33-Year-Old Bethel Resident Found Dead In Her Apartment kyuk.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kyuk.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Credit KYUK
Our hearts are heavy at KYUK. Longtime KYUK colleague Lillian Atmak Michael died May 2. Michael served as a translator, reporter, and storyteller at KYUK for decades, and was known for her enthusiastic coverage of the Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race.
A friend found Michael deceased in a Bethel residence on May 2. Bethel Police Chief Richard Simmons said that her death is under investigation pending autopsy results. No foul play is suspected.
Michael’s body will be brought back from the medical examiner in Anchorage to her home village of Kwethluk later this week. KYUK will be producing a story to remember Michael following her burial.
Bethel to hire investigator to review police processes surrounding sex crimes adn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from adn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Alaska city OKs investigator to review sex crime processes
April 5, 2021
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BETHEL, Alaska (AP) The Bethel City Council in Alaska has voted to hire an independent investigator to review the city s response to allegations of sexual assault in this hub community in southwest Alaska.
The vote on Tuesday came after Bethel resident Juanita Nick reported to police that she was sexually assaulted last year. Nick said it took local police over seven hours to respond to her call and that officers did not pick up her sexual assault kit until 34 days after it was administered.
The Associated Press does not normally name victims of sexual assault, but Nick in March publicly protested against what she called the inappropriate action by Bethel police. She later recorded her story and sent it to KYUK Public Media.
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Local family advocate Anny Cochrane testified in the “people to be heard” portion of the meeting, saying that she’s sick of hearing about the Bethel Police Department being understaffed. “For years this is continuing on. We really can t allow our police departments to be so dramatically understaffed that they lose the ability to protect and serve the communities that need that,” said Cochrane.
“It really comes down to the basics. The Bethel police department has a responsibility to ensure that they maintain the public order and safety, enforcing law and preventing, detecting, and investigating the criminal activity,” Cochrane added, saying that because victims of rape really have no other agency to turn to in town, they need to be able to rely on the Bethel Police Department.