 2018, but here we are 2020 and David should be turning 21 in January – but he will never have another birthday. No 17, no 18, no 19… Yet, his murderers continue to have birthdays, life, friends, contact with family, cable TV, options and choices. David will never get a 2nd chance – ever. Which leads me to saying that these particular murderers should not have a second chance. They need to bear the consequences of their actions. What they did was heinous. David had no junior and no senior year, no more downhill skiing, mountain biking, building a business, no more options as his body is deteriorating six feet under surrounded by honorable and patriotic military members – the closest he can ever get to being in the military. David’s life is all gone – in an instant, no warning. Just gone.
To this day, it is difficult – this can’t be happening, I am stuck in a horrible nightmare but again, the unrelenting truth does not allow a moment to breathe. What many people do not understand is that this is a forever thing. It’s is the new normal.
Our older son, who is special needs has had a very difficult time with all of this – just terrible on his physical and mental health. He did not want to get on Zoom, but wanted me to share a few things:
Alaska should start a Scared Straight program. I wish to decrease situation like what happened to David as much as possible.
If the Scared Straight Program is not immediately feasible, some kind of program should happen to show young people that gang-banging is NOT cool.
I hope the four perpetrators get sent to the most terrible prison possible so they can learn the hard way where gang-banging gets you.
Many of David’s friends and class-mates and others have been horrified at what has occurred. These crimes have had a tsunami effect across our lives, community and nation.
One of David’s best friends, Levi, and Levi’s father, Matt are devastated from what has happened. David spent a lot of time at their house and David loved helping Matt work on his airplane and learning everything he could from Matt. Matt was a computer technician and David loved Matt. 1st, Matt saw David’s bright future, his interest in science and tech, how he was a good friend, his contributions to his community. Matt wants to give David honor. 2nd, the actions of Austin Barrett took all of that away. Matt saw how it affected me and Ben and his own sons Levi and Lewis, close friends, Victoria, Gus, Isaac, and Jamus. Months after the murder Levi was suicidal, his entire world flipped upside down, still to this day he is unable to really talk about David and what happened and is forever affected by the brutal and vile actions of the people that took David from us.
3rd, Justice. What is justice? It is an attempt by the government to punish wrong doers or an attempt to make things fair? In the case of a stolen car or burned home, justice could be punishment for those actions and restitution to replace the car of the home. But, what justice could possibly be served for taking someone’s life, someone’s child and someone’s friend? Nothing AB can do will bring David back – so that leaves us with punishment. What lawful punishment could possibly come close to bringing forth justice? AB continues to draw breath, but David does not. The system of government comes to AB’s aid in a plea bargain, but people who knew David are not heard. David is not heard. We get a short statement from the victims as opposed to weeks of statements defending AB. We believe that there is a God in heaven that knows what justice is because He defines it. He knows exactly what AB did and exactly the penalty due – and there is no escape from it.
David has many aunts and uncles, but because we are limited to statutory defined victims, David’s Aunt Katherine’s sentiments reflect the sentiments of all David’s family and it is applicable and comes from me, David’s mother. It is only a few minutes long describes a bit more about the impact on us. [Plays recording].
Next up is my mother, David’s grand-mother. She is 80 years old and she has lived through many, many horrific times: her first husband, my father was murdered; she was victimized, beat nearly to her death on numerous occasions by a 2nd husband, lost a few babies to child birth and miscarriages. But this – what has happened to her grandson has taken her wind and her health and has been the most difficult thing in her life to deal with.
Our Daughter Patricia may speak. I am not sure what she will share. I have protected her and her brother through all of this. I do know that her baby brother’s murder has left her deeply scarred.
My sister, Cheri, who has been a large part of David’s life will speak and then Ben, David’s father will speak.
I would like to end this victim impact statement with a “thank you for keeping this sentencing on the calendar and following through.” This sentencing is very different from the other three and should be the easiest. Everyone has worked tremendously hard, with lots of heartache to get to this point.
I thank everyone who stops me and gives me hugs and reaches out, follows David’s story, those who have shared artwork and were a part of David’s life.
I condemn the murderers. I do not support any type of early release whether it be discretionary parole, furlough, EM – and it is my preference that the community be kept safe from such deranged and heinous crimes. There is extreme condemnation from across this land for these crimes. Our safety, security and trust have been derailed.
Thank you, Judge Heath, please accept this plea deal.
Austin Barrett is now a sentenced kidnapper whose actions in 2016 led to the death of David Grunwald, the Palmer teen who was beaten and shot by a gang of four teenage boys who were on a violent wilding.
Barrett is the first of four to be sentenced, and the sentencing hearing turned bizarre today after the defense attorney got in front of the microphone and stammered his way through a theatrical presentation.
Four years after the murder of Grunwald, Barrett had earlier this year negotiated a plea bargain and was today sentenced by Palmer Judge John Heath to 64 years, with 20 suspended. He will be eligible for a parole hearing after 15 years.
Grunwald, son of Alaska Parole Board Chair Edie Grunwald and Ben Grunwald, was just 16 years old, when he had partied with a group in a camper on the evening of Nov. 13, 2016.
It was all a set up. Five youths had a plan and executed it in cold blood that November night when Grunwald was pistol-whipped in the behind Erick Almandinger’s Palmer house and then driven to a at Jim Creek on the Knik River where he was walked into the woods and shot dead.
Almandinger, Brad Renfro, Dominic Johnson, and Barrett were all arrested and ultimately convicted for the crimes.
In today’s sentencing hearing, the state prosecutor and defense attorney had come to a plea agreement to avoid a trial. The state’s attorney said that with COVID-19 delaying trials, it was better to get this plea agreement on the books, as the court system will be backed up for at least three years.
The Grunwalds both gave heartfelt testimony about how the killing of their son has impacted their life, and asked for the maximum sentence.
Defense attorney Craig Howard then gave a tense, rambling, long-winded, and self-referential defense of his client, at times blaming David Grunwald, the victim, for getting involved with a group of boys who had no moral compass.
“I’m saying this young man has a moral compass. Having said that, his moral compass was frozen for a couple of years,” Howard said.
Howard gave the “boys will be boys” defense, reminding the judge that as a teen, all he had to worry about was stealing his dad’s condoms, and that he couldn’t even buy a Playboy magazine, while today, teens are exposed to much darker elements on social media that their parents don’t know about. They were all bad kids, he said, but Austin Barrett is now remorseful and understands that he did something very bad. But it wasn’t pulling the trigger, the attorney argued.
“With murders, some homicides are one-time deal, they happen to normal, regular people. A person should be given a chance,” Howard said.
In a 45-minute presentation that sometimes seemed like he was melting down emotionally, Howard talked about how deeply this case had affected him. He said he had to throw away his slippers because they were the same brand that the 16-year-old victim wore.
With a trembling voice, incomplete sentences, and jerky motions, Howard referred to the novels, “Lord of the Flies,” and “The Oxbow Incident,” which he had re-read recently. The former book reminded him of the dystopian youth involved in the murder of Grunwald, and the latter book reminded him of how the pursuit of justice can go awry.
At another moment in his presentation, he described his own father as the original “Great Santini,” and recalled how much he had disappointed his father by not going into the military, and how he thought he dad had died prematurely because of that. He described having to resuscitate his own child once, and how hard it is to be a defense attorney. Many of his colleagues have succumbed to alcoholism, lost marriages and killed themselves, he said, because of the heavy burdens of the work they do.
“I can’t believe I’ve made it this far,” Howard said, describing the “psychic damage” he has suffered from being a defense attorney. “This picture of David Grunwald will live in my mind forever.”
Howard said, at one point, that he also went to Sunday school as a kid, and that he prefers the New Testament to the Old Testament. Later on, he said he doesn’t have the religious faith the Grunwald’s have.
“Sometimes I get it, and then I lose it,” he said.
He also refuted Edie Grunwald’s statement, saying she said he, Howard, was in “cahoots” with the defendant, “and that I am complicit in the lies. I don’t see how she can say that. She’s not omniscient. Only God is.”
Howard, who has represented a number of defendants in horrific murders in Alaska, including then-23-year-oldKirby Anthoney, who committed triple murder and rape of two children in 1987. Howard talked about a friend of his from high school who ended up being shot in Vietnam, causing Howard to wonder what his death meant.
But this case obviously got to Howard. He was a hot mess, even while coming to the defense of his young client.
“I’ve read hundreds of statements of victims and I tell you, it’s usually just black and white. Colonel Grunwald’s statement — I could not read it. I kept having to put it down. The pain just oozed through it. The grief,” he said.
But later Howard said that the Grunwalds’ statements into the court record were designed to influence the parole board in 15 years, and how he wants his own remarks to also be recorded and provided to the parole board.
He made a point of noting that Edie Grunwald is the chair of the parole board and inferred that her current position may influence future proceedings.
“The Grunwalds are victims. But the elephant in the room here is she is also the chairman of the State Parole Board,” Howard said.
After he had exhausted the courtroom, Howard ended his statement by saying he hoped the Grunwalds would permit him to visit the gravesite of their son.
“I need closure in theis case. I’m not ready for closure. If The Grunwalds don’t want me to go to his grave, I understand. I would like to know, it would go a long way for me because … I’m emotional, I would like to go to his grave and get some closure. It’s my one request,” Howard said.
Barrett, now 20, read his apology to the court. The Grunwalds had left the room for that portion of the proceedings. They didn’t want to hear it.
Then, the judge accepted the plea agreement, Barrett was fingerprinted, and led from the courtroom.
The question of who pulled the trigger has still not been resolved, as all four of the youth declared they were not the culprit. But Barrett’s case was considered the most difficult to prosecute because he did not engage in social media or texting after the murder, and the others did, leaving a damning trail behind them.
