An Alaskan Nightmare

Sept 7, 1982 there was a strange sight to be seen in Craig Alaska as a fishing vessel known as the Investor was seemingly sailing across the water, peacefully, only it wasn't. It's engine had been cut off and was not only not "sailing peacefully" but it was on fire, smoke was soon to be seen billowing out of it and as people scrambled to try and help they also realized that there were people on board. All dead. Eight people in total would be counted (though out of 8, 3 would never even be truly identified) making this the biggest massacre in Alaska's history. 
Also, it was soon to become one of the most expensive legal battles as not once but twice someone would be tried as its perpetrator. 
John Kenneth Peele would be the one that prosecutors would point to as the mastermind behind this tragedy, that a disagreement between him and the skipper of the ship, Mark Coulthurst, was the starting point of this whole ordeal, and to this day, it is still a much of a mystery to what happened to those on board the Investor as it was the day it occurred. 
Take a ride to Alaska, and find out what really may have happened aboard...the Alaskan Nightmare.

Transcript

Unknown: 0:20

Hello everybody this is Debbie Q and you're listening to the right show right to is a podcast about all things strange and unusual, especially in reference to death. In this case, today's case, which is way more crazy than I remember his eight deaths when I was with Lyndon and which was a joy because he helped me it is I beginning to understand why people do like two and three people on a podcast, I'll tell you what, it's hard to remember everything you read a case you get to immerse yourself in it, but this case, because it is something so unfamiliar to me as fishing, and there's terms like skiff tie downs or I don't even know I it's everything's on my notes. You know, I had to ask so many people about, you know what this meant, what that meant. I am not a fisherman. This case, it's just so utterly fascinating. And it's utterly fascinating to me, like the latest case with the Springfield three, with the three girls, Susie Streeter, Stacy McCall and Cheryl Levitt, in the case of those three girls, they were never found. And that the reason that case is so odd and so bizarre is that you don't even know what the motive was. And that is the most baffling of all, what was the motive? Why? Who was the target it becomes and that's what's with this case, this case is so complex, I better not being blabbing away. I've heard this case done on a few different shows. But when I had Instagram the story, I was surprised at the amount of people that had never heard of it. And I I was surprised because there was had been a People Magazine investigative story about it. There had been it's called scary mysteries. It's not it wasn't done on scary mysteries, but the host, every town, he did the Craig Alaskan murder mysteries. And but he did a shortened version, which was really good, because he hit the key points perfectly. Andrew Fitzgerald, he just has a really cool voice. And he had done one. And then there was I'm just trying to show that it is out there. But there was always this shortened version of it. So when I read there's there's a book called what happened in Craig by Leland Hale. And there's also a very good podcast called unresolved. And let me give a shout up. Michael Whelan delved into this a, you know, it really opened it up a little for me, I'm glad for these two things, because without them without the book without this unresolved, I don't know if I would have came to understand it. And I really wanted to do this case, because getting past all the fishing references. It really is a crazy mystery. And I'm going to tell you at the end what I think happened, and because I have my own thoughts about I don't know when I should say this, I, the one thing that bugs me about being cases, especially in small towns, and there's a lot, there's the JonBenet Ramsey case, which to me, I will do that one day, because that case drives me absolutely insane for several reasons. One thing that bugs me about big cases in, I don't want to say small towns, because if it's a big enough case, it can happen anywhere. There is such pressure to get who did it from the family, from the community, from even the ego of the people investigating, it does become a pissing match between everybody that if you get your sights on one person, or a group of people, you're just not going to let go. And you will make or try to make that fit. Because at a certain point, there's so much money and time and resources put into it that you can't take back what you put in. And this is one of those cases this is Alaska's worst unsolved mass murder and all started with a file On the morning of September 7 1982, there was a ship was in Craig Alaska, and it had caught fire. The smoke was coming out of the sides. And hours later it would be the fire would finally get put out. The people who go on to the boat, they thought the boat was empty. But here there was initially four people dead. That's how it started. But again, we have to go a little back. I'm not too far back a couple days earlier. There was a party being thrown for a man named Mark coalhurst. He was from Blaine, Washington, and he owned a 58 foot fishing boat called the investor. Now normally they said he didn't go to Craig Alaska, but it was sent the salmon fishing season he had gotten the 77,000 pounds of salmon and he was expecting a large cash haul for this. Although he did not deal in cash. What happened was Mark was having a birthday party at a restaurant in Craig, Alaska, and it was at Ruth Ann's restaurant, which back then was one of Craig's few restaurants. He had come there because they had a waste a few days he did not deal in cash. The Alaskan Department of Fish and Game had temporary close because of the commercial salmon fishing season closing but they were opening that Monday so mark and his family and his deckhands how to stay with him now with him was his pregnant wife Irene. She was three months pregnant. She was also 28 years old. He had a daughter named Kimberly who was five. His son john was four and his deckhands included Chris Haman, Dean moon, he was somewhat of a football star in Blaine, Washington, which Mark was also from Jerome Keown, a 19 honor student at Seattle University. He also lives in Blaine and a Michael Stewart, who was Mark's 19 year old cousin. These were the people that were to be on the investor that night. Now they didn't even have they didn't have any money. He did not deal in cash. He even had to write a check to somebody so we could pay the $100 bill for the food that night after unloading the salmon Hall and everything. The ship was tied to the dock. They were tied to the dock. But they were also tied to two other ships, the defiant and the decade were the names that night the decade, which was owned by Clyde Carey, and he was the brother of Mark Colt hearses business partner, john kerry. They allowed him to tie to their dogs because that's how they they had a walk through the ships to get to their ship the investor, but everyone knew mark so even though he wasn't normally in Craig, and this kind of came up out of nowhere. He was welcomed in the fishing community. So everyone recognized him. They said Jerome Keome and Dean Moon went to grab a couple of drinks but also purchased some weed, okay. And they just had a good old time. They as I said, he had to get the check to the bar and the money. The one guy which he says that that night because they had a pass through the two boats, they saw this little boy john cold Hurst and the four year old and he waved to them before he went to go to sleep, and which breaks my heart. Because this is the last time anybody would see any of the coders alive. I can see why there was a lot of confusion because it seemed like this was the end of the salmon fishing season and you know, it was it's like the end of a school year you got everything going on. People are not paying strict attention to every person that walks back and forth. They did say that there was a criminal the decade had a party that night and there was a loud party and there was a storm brewing this you know all the more made it easy for whoever did this to get away with it. But there was a crewman on the decade that noticed there they were called pty downlines. And they were literally to just prevent the ships from floating away, but they're expensive, and they're used over and over again. So he saw them. They were from the investor but they had been left aboard the decade and he thought that was rather strange. They that's not something that you normally do. So he looked up and he said the investor and there was somebody that was in the pilot house, and he waved to him. And he assumed it was more cold her so he waved back. He said his size and gait were similar. But, you know, again, when life is happening, you're not paying attention to every little thread. You know, it's it's hard to remember things. So he did think it was also strange that the investor wasn't running. It was idle, but it was floating away. So these things just struck them as odd but nothing crazy. And then, about 15 minutes later, the captain of the decade Clyde Kerry came in and remembers also seeing the investor floating away and the only thing you can remember is he said the guy had brown or blonde hair, and was wearing a plaid wool jacket. That is literally all he could say. So about 731 fish egg Island, a small island a mile away from Craig, it appeared like the investor had been anchored. They could not be sure they just know that the investor skiff, which I learned is a smaller boat that like the deckhands will use to get back and forth say they were on the boat and they suddenly needed something from the island Mark might say, hey, been Go get me something from that store. And he would use the skiff to go get whatever he needed. What wasn't known is that Kimberly mark and Irene five year old daughter was supposed to start school at morning and Irene missed her flight. So that's bad, but nothing was coming together yet. A young man was seen purchasing two and a half gallons of gasoline in Craig, leaving with it aboard the investors parked skiff. There was another small boat called a troller named cassina, which had been docked and Craig, they noticed smoke coming out of the ambassador. And not only that, but there was a couple of fishermen that noticed smoke coming out of the ambassador. So they alerted the Alaskan state troopers, which in nearby catch it Ketchikan, I hope. I hope that's the correct pronunciation about a potential fire. And they began to head out towards the because it was really starting to smoke up. Again. It wasn't tied to a dock it was in the middle of the ocean at this point. And I do remember on one of I think it was the People Magazine investigates the guy I'm pretty sure it was one of the shows. The police officer said there was nothing more disturbing than in the middle of boat season. You're on the dock and you see this boat come out of nowhere and it's on fire. And there's nobody on it. Like he said that the site was so spooky. It really stayed with him. And it would for years and years. So you have all these people people are getting, they're going about their business, they're trying to get home. And yet you have this bone on fire that's in front of you. They get to it, they get on the boat, they never expected what was to come. First Responders would say that it was obvious that someone had tried to sink the boat, I guess they had pulled the plugs in the front. Somebody had told me the bilge pump, the bilge pump, I guess protects the boat from sinking. But if you mess with it in a certain way you could make the boat sink. And that's what the person tried to do before setting it on fire. It still didn't work all the way because they did find four bodies are this is when everything came out like that. Irene didn't get to her plane and so on. Irene was actually still wearing the same dress. So they identified mark and Irene called her fairly quickly when they got everything when they at least got Irene and mark off the boat. They did autopsies, they said and this is how it was written. They did an examinations and revealed gunshot wounds to not the back of their head or execution style but they were gunshot wounds to the head and they would never quite elaborate on that. Which makes me think they were holding something obviously investigators don't always want to give all the information because they want to see you know if the true perpetrator say something the state trooper said preliminary indications are that mark and Irene cold hires were victims of homicide and had died prior to the fire and they really figured this out because nobody had carbon monoxide fumes in their lungs, which means they were dead when the fire started to the fire didn't kill them. The gunshot wounds did, which is really disturbing because there was children. I mean, whoever kills children, I mean, it's bad to kill anybody. But there's a special place in hell for kids because they are innocent. And so, you know, john coalhurst, Mark's father would tell reporters that he knew it was arson, because the boat was worth $750,000 at least. And it was designed not to burn any widespread fire would have had been intentional not just started. And Mark was a true innovator. Like he wanted to retire before he was 50. And, or at 50. And, you know, he was he seemed like a get up and go guy, but he was also a guy that didn't take any shit. So I think some people, you know, he wrote people, he didn't rub everyone the right way. It was, you know, he had a hard personality. And that's usually a sign of a successful man or woman, a woman or be called a bitch, though. It's a whole other story. So based on the evidence, they said, you know, somebody had attempted to sink the boat, didn't work, and then tried to set it on fire. One of the investigators said this, which is a great frickin point. Every time I pursue something, or his name is Sergeant Charles Miller, of the Alaskan state troopers. Every time I pursue something I keep coming up short, there's always something that doesn't fit. One thing that stuck in my craw, why the murderer didn't burn the boat right away. Or at night, when there was darkness to cover his escape. There must have been a compelling reason that caused him to do it in broad daylight. That is such an interesting theory, because that is true. Why wouldn't the guy whoever This was waving in the pilot thing? Why didn't he just shoot them? You know, it seems like I agree with later theories that something must have happened, a fight started. And then somebody just went off and figured I can't have anybody knowing who I am. I'd say the only thing I could think of why else would that happen in that way? You know, it doesn't it I it's a perfect observation. In the days it would follow. They were trying to identify everybody they finally get to identify poor or five year old Kimberly cold Hearst, the daughter of Mark and Irene, they identified her they could not determine whether she had been a shooting victim because her body had been so decomposed by this point. And then days later, 19 year old Mike Stewart, who had just started the week before Mark's cousin, and one of his deckhands was confirmed, Jerome Qian would eventually be identified. The thing that is disturbing is Chris Heyman and Dean moon. The remains were never found. They allege that possibly some of the teeth were Dean's, but they never concretely identified their remains. So that also became very maddening when the trial was to start trials, I should say, also john Coulter's the son of Mark and Irene, the four year old, he was never found either. And now, I work with a four year old girl, poor little Johnny. So there they also found I found it to 23 Ruger rifle, which initially was thought to have been the possible murder weapon, but because the fragments were so beat up and damage, they just ultimately they said it was a 22 caliber firearm that shot them. I just don't think they could do none of the testing was working out because of the burn marks. And again, the carbon monoxide was not in their lungs. They were shot first. Initial reports indicated that the police were following leads involving drugs or robbery. But investigators were also publicly theorize which I agree with the killers had gotten into an argument with somebody and being in somebody shooting them but and with the party going on in the decade. I guess they didn't hear the gunshot I mean, you know, gunshots I have to be honest, I live near a gun range. There are times when my gun and I live in a neighborhood that's not you know, sometimes people do shoot each other unfortunately, but you cannot always tell the the gunshots from the fireworks to the just a strange noise. I mean, in the night I'll think is that a gun is you know guns don't always sound like guns. I say that all the time. And it's the truth. There was somebody that was seen buying the 2.5 gallons of gasoline. They were never, they just fled off into the night. And they had got together a $15,000 reward. Early 20s, a slim build blonde or brown hair. Oh, which the only difference it's a pockmarked or slightly scored complexion with glasses with rectangular lenses, but that they said that literally described 500 men that were there that day, all for the same reason for this salmon fishing end of season. So you know, I mean, and Gosh, the the black and red flannel. I mean in the 90s didn't everybody wear that? I mean, this was in the 80s. I think every single person I knew were those random black flannels. That was the style of dress. Somebody did say I saw the guy in the skiff. He was watching the fire. He was one cool character, he came up to talk to a few people made a telephone call and left. Okay, they kept saying the same thing. The guy obviously went off the deep end. I mean, what else could have happened? They, you know, they were they want this boat. Somebody freaked out shot mark and Irene and then figured, oh my god, I gotta shoot everybody, you know, and then really freaked out when the boat wouldn't sink, got some gas, tried to burn the boat, and then fled off in the night and was waving out the window like, Hey, you know, because, hey, I just killed a pee later on. I mean, he or whatever. I don't know. It is so strange. Because if there was a people on the boat, that is such a frickin mystery. It's freaking me out. I mean, think about it. There's supposed to be eight people on this boat to we're never identified. One john and it wasn't for the four year old that did this. I don't want to get to the trial part. It's just a during the trial part. It was a year somebody brought up what would if it was dean and Dean's mother ran out of the room. I have to tell that part because I mean, it's true. Like you could see where somebody would think well, could it have been Dean but you know, when I think your son did that, and he and I'm not saying he did that sounds crazy to me. I don't know what happened. But there had to be a ninth person or two of those decades. Dean and Chris went buzzer go. And and I and nothing makes sense. So how would that happen? On September 10, just a few days after the second anniversary was September 10 1984. Suddenly, police charged someone john Kenneth Peale. And forever. JOHN Kenneth Peele would be the face of the Alaskan murder mystery. And this is why his first of all, the picture I showed on my Instagram was of john peel, which in a brilliant move by his defense, he made him wear mustaches hats, pullover hats, anything to disguise his face, because he's right once you get that face in your head. Yeah, that's him. That's him. That's him. Of course. That's him. And that's a great thing to do. That's a great tactic that is even the father of one of the victims said he's the one I would want for a defense lawyer. Suddenly they come out with john Kenneth peel. He was a 24 year old Bellingham, native Bellingham, Washington native. He had been a favorite suspect for some time, and he was taken into custody. Authorities from Ketchikan, Alaska, were charging him with all eight murders. Oh my god, and his bail was set for $1 million. They wanted to extra appeal to Alaska for the trial. It was believed that a young man matched the description released by authorities had been familiar with the cold erst family because of john peels, alcohol and drug use was fired as a deckhand by Mark like a year or two prior. And that night, it was very much argued whether john was seen talking to mark holders, but to me, okay, I have had jobs and in a way that were less than ideal. One was completely out of my hands. It's such a long convoluted story I would gladly tell to anybody that wanted to hear it. The point is, there was a time when the way that the job had ended and I had been there 12 years this was a different job. It ended very weird ended. Oddly, it ended because me and me and the manager at that time to just not see eye to eye and I was young at the time. And regardless, I just was tired of work. And then what if I seen her? I would be like, Hey, what's up? You know? I don't know. I'm just not a grudge holder. I don't forget anything. But I don't. Life is too short. Trust me. So the point is, is that do I think john peel because he got fired two years prior from this boat, killed eight people know. There had to be something more to the story, but whatever I watched never really fully explained it. And I thought there was some big POW You know, when you call that the Perry Mason moment, but there never was. It's really they got this guy john peel. He failed. The polygraph I did is come aside. I said, Well, what do you think of polygraphs? And they said, Well, you know, they're used as a tool. But they're tools because basically it depends on who's reading the polygraph. Yes, they can be good when the person reading is fair and impartial. But that's not always the case. They you know, they said to him failing a polygraph. I mean, when I told him this story, I always run it by them, whether they want to hear it or not. And they said it meant nothing that he failed the polygraph absolutely nothing. He said you're being charged with eight murders. The guy's probably shitting his pants. So in November of 1984, he was moved to the Ketchikan Correctional Center. And the trial was set January of 1986, where he was facing arson charges and 99 years for each of the eight murders. They get him on trial. And the reason he was a suspect was because there was two separate phone calls on the tip line of individuals that said Peele should be investigated. He matched this suspect sketch, he had been identified by four witnesses, who claimed to see him on the skiff, that day, traveling back and forth to get the gasoline. Also, this included people from the casino, the boat that first noticed the fire aboard the ambassador and raced out and tried to stop it. And they said that now whoever, whether there's peel or not, they purchase gasoline and they pretended like they were trying to stop this fire. But then they took off. And people were saying that was john peel. He also had dated Mark Sr. and it had apparently been a tumultuous relationship that for about three years or so. And he got fired for the alcohol and drug use. And he was the one who sold the weed to more allegedly he sold weed to Dean that night. The Tipping Point was being fired than any song that night follow them on to that boat passing the decade and the defiant. See, that's the other thing. There was two boats that the person had to pass now if there was only eight people on that boat, I guess if you're having a party, somebody snuck past or it was I hate to say this because I you know, Dean, Dean moons mother's reaction when it was suggested that it was dean. I mean, that is horrible. But it could it had to be Dean moon, or Chris Heyman or an unknown and and i don't think it would be Dean or Chris. I mean, what could happen that would set them off so wildly. Wow, that is baffling. appeals lawyers would argue that he had not been fired from Mark's crew but rather decided to work aboard another ship the following year, the to remain friendly and some of the cult curses family members literally said on this stand. I could see my mother shooting all these people before I could john peel. He was a gentle soul whose own wife sat behind them during the trial and he never shown any slight he wasn't like this hothead or unknown crazed person. You know the relationship would always be a point of contention moving forward without the prosecutor saying the appeal and held a grudge against mark and a witness recall john peel talking to the cult hertz family while they attended Mark's birthday dinner at Ruth's and restaurant in court. For about 10 minutes also reported selling Mark marks crew we to Dean moon now, he denied that as well. But denying and selling weed and denying eight murders is two different things. I mean, as you can tell I mean I have to be honest I don't believe that this guy john peel didn't but I'll get to the point of what the sister of Mark hold. Hearst says in the end for starters john peel had no criminal history, nothing that indicated the ability for careless violence. He was a law abiding citizen and pleasant guy Brad ran mail one of john peels friends told reporters he didn't have the nerve to punch anyone. I believe the killer was my mother before I believe it was him. He was the one who said it again. I couldn't remember. But then there was witnesses saying john was the suspicious man they had seen and Craig and one of the men had seen young men from the skiff originally told police about the sighting said that he had previously known john peel and that the man from the skiff was definitely not him. Another man that encountered the man from the skiff was shown john peel and a photo and said that's john peel. Know, I know him. When you spend time money, and when you're telling the family because you want it to be I mean, these prosecutors are probably, you know, driving themselves crazy. You get that into a very upset angry family's heart and it's him. They're gonna believe it. And they want their they want to revenge. You know, of course, peels is his lawyer Philip whiner and he said the prosecutors have intimidated multiple witnesses, the allegations will come up over and over. Many of the people kept pleading the fifth because they just didn't. At this point, I just think it was getting out of hand. Maybe they weren't eliminating the witnesses. I don't know why they would all plead the fifth once they were up on the stand. They would also bring to light as a discrepancy with the transcription of one of peels, police interviews, which was incredibly valuable when they had gotten the grand jury indictment. Now when you go to a grand jury, a grand jury is no different than a regular jury. It's filled with basically your peers. It is selected the same way a jury is but it's to get it is usually easier for a prosecutor to get an indictment charged from a grand jury than it is a judge that tells me even more that they went in there. JOHN peel was on their mind, and they were going to get him because that was the only person they couldn't find anything else. And they wanted this case solved. Now they allege that he said I'm scared. I'm scared. I can't believe the things I did in their appeals lawyers said that john had actually said I'm scared. I'm scared. I can't believe you all think I did that. The differences between the two are striking and could have possibly influenced the grand jury into pursuing the charges against Peale. Another discrepancy john peel had been identified as a young man getting two and a half gallons of gas on the morning of the ambassador fire. The prosecution had failed to mention that only white gas residue had been found at the crime scene which hinted that the killer use an accelerant start the fire not gasoline, which would have left behind a different type of residue. So And not only that, but I also read this was from the book what happened in Craig, the author Leland he Hale says that the investigators they really didn't do themselves a good service in that they missed this one point, the expert George bone break a retired 34 veteran of FBI latent fingerprint section and the man who had identified James Earl Ray's fingerprint on the rifle used to kill Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. bonebrake said that this troopers should have tried to take prints from the investors skiff. On the day after the fire, the rainfall would not have washed away fingerprints made by an arsonist fuel soaked hands the state had missed a trick by not having their own fingerprint expert better to call in a fingerprint expert to testify that they found nothing then no expert at all because that's a great point. Why didn't they take fingerprints from this GIF? During all this he would wear a mask john peel and elaborate disguise fake mustaches when Now when I first saw the story before I heard all of this before I read exactly what they had on him. I thought, well, why the heck is he hiding his face like that? Some of the pictures are so bizarre like when he is the full on mask. I mean, he looks guilty, but you can't see his face. So you can't put so it is an excellent tactic. You know, they were right. Why show people this guy that it might not be him. It was at the preliminary hearing, not the trial itself. When they did this, the trial itself was to begin in January 1986. appeals lawyers filed several motions alleging misconduct. Not only that, but they really john peels, family, they just about went broke, keeping him out of jail. I mean, it wasn't just john peels, family, the community came together and raised much money. I believe it was close to a million dollars bail, or at least 10% of that. So whatever, you know, $100,000 they had to get him out. And they did. You know, that is crazy. There was people on his side rally against the prosecutors for presenting only one side of the argument against appeal judge salt proclaimed in court. What the hell conclusion? Am I supposed to draw on these facts? Do you know of any other conclusion it's like leading a bowl through a barnyard with a ring in its nose. It's a tight inference. This was suggested very clearly to the grand jury. So towards the end of that summer, Judge Sol's agreed to dismiss the charges against john peel without prejudice, which means that he could be tried again for the same charges. The circumstances had to be different. So the prosecutors would have to refile the charges and start from ground zero. It was later learned that the potential absolving evidence including numerous eyewitness statements from people that had seen this, this vicious man on the scuffling and crime scene, but had purposely chosen not to identify john peel as their guy immediately after the crime was reported, there was potential absolving evidence and they did not put that to the grand jury and the judge was mad. He said it was a hell of a mistake. They're gonna have to go back and re indict him if they can. Judge Schultz would also refuse to cancel it's 1.1 million bond now, which had which had been met after a group of his friends and family got a real estate package over a million dollars and held fundraisers to get this$100,000 retainer judge sold refuse to validate the defense's position that the prosecutors had intimidated witnesses stating that there wasn't enough evidence. It was somewhat of a legal defense. But I think john peel even knew that they were there now they were pissed. You know, nothing's worse than a pistol prosecutor. Even though the trial was expected the last two months, they told the jurors to get ready because they were doing it again appeals lawyer who would end up wherever we send the appeal for free because he viewed the state's cases for Buster as would tell reporters of the many cases that I've encountered in my career. I've never seen such serious charges brought on the basis of the weak evidence reflected in this case. Although that there it's unfortunate there even has to be a trial. I am Mr. Peel, I'm looking forward to an opportunity to point out to the jury the lack of evidence, you know, I have to say on the few things that I've heard besides the book, what happened in Craig, and besides this unresolved, I've probably seen six to seven other things do the Craigslist scam mystery game with People Magazine. I'm just a little surprised. I mean, I left away watching that show feeling like john peel I'd done it and got away with it. But when I read these books, and listen to this podcast, I come away thinking that john peel was unfairly pointed out I mean, there's nothing I ate there was something earth shattering them you know everyone on the day they really went through the people that were around there during this time the people who had been in Craig most of them said that they oh I heard shots then I heard screams but then they said they were drinking I think I heard a woman scream I heard a popping sound identify like a generator backfiring. I wasn't sure I was real scared. I'd never been that scared in my life. It was like that there was danger in the air evil in the air. It was real thick. I saw john peel standing on the dock. It looked like he might have had a rifle in his hand. Larry Densmore, the captain of the ship that john peel okay now we're getting somewhere. The captain of the ship that john peel was working on At the time of the murders, I mean he had been employed with him and he said he identified john peel because he was wearing the same sweatshirt and hat that peel had often wore, and said the only gun peel had available to him, which was usually locked up on his own boat. Lent, Larry Denmark's had had an identifiable scope on it. Denmark would later testify that appeal I decided to fly him to Bellingham instead of riding back aboard their ship, john peels, lawyers would argue that demo is only testifying for the prosecution to avoid getting out of separate drug charges and was grilled extensively about his prescription to Valium. I listen, if you have a prescription of Valium or Xanax or something like that, I do not believe it affects your memory and unless you just started taking it, you know, with somebody who's used to that kind of medication, it's not going to affect their memory, especially if they're doing it correctly. I can see if they were popping 1012 at a time, which I've never been able to do, but if you're just taking Valium or something like that I hate when they bring that up and try to hold that against people. That's the that doesn't make you you know, dumb. It just calms you down. If anything, you're more relaxed. Alice irons, a waitress at the roots and restaurant and Craig Alaska had been one of the last people to see the entire Coulter's family alive on the night of the murder. She's testify that she had seen the entire family with john peel just hours before they were murdered, claiming an appeal had spoken to mark for 10 minutes however when she was questioning my defense irons was unable to rebut claims that she might have been confusing this counter with another but I don't even think him talking that night would mean anything to me. What's even better it's like Hey, how you doing? And I know we didn't get along but everything's cool. You know, I don't that means nothing moving this back and forth. We carry on for several months. Definitely putting reasonable doubt the defensive john peel they pulled up this Joseph Wayne Miller, a commercial fisherman told the court that john peel was not demand that he had seen him he had told police about shortly after responding to the fire while Miller claim that the man he had seen was a middle age and stocky perhaps of Native American origin. If you see a picture of john peel he is not stalking he's a thin at the time very young man with blond hair. I don't think he yet none of which could be used to describe john Peale, who was a tall lanky young white man. Several of the eyewitnesses had spoken to beliefs in the wake of the murders, many of whom had alleged a man from the skiff said that they had excessively use john peel in their photo lineups putting eight out of 25 nine photos of john peel Another thing is to make one bigger than the other like in the picture putting like a larger picture a bigger face of one you know to to trick you out. I which just seems I don't know. It just seems bizarre to me. I think the defense is really making a good point. I have all these notes. But I'm telling you I had to read this over and over again because it the trial is absolutely fascinating. Basically, Philip whiner would argue that the prosecutors had built a house of cards, nothing more. And it didn't hold up to scrutiny. When Philip Weiner had the opportunity to question Sergeant Chuck Miller of the elastic state troopers, he would ask about a witness who had heard sounds of explosion once an hour for several hours on the morning of September 6, isn't that consistent with somebody holding the crew and executing them one by one trying to get something from Mark holders. So why do we claim that investigators and Lotte looked into allegations that the owner Mark holders may have been involved in international drug shipping This is another thing I heard that he was transporting cocaine, which wouldn't go online with what else I heard about him, which was he was very against drug and alcohol. Drugs definitely do bring about these kind of killings. Because getting a kid killed. It doesn't seem like some young bucks mogan we that seems like you screwed me on a issue. I'm trying to think what why would somebody kill eight people? appeals legal team will also point to additional evidence that the investigators seem to ignore Dean moon had been one of the two crewmen who were presumed dead but who had not been identified ever. They there was two witnesses have reported seeing Dean moon in 1983. One of the other arguments presented was that the the see that mark Cole has had a reputation for flying in the fits of rage while drinking. This argument was bolstered by the fact that Alaska's medical examiner had noted during his examination of Mark and Irene that they had high blood alcohol levels pointing to impairment at the time of their deaths, but she was pregnant. I'm surprised but back then. I don't know was alcohol I don't in the 80s. I don't know. Wow, that surprises me. Huh? Wow. Mark and Irene bodies had high alcohol levels. It they said it wasn't meant to be a derogatory statement against more callers specifically, but was meant to highlight the state's overwhelming lack of physical evidence. JOHN peel, his lawyers would continue to petition to dismiss the charges. The defense finally rested their case in 1986. In August plan of 11 women and five men that were selected in the jewelry pool and told from the get go that they would be eliminated during the trial before reaching the deliberation phase. Eventually, the jury would be comprised of nine women and three men, none of whom were sequestered but encouraged to don't talk about the case. So over to roughly 25 weeks, and they spent $2 million on August 28 1986. Falling six days in deliberation, the jury informed judge Thomas scholtes that they had been unable to come up with the consensus. The jury had we listened to several hours of testimony, but none of it helped clear up their points of contention. A juror would later tell reporters that they had been leading in favor of an acquittal seven to five, but they had been unable to come up with a consensus. This will be the longest and most expensive trial in Alaska State history but did nothing to clear up the fate of john peel who had been 22 at the time of the murders, and had yet to be found guilty or not guilty. The second trial of john peel was originally scheduled to begin in early mense. In 1987. They again they would be a cost. The cost is phenomenal homicide and arson investigator James Stockdale, who was a sergeant for the last six eight troopers was one of the prosecution standout witnesses in the retrial. Having worked on the case over the years, Stockstill was able to detail how the suspect profile had been created by law enforcement, which ultimately led to appeal as their potential killer who not only matched the physical description was personally familiar with the victims stock so claim that this might have compelled people to murder everyone aboard the ambassador including the children because in his words, they might be able to like ID the murder sergeant's dogs they'll also claim the appeal would have known how to handle the ship quietly sailing out to that fish egg Island. He claimed that peels pirate relationship with more cold hers and as sea sailing experience would have led him to effortlessly command or the investors gift. Everyone says he was driving this gift like he knew hell. But I mean, didn't everybody know how to drive a skiff and then two brothers from Sitka Walter and Charles Samuel were called to the standard testify that john had confessed to the killings while playing cribbage with them months later, according to Charles, same insulin, john looked at me and said, I did it. I killed them. He kind of had a weird smile. However, his brother Walter admits appeals lawyers during cross examination that he thought he was joking. The defense were also pushed back against the validity claiming that the state had agreed to drop unrelated drug charges against one of the brothers. See, this is the thing every time you have to really see if you have a witness coming to the stand, and they're saying, I saw this or I believe this or this guy did it. You got to make sure I did that case about Keisha Jones, and her cousin was sitting in the back and she had testified Keisha Jones was a woman who if you didn't listen to this episode that I had done, she was in Philadelphia, it's got drunk one night and she was her husband, they got in a fight and she had the cousin was in the backseat and she had floored the cousin or the the boyfriend gets out of the car or the husband gets elecard Keshia Jones Fuller's the car. She says her foot got stuck. The cousin in the back says her foot thing gets stuck. She floored that car and killed that man. Now when she got on the stand, I checked everything because my initial thought was they they had to have said to her, we're gonna drop something for you to say this. And that was my initial thought. And then I looked and she was squeaky clean. So to me what her cousin said was true to her cousin. I always have my own thoughts about the case, but our cousin was speaking the truth because there is no nothing on the table. No, I'm gonna drop this for that, like you always have to look at that's the problem with with the law. They're sneaky, you know, like they shouldn't do that. There should be no you know, you do this and we'll take everything all you know, it should that bothers me. And you know, you gotta just watch who's talking who is saying this. Is this true? What is the evidence? What is the physical evidence? You know, this goes back and forth. There were several jabs. Philip whiner claim that prosecutors were asking misleading questions because they were quote, losing the trial continued on lasting shorter than the first trial. But still several months after they rested their cases, john peels, lawyers decided not to present any of their own witnesses, claiming that the burden of proof was on the state and they had failed to prove peels guilt, they decided that no defense was needed. And I have to say Alaskan state prosecutor would admit that Mary and Henry would admit that investigators had been unable to determine john peels motive, and then failed to obtain fingerprint matches. Ultimately, they didn't need to the state can't tell you why the first shot was filed. The state doesn't have to prove why the state doesn't also doesn't have to prove how he did it. In their own closing arguments appeals lawyers would use this prosecution's case against them claiming that the state had no motive, no murder weapon and no physical evidence, speculation and hearsay they would also claim that the state failed to address how appeal a rather slight young man and he was small when he was young pictures you can see is a skinny little thing had overpowered five men one of them a football star and killed all eight on board and and I'd have to agree with the absent of motive can raise a reasonable doubt and it does about this innocent man. That's what Philip whiner appeals attorney it said after making the closing arguments The case was submitted and they chose to acquit peel. Yeah, it was 27 at the time that he was acquitted. And he wanted to answer one question and they said how do you feel and he said it's terrible being an innocent man accused of a crime. I just thank god it's over. Justice did work this time Philip whiner appeals lawyer whose risky decision not to present any witnesses and the retrial had paid off was much more thorough and a statement from the moment it was issued. I always said the indictment was not worth the paper it was written on that put it prosecutors put an innocent man and his family through this ordeal for four years. And they did go back for legal restitution. I know that Peele did ask for $150 million in damages. He settled for a little less than a million, but it was something he probably got to pay off everybody in it. Hey, he was acquitted. And again, he did pay off everybody. And now you know, even after all these years later, it just brings us to this mystery. What happened Who did this? It's truly tragic. That eight people died. I mean to people, yes, whenever well, including the four year old boy, I would assume some people say that Dean moon did this. And he took the little boy john, and they ran off into the sunset together. I have trouble believing that I now on the People Magazine investigates. This sister had always believed that john did this. So one day john agreed to meet with her and they had a little lunch. And she asked him straight up, you know, did you do this? And he said, No, I did not. Now she said she believed him. But she feels that he knows more than he's telling, which I bet could be true, too. Why did they now they were shot? They were shot. Why? And why did they kill and set the fine did all this? You know, obviously it I believe it to be a little more this kind of case makes me think of either drugs or something like that. I mean there was a party going on in the two boats that were attached anybody could have crossed over and I do believe like they said john peel even with a gun. I don't think he could have overtaken all those people I really don't I and I it doesn't seem from all that I read about him that he even it was in his makeup to do something like that. I do feel that something. And you know, Mark might have been involved in something that we don't know about. I'm not trying to disparage a name. I'm just trying to think of something of reason strong enough because when someone's when people are shot like that, especially children, it's usually due to a a perceived, you know, you you did the like, really trogs that's the first thing that comes to my mind. So I've heard when I've read on like Reddit and stuff, people really went into the drug like he was transporting drugs and he screwed the wrong person, especially with not having any cash. I unfortunately that rings more true to me than some guy got fired last year. You know, it's it's a tough one. It is, unfortunately a fascinating murder mystery. Again, it was his birthday. He was having a great time with his family. He was his wife was pregnant. They said his children girl was starting kindergarten and then they get on this boat. And then none of that was ever happen. It's like you really got a pre sheet every day. I had someone pass away and she was young. And it's was a surprise really makes you think life is very brief. Back to the investor. I strongly recommend what happened in Craig Leland Hale, especially when to fishing because the language the lingo, I had really had to stop and ask because I didn't know what some of the terms meant when it said but the story itself is truly disturbing. I did get promos. I did not forget anyone's promos. It's just this case was so difficult for me. I I said let me get to the promos. I got them all, you know, and I'll do them. I'm not sure which one I should do next. There has been a couple I think when I do there's been a few that is more suggested to me that happened in Philadelphia or the surrounding area, which really did look interesting. So I think I'm going to do one of those before. I do want to do the in Wonderland martyrs, which was a series of well, it was a murder that happened one night and involved Johnny Juan Holmes, the porn star. And it happened. Gosh, my because of all these dates. It happened in the 80s in the early 80s I think it was 1981 it's a really creepy as hell. Murder Mystery very creepy, creepy because it was one of the first times that the police had used a camera to tape the evidence and they have it all over the internet. And one night I was I fell into a rabbit hole and I started watching this and scared the living hell out of me for some reason. It just happened to be that the timing and everything and it was late. It's a good one. Other than that, that's about it. Systemic cue and you're listening to the right shoe