Community can speak out on Homer woman’s murder ahead of killer’s sentencing
Published 4:03 pm Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Community members can make their voices heard on a disappearance and murder that has gripped Homer for more than six years.
On Oct. 17, 2019, Anesha “Duffy” Murnane went missing. The beloved member of the Homer community was last seen leaving the assisted living facility where she lived. A massive search for her whereabouts was conducted involving the police, firefighters, and many civilian members of the Homer community, however, Murnane was never found.
On Feb. 5 this year, 36-year-old Kirby Calderwood, who worked at the assisted living facility where Murnane lived, pled guilty to her murder in Kenai Superior Court. His plea agreement calls for a 99-year prison sentence with 12 years suspended, for an active jail sentence of 87 years followed by 10 years of probation.
Ahead of Calderwood’s July 1 sentencing, community members are invited to submit victim impact statements describing how Murnane’s disappearance and murder have affected them.
“The purpose of these statements is to ensure that the full and lasting impact of this crime on individuals and the community is understood,” said Michael Huelsman, Duffy’s uncle speaking on behalf of her family and friends.
Victim impact statements are an important part of the judicial process and will be provided to the presiding judge as well as the Alaska Department of Corrections. Although Calderwood will not be eligible for parole until he is in his 90s, these statements may also be reviewed in the future by officials responsible for any potential release decisions.
The Homer Police Department led a multi-year investigation into Murnane’s murder that intensified after a 2022 Kenai Peninsula Crime Stopper tip stated that Calderwood kidnapped, murdered, and disposed of Murnane.
He moved from Homer to Utah after she went missing. Later in 2022, Calderwood’s wife told the police that Calderwood had confessed to murdering Murnane in the crawlspace of his then-girlfriend’s parent’s house. Homer Police and the FBI investigated the crawlspace and recovered evidence that was found to contain Murnane’s DNA when tested by the Alaska Department of Public Safety Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory. Utah Police and the FBI searched Calderwood’s Utah home and found Murnane’s watch in a drawer with a missing person poster for her.
Printed victim impact forms are available in Homer at The UPS Store and at bulletin boards around town, including Ulmer’s Drug & Hardware, Kachemak Gear Shed, Two Sisters Bakery, and Fritz Creek Store. A digital PDF form is also available for those who wish to print and submit their statements independently at https://tinyurl.com/justiceforduffy.
All submissions are confidential and will not be made available to the public. Community members are encouraged to submit their statements by April 30, 2026 for the greatest impact, although submissions will be accepted through June. For additional information or questions specific to this victim impact statement, email justiceforduffy@gmail.com.
On May 2, Duffy’s Family & Friends present Duffy’s Journey to Justice, A Community Gathering for Awareness & Action on Violence Against Women. This free event from 1-4 p.m. at Homer’s Kachemak Bay Campus will feature Matt Haney, the special investigator who broke Duffy’s case sharing about the case and answering questions. Also presenting will be Ingrid Johnson, associate professor, Department of Justice & Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, UAF with her talk, “Duffy Murnane as an Individual and a Statistic: The Contest of Violence Against Women in Alaska.”
Everyone is welcome to attend, but the event will include adult content and parental discretion is advised. The event will be available by Zoom. Follow Facebook page Bring Duffy Home for updates, including the Zoom link. For more information or to request the link, email justiceforduffy@gmail.com.
