A logging camp employee shot dead a fellow worker at a Prince of Wales Island camp on Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers say.
Ketchikan resident Timothy Murphy, 26, confessed to the homicide of Brian Stanton, 64, also of Ketchikan, according to a Thursday AST release.
At about 6:16 a.m. Wednesday, AST received a call from the Phoenix Logging camp on Prince of Wales Island that Stanton was dead due to a gunshot. Murphy had made multiple incriminating statements to employees of the logging camp, located about 15 air miles from the village of Hydaburg at Keete Inlet.
AST responded to the call via an Alaska Wildlife Trooper vessel from the AST post in Craig, arriving on scene at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Troopers stayed at the scene overnight to continue the investigation.
When reached by phone Thursday, AST spokesperson Tim DeSpain said any motive to the apparent homicide is still part of an ongoing investigation.
“Basically, all I can confirm was that it was reported to troopers by other employees there that he (Murphy) was making incriminating statements and confessing,” DeSpain said.
Murphy has been charged with first-degree murder and held at the Craig Jail. Electronic documents show the charges were filed at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the Prince of Wales Courthouse under Judge David V. George.
Stanton’s family has been notified of the death.
Contact reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 or kevin.gullufsen@juneauempire.com.
