The Alaskan baker with a deadly secret (Part 2/2) | Forensic Files

your greatest asset isn't how much money you have or your house it's you you matter and you're awesome
don't fight us on this one ask your friends visit slash betterhelp.com file and take care
of number one with some online therapy because you deserve to invest in your greatest asset
you as the weather begins to change it's time to start thinking about a return to
entertaining whatever that looks like for you from the excitement of a welcoming
entryway to the comfort of a beautiful yet relaxed dining space article's newest collection invites guests to make
themselves at home article is the easiest way to make your space look beautiful their team of designers focus on
beautifully crafted pieces quality materials and a durable construction they take their inspiration from all
things mid-century scandinavian industrial and bohemian not only do articles pieces look amazing
you can expect to save up to 30 percent over traditional retail prices case file composer andrew loves the
throw and rugs he ordered from article the quality of the scandinavian inspired items he ordered were second to none
combined with articles easy to navigate website and amazing customer care andrew
will be going straight back to article next time he needs any home furnishings right now article is offering listeners
of case file 50 off your first purchase of 100 or more go to article.com case file and the discount will
automatically be applied at checkout that's article.com case file to get fifty dollars off your
first purchase of one hundred dollars or more [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often
distressing incidents if you feel at any time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested
phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website
cindy paulson stood alone on the corner of east 4th avenue and denali street in downtown anchorage
eighteen-year-old cindy was a sex worker who frequented the city's infamous tenderloin district
with its array of bars and clubs the area was typically a hotbed of potential clients
but so far the night of sunday june 12 1983 had been a quiet one then shortly before midnight a green
buick sentry pulled up to the curb where cindy stood the male driver peered up at her from
behind a pair of thick rimmed eyeglasses he propositioned cindy and the pair began negotiating
after they'd settled on a price cindy climbed into the car's passenger seat the man drove her to a secluded parking
lot and turned off the engine within seconds he'd produced a wood-handled 357 magnum revolver
aiming it at cindy with one hand he grabbed a pair of handcuffs from under his seat with the other
a smile crept across his pockmarked face as he restrained cindy's wrists where going to my house he told her
he drove east along the glen highway where the city's lights and noise were soon replaced by the dark stillness of
suburbia turning down a cul-de-sac named old harbour avenue they passed several ranch-like family homes before pulling
into a driveway that led to a single-story blue grey weatherboard house a pair of antlers hung above the door of
a two-car garage to its right was the main living area with several windows overlooking the
front lawn no one stirred within the remainder of the spacious property was equally silent and still shadowed by
tall aspen and birch trees dragging cindy inside the house the man took her down some stairs into a
wood-paneled basement what first caught her attention were all the taxidermied animals and hunting
trophies that filled the room game birds mountain goats dull sheep and caribou had been stuffed and mounted
throughout walrus tusks and moose antlers decorated the walls beaver and wolfhides were scattered
about on the floor was a bare-skinned rug in a moment of crystal clear clarity cindy realised that she was trapped in
the lair of a man who liked killing [Music] [Music] retrieving a chain the man wrapped it
around cindy's neck four times before locking it against the wooden support beam
then he raped her before settling down for a nap on a nearby sofa pointing his revolver at cindy he warned
her not to wake him or quote you'll make me mad and you don't want to see me mad
while her captor slapped cindy's mind raced her eyes darted around the basement taking in every detail
there was a pool table and foosball table a television a clock a computer a rack of women's clothing
and all of those dead animals cindy knew with absolute certainty that they hadn't been her captors only
victims she thought about grabbing one of the pool cues and hitting him over the head
but what if he died she'd be trapped down there still chained to the beam with no way of
calling for help or worse she might not hit him hard enough and he would kill her then and there
instead cindy waited in silence until the man stirred awake he unchained her but kept their
handcuffs secured around her wrists under the static lifeless stairs of the animals perched around them he bragged
of his world record hunting success and showed off one of these trophies then he raped cindy again on the bear
skin rug afterwards his conversation took an even more sinister turn the man explained how he had brought
seven other women to his house all of whom he kept captive for a week in an attempt to appeal to his humanity
cindy tearfully begged to be released so she could see her mother again everything's gonna be okay he reassured
her i'm not going to hurt you he said that he'd only brought cindy to his home because he wanted to get his
money's worth but now he liked her so much that he wanted to take her to a remote cabin he
owned where they could quote make love one more time before he let her go he owned a plane that he kept at merrill
field airport so they could fly out from there cindy nodded along pretending to be fine
with his plan yet she knew the only way she was going to survive was if she found a way to
escape the sun hadn't yet risen when cindy was led from the weatherboard house and back
into the buick she was forced to lie down along the back seat where she was covered with an
army blanket as her captor drove cindy remembered that meryl field was right by the motel where she was staying
with her boyfriend if she managed to get away somehow she wouldn't have to run far for help
they arrived at the airport shortly before 5 am private bush planes lined the acres of
quiet dark field cindy's captor pulled up near a blue and white two-seater supercab
he got out and began loading the aircraft with things from the trunk of his car watching from the buick as he walked
back and forth cindy suddenly noticed that he'd left the driver's side door ajar
overcome with nervous energy she delicately removed her high-heeled shoes put them aside and waited
once the man was over by his plane cindy clambered into the front seat and left out the open door
racing bare foot over the gravel runway cindy heard the man shout behind her stop you [ __ ] or i'll kill you
it took a moment for truck driver robert young to register the strange sight before him
a young woman had bolted onto east fifth avenue waving her handcuffed hands in the air and screaming for help
as she sprinted towards robert's truck he leaned over to open the passenger side door
launching herself inside the woman yelled he's going to kill me get me out of here
according to the book fair game robert scanned the airfield where the woman had come from but couldn't see who she was
referring to his distressed passenger begged him to hurry so robert drove onwards
she asked to be taken to a nearby motel and robert obliged pulling over at the mush inn a low-budget motel 450 feet
from merrell field the woman rushed inside bewildered robert continued driving to
work as soon as he got there he called the anchorage police department 10-year police veteran greg baker was
halfway through his shift when he got the call to attend the march inn by the time he arrived the handcuffed
woman had a left in a taxi she was traced to another motel down the road named the big timber
when officer baker got there a front desk clerk directed him to room 110. he knocked on the door and a young woman
answered she was barefoot and her wrists were red and raw from the handcuffs still clasped
around them her name was cindy paulson after hearing of her ordeal officer baker escorted cindy to hospital to
undergo an examination as they drove by meryl field she insisted on showing him her assailant's
aircraft she singled out a blue and white super cub which bore a registration number on
its tail written as small as regulations allowed [Music] upon cross-checking the plane's
registration police discovered it belonged to a man who lived at the old harbour avenue address where cindy said
she had been held captive police rushed to the blue grey weatherboard house only to discover that
no one was home they stood guard over the property and waited shortly before 7 a.m a green buick
sentry pulled into the driveway officers descended on the vehicle and its driver 44 year old robert hanson
originally from iowa hanson had moved to alaska with his wife in 1963. the couple settled in anchorage where
they had two children hanson had followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a baker and owned
the business hanson's bakery a few blocks from downtown anchorage police were very familiar with
robert hansen known locally as bob his bakery wasn't far from the station so they visited often for coffee and
doughnuts hansen was by all accounts a stable and religious family man during his youth he had been enlisted in
the u.s military and he'd since become an active member of the community [Music]
hanson was unarmed when police surrounded his vehicle calmly he asked them what can i do for you officers
cindy paulson had accurately detailed his appearance and even knew of his stutter
a bright green baseball cap and green coat was spotted in his car matching what cindy said he was wearing when he
picked her up her descriptions of his house inside and out were also spot spot-on
hanson signed a waiver allowing police to search his car home and aircraft there was nothing of evidentiary value
in his buick cindy's shoes which she had left behind as evidence of her presence were not in
the vehicle there was nothing to prove she'd been held captive in hanson's house either
the basement full of hunting paraphernalia was just as cindy described but there was no wooden beam
like the one she'd said she was chained to overnight nor was there even a chain also missing were a yellow towel and
washcloth cindy claimed to have used a search of hanson's super cub was equally anticlimactic
hanson was an award-winning trophy hunter who owned an array of pistols rifles and shotguns
but none matched the wood-handled revolver used against cindy [Music] hansen agreed to be interviewed and was
polite and cooperative throughout he denied abducting or raping cindy paulson and had an alibi to prove it
half an hour before cindy was abducted hanson went to the home of a friend named john henning
he remained there all night staying up with john until 5 30 a.m drinking beer and planning a fishing trip
afterwards they headed to merrill field to install a seat in handsome supercab john henning confirmed hanson's
assertions a physical examination of cindy pawson revealed evidence of vaginal penetration
along with the presence of semen but the examining doctor told investigators that cindy only had
abrasions around her wrists not her neck where she said a chain had been lubed despite this cindy maintained her
version of advance with hanson's whereabouts fully accounted for investigators presumed
that cindy was lying in some capacity it was clear from her accurate description of both robert hansen and
his property that cindy knew him in some way likely through her sex work but whatever had happened to her the
previous night that couldn't have been at his hands she likely did meet with a client though
the ordeal she described didn't add up [Music] while hanson was cagey about any history
he might have had with cindy paulson she was adamant that they had met once before
cindy mentioned that hanson had propositioned her previously from his buick as detailed in the book fair game he had
introduced himself using a different name the two arranged to meet the night before her abduction but he was a
no-show this prompted police to wonder whether cindy harbored resentment towards hanson
for standing her up and costing her income was she implicating him in a crime for
revenge skeptical investigators believed that this was a classic case of a sex worker
getting into a disagreement with a client over money what police described as quote
a trick had gone awry cindy was asked to sit a polygraph test she skipped town with her boyfriend the
very next day never taking the test or informing police of her decision this confirmed to their suspicions that
her version of events were heavily fabricated by late june the case was officially
closed a note on its file stipulated that no further action was required despite this greg baker of anchorage
pd's sexual assault unit never wavered in his belief that cindy paulson had been telling the truth about robert
hansen having heard her story first hand and witnessed her obvious distress his instincts told him she was genuine
while his colleagues were quick to dismiss cindy's assertions based on a few uncertain details
there were overlooked or disregarded clues that hinted at hanson's guilt at the time of the attack hanson's wife
and children were vacationing overseas which gave him full reign of the house his alibi had come from one of his
longtime hunting and fishing friends not exactly an unbiased and trustworthy third party
and while most people who faced such serious accusations were outraged or indignant
hanson softly and confidently rebutted the crimes leveled against him then there was a statement given by a
merrellfield security guard on duty the morning cindy said she was taken there he had seen a green buick century
arriving at around 5am and watched it move to a corner of the airfield this correlated with cindy's story
[Music] shortly thereafter a man wearing a green coat and bright green baseball cap ran
out from behind a blue and white supercar plane upon noticing the security guard
observing him the man slowed to a walk returned to the buick got in and sped off along east fifth avenue
sensing robert hanson was his guy officer baker trawled through police records to see what he could uncover
to his surprise hanson's file was extensive he'd spent short stints in prison throughout his life for a range of
offenses in 1960 hanson who was then around 20 years old received his first conviction
he pleaded guilty to arson after setting fire to a bus garage belonging to his former high school
due to hansen's stutter and severe acne his high school experience had been marred with bullying taunts and
rejection this had fueled his desire to seek revenge against the institution quote
i guess i burned down the bus barn because i hated the school with a divine passion
i would do whatever i could think of to get back at that monster school that did
bob hansen a personal wrong hansen was sentenced to three years at a state reformatory where he was diagnosed
with an infantile and antisocial personality this was deemed to be the result of a
strict upbringing and a low self-esteem inflamed by the torment of his peers while incarcerated he spoke of having
vengeful and destructive fantasies some of which featured girls who'd rejected his advances or made fun of him
quote it's hard to explain what it's like to always be wanting to see others go out
on dates i was just seeing everybody else get theirs [Music] hansen soon realized that speaking
honestly about his mental demons only hindered his parole efforts so he started to play the system by
portraying himself as rehabilitated and harmless although he was unable to fully suppress
his infantile personality hansen could hide his anti-social attitudes doing so coupled with his record of good
conduct led to his parole in 1963 yet robert hansen never managed to stay out of trouble for long
after stealing a chainsaw from a shop he was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder
the courts ruled he needed an ongoing routine of medication and therapy to overcome his behavioural problems
but hansen received an either it was a series of crimes hanson committed in late 1971 that really drew
officer greg baker's attention the first was the attempted abduction of a woman from her anchorage apartment
hanson had made eye contact with her at a set of traffic lights and followed her
home to ask her out she rejected him and a week later he confronted her at gunpoint with the
intention of taking her elsewhere his plan was interrupted by the police and hanson was charged with assault with
a deadly weapon he was released on bail during which time he successfully abducted a second
woman from outside an anchorage coffee shop she was driven outside the city by the
gun wielding hanson who kept her bound as he repeatedly assaulted and raped her at one point he spoke of taking her to a
remote cabin though he was unable to reach it due to snow on the road the charges against him in relation to
this case were ultimately dropped but the similarities between this incident and what later happened to
cindy paulson were clear there were many other instances in which hanson had threatened or harmed women
though nothing came of these reports most of his misbehavior centered around the tenderloin district and involved
dancers or sex workers some of his survivors opted not to go to police in fear of retribution from
hansen others were brushed aside by a system mired in victim blaming and discrimination
one night police were called to the great alaskan bush company one of hanson's many regular horns
upon arrival officers found hanson and a dancer judy russell arguing out the front
according to reports judy had jumped off stage mid-performance and began clawing
and kicking at hanson she told attending officers that hanson had recently abducted her at gunpoint
at that time judy worked at a club called embers and hanson had propositioned her for sex in exchange
for money what followed was a harrowing ordeal during which hanson bound judy in his
camper pickup and attempted to drive her out of the city judy was able to escape
but at the time she couldn't recall any key identifying details about her abductor
following this frightening ordeal judy left embers and started dancing at the great alaskan bush company
when robert hansen happened to show up there she immediately recognized his pockmarked bespectacled face and
launched herself at him in anger hansen didn't deny knowing judy but disputed her version of events
he agreed that he had offered her money in exchange for sex acts but denied abducting her
quote she got mad when i wouldn't play ball when she tried to jack up the price hanson had made a similar excuse when a
dancer from the kitkat club accused him of abducting and raping her at gunpoint it was clear that he held dancers and
sex workers in poor regard he once quipped to police quote you can't rape a prostitute
can you despite multiple women having made near-identical allegations against hanson over a 12-year period
they were ignored police trusted hanson who had molded himself into an upstanding citizen
albeit with a penchant for visiting strip clubs and hiring sex workers hanson didn't deny he was unfaithful to
his wife but he didn't want his family to find out the police obliged by not pursuing the
incident with the judy russell any further by the time robert hansen was on officer
greg baker's radar he was a master manipulator who knew how to influence police he made note of what led to his
incarceration in the past and now fully understood the importance of a good reputation the appearance of mental
stability procuring alibis and targeting victims who were unreliable in the eyes
of authority he fostered a successful business and home life presenting himself as a
well-respected community focused every man the last person anyone would suspect of
doing harm but as far as officer baker was concerned hansen wasn't just a serial sex offender
during the cindy paulson investigation hanson's buick had been searched 223 ammunition was located under the
driver's seat and rolled up elastic bandages were spotted on the dashboard baker was aware of the murder of sherry
morrow whose bullet-riddled remains were found the previous year partially buried
in a sandbar spanning the kinect river sherry had been blindfolded with an elastic bandage then shot with a 223
caliber bullet as was paula goulding who was also found in a shallow grave by the kinnick river
[Music] given hanson's keen interest in hunting and his award-winning skill baker was certain he was the serial
killer who had been killing women in the wilderness surrounding anchorage it appeared as though hanson was
carrying out his own fantasy version of the most dangerous game the phrase came from a short story by
richard connell in which a big game hunter grows bored with the pastime and decides to hunt humans instead
the fictional character would release his captives into the wilderness pursue them then gun them down
robert hansen's criminal history showed an escalation in violence and officer baker saw how this trajectory could
result in murder put together a report on everything he had discovered about robert hansen and
delivered it to the alaska state troopers headquarters where it wound up in the hands of sergeant glenn flothey
the sergeant was able to track down cindy paulson for an interview she told him she was certain that robert
hansen had been her abductor and was certain she would have been murdered had she not escaped at meryl field airport
sergeant flothy like greg baker before him firmly believed cindy and the suspect profile of the serial
killer prowling anchorage that had been provided by the fbi's behavioural sciences unit
matched hanson to a t case file will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
episode's sponsors sometimes i like to have my decisions made for me but there are some things in
life that i like to pick out for myself like cuts of steak mattresses or a record to listen to on a saturday night
that way i know i'll get the option that suits me the most what if you could do the same for hiring
choose your ideal candidate before they even apply that's where zip recruiters invite to
apply comes in and right now you can try it for free at ziprecruiter.com case file
how does invite to apply work well when you post a job on zip recruiter they send you the most
qualified people for your job then you can easily review the candidates and invite your top choices
to apply for your job lauren webb svp of talent acquisition for mandula health raves about zip
recruiters invite to apply she says i love that feature because we have a much higher follow-through rate if i
invite candidates it's easy for me and it's easy for them in fact according to zip recruiter
internal data jobs where employers use zip recruiters invite to apply get on average two and a half times more
candidates which helps make for a faster hiring process see for yourself just go to this
exclusive web address ziprecruiter.com c-a-s-e-f-i-l-e so try zip recruiter for free
that's ziprecruiter.com case file ziprecruiter the smartest way to hire the holidays are quickly coming up and
if you're selling anything online it's time to prepare for the busiest time of the year luckily shipstation makes it
easy with shipstation it's simple to import manage and ship your orders out fast for
a lot less money than traditional shipping services it's no wonder shipstation is the number
one shipping software for e-commerce sellers with more five-star reviews than anyone else
and now the number one e-commerce shipping solution in the united states is available in the uk australia and
canada no matter where you're selling amazon etsy your own website shipstation funnels all your orders into one simple
interface that you can manage from anywhere even your smartphone you'll even get amazing discounts with
major carriers access the same rates usually reserved for fortune 500 companies without their
contracts or commitments it's never too early to start prepping for the holiday rush so get a head start
with shipstation our listeners can use offer code case file to get a 60 day free trial just in
time for the holidays that's two months of stress-free holiday shipping for free
just go to shipstation.com click on the microphone at the top and enter in case file
ship station make ship happen have you ever felt trapped when trying to decide on a healthy food option
when it comes to losing weight there's a lot of pressure to label foods good or bad
but that just creates unnecessary dilemmas no food should be totally off limits and
noom is here to change how we see food with a psychology based approach looks at what you eat but more
importantly how you eat there's no need to feel guilt or regret and noom empowers you to keep going
instead of setting strict rules noon provides you with the knowledge to build smarter more sustainable habits and
behaviors you don't need rules to lose weight just the knowledge and wisdom to help you
build smarter habits that you can stick to long term case file team member jess has been
using noon for months now and is seeing great results she's lost weight has more
energy and can think more clearly the program has fit into her life and she hasn't had to follow punishing diet
and exercise routines to get the benefits all she needs to do is a daily 10-minute
check-in through noom's easy to use app to feel on track and motivated nume makes taking care of your health
empowering instead of stress inducing if you're looking to make some positive changes to your well-being start
building better habits for healthier long-term results sign up for your trial at noom.com
casefile that's n oom.com casefile to sign up for your trial today do you identify as crypto curious
if you've thought about entering the world of cryptocurrency but felt a little overwhelmed coinbase makes
learning to buy and sell simple coinbase offers a trusted and easy to use platform to buy sell and spend
cryptocurrency they support the most popular digital currencies on the market and make them
accessible to everyone in addition coinbase offers portfolio management and protection learning
resources and a mobile app so you can trade securely and monitor your crypto all in one place
millions of people in over 100 countries trust coinbase with their digital assets
so whether you're looking to diversify just getting started or searching for a better way to access crypto markets
start today with coinbase for a limited time new users can get five euro in free bitcoin when
they sign up at coinbase.com case file sign up at coinbase.com slash case file for five euro in a free bitcoin
this offer is for a limited time only so be sure to sign up today and start trading like a pro
that's coinbase dot com slash case file thank you for listening to this episode's ads by supporting our sponsors
you support case file on october 27 1983 two plainclothes police sergeants arrived at a squat single-story building
on the corner of east to ninth avenue and ingera street in anchorage merrill field was just a few minutes
drive east while the tenderloin district was a short distance west it was approaching 8 30 a.m when the
officers approached a shop front with a sign above it that read hanson's bakery nearby a man in a white baker's uniform
and apron was collecting something from a car the officers approached him and asked
robert hansen hanson turned to face them they asked if he would be willing to talk with them about some cases under
investigation sure hanson replied as detailed in the book butcher baker glenn flothy had gone to a lot of effort
to set up the interview room just so crime scene photos and pictures of the victims were arranged on a desk
alongside stacks of manila folders some of the files were labeled with names of hanson's hunting associates
a large map of the kinnick river valley was pinned to a wall two x marks had been drawn inside a
large circle scrawled in all capital letters next to this were the words hanson identified in this area
after being escorted into the room hanson was left there alone for a little while so he could take it all in
soon glenn flothy strode into the room and began his interrogation although hanson admitted to having a
criminal record he insisted that was all in the past questioning dragged on for hours
covering every aspect of hansen's history from his initial charges of arson and theft to the allegations of abduction
and rape interviewing officers stopped short of mentioning the murders for now they discussed hansen's first known
offense against a woman the botched abduction of an anchorage teenager from her apartment in 1971.
when apprehended for this crime hanson claimed he had blacked out and therefore had no recollection of the event
as he sat before sergeant flothy in an interrogation room adorned with the faces of missing or murdered women
hanson admitted that he had never really suffered any memory blackout in his life
according to the book fair game this admission likely stemmed from hanson knowing he wouldn't face any
consequences for revealing the truth more than a decade later but it did expose him as a liar
soon the line of questioning turned to sherry morrow when shown a photograph of the murdered
23 year old hanson asked who's that he refused to admit any knowledge of her murder or paula
gouldings he did say that he occasionally visited the areas where their bodies were found
before adding i didn't shoot anybody i would not hurt anybody meanwhile police swarmed robert hansen's
home and workplace to execute a search warrant word of their presence quickly spread to
the disbelief of his family and friends they had yet to learn why authorities had honed in on the seemingly stable and
neighborly hansen and couldn't comprehend the idea that he might be in trouble with the law
the police activity soon peaked the interest of joan the wife of hanson's close friend john henning
she wondered whether their efforts related to something her husband had told her several months earlier
shortly after a panicked cindy paulson had run handcuffed and barefoot from merrillfield airport robert hansen made
a phone call it was around 5 30 a.m when john henning picked up the receiver to hear hanson
his longtime friend on the other line hanson asked if they could meet at his bakery right away
john was confused but agreed when john arrived hanson told him how his wife and children were overseas and
in an effort to overcome loneliness he had picked up a sex worker he took her back to his house where they
had sex before she raised the price of her services hanson wouldn't pay and now she was
seeking revenge by falsely accusing him of rape hansen stuttered as he spoke he was clearly very anxious
fearing he might be arrested he told jon he didn't want his family to find out and be hurt by his adultery
he asked if john would give him an alibi for 11 30 pm until 5 30 am the time frame in which cindy paulson
was abducted held captive and taken to the airfield john believed hansen and like many
others he dismissed the incident as a trick gone awry to help his friend john confirmed his
alibi when police came knocking as john was a well-respected local businessman his statement was given
considerable credibility john had told his wife about the favor he'd done for his friend
as described in the book butcher baker when joan heard that hanson's properties were being searched she got in her car
and cruised past hanson's residence upon seeing the heavy police presence and speaking with officers at the scene
she realised it was time for her husband to come clean john henning contacted investigators and
admitted that he'd provided a false alibi for hansen on the night of cindy paulson's abduction and rape
henning thought he'd been looking out for hansen and his family by covering for him
he had no idea how serious the incident had actually been despite now having no alibi for the
night cindy paulson was attacked robert hansen still denied being involved it didn't matter
police had enough evidence now to charge him with cindy's abduction and rape he was remanded on a five hundred
thousand dollar bond hanson's old harbor avenue property was teaming with state troopers searching
for any evidence to link him to other crimes the house's communal rooms were neat and
organized in the living area knickknacks were arranged in tidy rows on shelves and
plaid couches framed a small coffee table family photos lined to the hallway as did a portrait of jesus christ
searching some cupboards officers found elastic bandages and a bag full of cash shotguns and rifles were recovered from
a closet in the living room and a hidden cabinet given that hanson had been previously
convicted of a felony he was forbidden by law to possess any firearms he would be charged accordingly
there was also a strange kit that contained tools for creating disguises including a fake mustache nail polish
and skin adhesive a number of stolen goods were discovered indicating hansen's kleptomania had
never gone away the troopers made their way downstairs to the basement where cindy paulson said
she'd been held captive they made their way around the room carefully pressing against the wood
paneled walls one portion suddenly gave way behind it was a small secret room in its center was the wooden beam cindy
had described to being chained to after hours of meticulous searching there was only one area left unexamined
the attic one trooper offered to climb up into the small cramped space crawling across the beams he found a
stack of animal hides continuing onwards he felt with his hands for anything that might be hidden
there as he pressed into some insulation in one corner it suddenly collapsed beneath it lay several firearms
including a 223 caliber ruger mini 14 rifle there was also a little plastic bag that
contained a number of women's rings watches and necklaces one had an arrow-haired pendant
there was another item found in hanson's house that was particularly noteworthy while examining the bedroom he shared
with his wife troopers uncovered a piece of paper stashed behind the bed head it was an aeronautical chart a type of
map designed to assist pilots in the navigation of aircraft the map depicted a huge sprawling
overview of anchorage and its outskirts there was the kinnick river valley to the north of the city
the kenai peninsula that jutted out below and the port city of seward further south
the map had been marked with many little black asterisks most of them were dotted along the
kinnick river though there were many others drawn further out as glenn flothey studied the map
it suddenly dawned on him hansen had scrawled an asterisk on the exact locations where reclute narani
joanna messina sherry morrow and paula goulding were found in total his map featured 21 such
markings although hanson was still only charged with abducting and raping cindy paulson
the case was already starting to look like the biggest alaska had ever seen investigators had more evidence of the
enormity of his crimes including hanson's ruger rifle which was confirmed to have fired the bullets that killed
sherry morrow and paula goulding furthermore the friends and families of women missing from anchorage's
tenderloin district had been shown the items of jury hidden in hansen's attic many of which were recognized as having
belonged to their loved ones the arrow head pendant was the spitting image of a necklace that cheri morrow
was known to wear every single day business cards that featured the names of some of the missing women were also
discovered in hanson's garage [Music] prior to hanson's arrest a renowned criminal profiler had stated that the
person responsible for the murders would be collecting keepsakes from each of his
victims like a trophy hunter hoarding parts of the animal they had killed as a representation of their success and to
relive their hunt from memory with the evidence against hansen adding up it was believed he could be compelled
to confess after some negotiating a deal was struck with his attorney if hanson pleaded guilty to the murders
of aklutnarani joanna messina sherry morrow and paula goulding then his wife and the children would be
spared the humiliation and pain of a highly publicized trial the case would be wrapped up quickly so
as to receive little attention from the media and hanson could serve out his sentence in a federal penitentiary
on february 22 1984 hanson's attorney escorted him to a meeting with the prosecution team so he
could provide a full confession hanson couldn't provide a clutner annie's true identity but he said she
was his first murder victim he'd picked her up from downtown anchorage and stabbed her to death north
of the city joanna messina from seward was he second hanson killed her upon realizing she was
a sex worker who had no genuine interest in him posing as a high-paying photographer
hanson lured sherry morrow the first woman he took out to his knick river valley hunting grounds
upon reaching the sandbar that spanned the river hanson brought his car to a stop and pulled sherry out
she wasn't cooperating so hanson retrieved his rifle and sat under a tree waiting for her to settle
according to hanson sherry stood over him kicking and screaming which prompted him to point the rifle up
and shoot her this claim contradicted evidence from the crime scene which showed sherry was
blindfolded and had been shot three times in the back after burying sherry in the silt and
sand hanson left with her arrowhead necklace as a keepsake paula goulding suffered a similar fate
in the valley then there was survivor cindy paulson who hanson finally admitted to abducting
and raping he also admitted to the murder of andrea altieri a dancer who had vanished after
meeting a man who was going to take her on a shopping spree andrea wore a custom-made necklace that
featured a pendant in the shape of a fish given to her by a friend it was found among the jewellery stored
in hanson's attic hanson said he abducted andrea just two weeks after he killed sherry morrow
he had driven andrea blindfolded and handcuffed to the kinnick valley area and pulled up to an isolated spot near a
railroad bridge hanson had brought another woman there a week prior and raped her but ultimately
let her go andrea endured a similar experience though hers ended fatally hanson claimed andrea had reached for
his pistol causing them to scuffle hanson pried it from her grasp and as the fight continued andrea put her
fingers behind hanson's glasses and pressed them into his eye sockets in response
hanson shot her dad he filled a duffel bag with gravel and tided around andrea's neck before
pushing her body off the railroad bridge into the kinnick river below after hanson concluded his detailed
confession district attorney victor crum stood in a no-nonsense tone crumb informed
hansen that they knew he hadn't been completely honest with them hansen's aviation map indicated he had
killed many more women the forests were covered with winter snow but as soon as spring arrived and the
ice thawed state troopers would be taking sniffer dogs out to every area marked on the map
until they found the rest of hanson's victims d.a crumb snapped if you think this is the end we're going
to prosecute you on every one of these cases there's going to be a trial for everything
the ordinarily meek and mild-mannered hanson turned bright red he looked furious
in a low voice hanson muttered quote dirty [ __ ] [ __ ] finally the prosecutors were getting a
real look at the man who had attacked and murdered so many women another deal was hastily arranged
if hanson provided further confessions and assisted state troopers in locating his remaining victims
then he would only be charged with the four murders he'd already admitted to he agreed
hanson claimed to have killed 17 women not the 21 investigators suspected due to his map
his victims were always vulnerable women from the tenderloin district whose disappearances would be easily
overlooked or disregarded by authorities this systemic prejudice had ensured that
hanson maintained his killing streak without fear of apprehension hansen liked to big note himself to the
women he abducted sometimes telling them he was a doctor or a lawyer he lured them with large amounts of
money knowing it would be difficult for them to refuse hanson tried to convince those
questioning him that he wasn't the misogynist they thought he was explaining that he only targeted women
who he felt were inferior to him quote i'm not saying that i hate all women i don't
quite to the contrary i guess in my own mind what i'm classifying is a good woman not a
prostitute i'd do everything in my power any way shape or form to do anything for
her and to see that no harm ever came to her but i guess prostitutes are women i'm
putting down as lower than myself he assured his interrogators that he hadn't killed every woman he abducted
as long as they went along with what he wanted he felt fine about letting them live
when they put up a fight or tried to flee he felt the need to kill explaining i guess i wanted to control things
even though hanson couldn't remember many of his murder victims names the sites where they were buried were still
fresh on his mind he was flown to the areas he'd marked on his map and according to the book fair
game hanson became noticeably thrilled and exhilarated traversing his former hunting grounds
he triumphantly pointed out where he had left each victim and quote a couple of times he became so excited
he dropped to his knees to dig in the snow with his hands looking wide-eyed and with a smile on his flushed
pockmarked face those accompanying hansen were disturbed and angered by his behavior
promising themselves this would be the last time the killer would ever step foot in the alaskan wilderness that he
so clearly adored they marked each and every gravesite then waited patiently for spring so that
they could start digging tuesday april 24 1984 marked the first day of the search for robert hanson's
remaining victims with shovels in hand groups of alaska state troopers gathered around the spots
marked on hanson's map or pointed out by him directly and began digging on that day
two bodies were found twenty-two-year-old sue luna was uncovered by a creek on the kinnick
river twenty-eight-year-old malay larsen was in a parking area down river a short
distance from the old kinnick bridge over the next couple of days a further two victims were recovered
the first was an unknown woman found by horseshoe lake further inland and to the
northwest of kinnick river between 17 and 21 years old she had been shot and stabbed
she was white with brown hair and dressed in jeans a sweater a coat scarf and tennis shoes
hanson couldn't recall her name and despite efforts investigators were unable to formally identify her
like a clute narani they named this victim after the area where she was found horseshoe harriet
the second body was that of 24 year old angela fedden scavenging animals had reduced her
remains to just a jawbone three days later twenty-year-old tammy peterson was found on an island in the
middle of the connect river forty-one-year-old lisa fertrell was next on may 9 located south of the old
connect bridge just over one week later 22 year old teresa watson was found at scenic lake
30 miles southwest of anchorage bloodhounds were taken to the remaining gravesites pinpointed by robert hansen
but had no luck finding anything it was believed that if there were indeed bodies there at one point they
might have since been scavenged by animals or swept away by heavy rains in the sand and sealed
in august the following year of 1985 an amateur pilot testing out his aircraft's
new tyres came into land along the sandbar spanning the kinnick river the area was no longer robert hanson's
hunting ground but his presence still remained while there the pilot discovered human
remains two handmade rings found on the body led to an identification it was missing anchorage woman 20 year
old delin frey she would be known as hanson's final victim killed in april 1983 shortly after paula goulding
in the wake of robert hanson's crimes being publicly revealed the media dubbed him the butcher baker
referencing his years of working as an unremarkable baker while secretly slaughtering women the entire time
the courtroom was packed when hanson was sentenced for his crimes on monday february 27 1984
friends and families of the victims made up a large proportion of the spectators
survivor cindy paulson was also there at no time did hanson show any remorse for his actions
assistant district attorney frank rothschild described hansen as an extreme aberration of a human being
then added while he doesn't admit it it's obvious from reading through and looking at
where things started and where the women ended up he hunted them down he let them run a little bit
and then he enjoyed a little hunt just like with his big game animals he toyed with them he wanted to scare
them he got a charge out of all of this rothschild was certain that hanson was beyond rehabilitation
and requested he be given a life sentence and three separate 99-year terms for the four murders he was
charged with for the rape and abduction of cindy paulson he asked for another 129 years
the presiding judge obliged sentencing robert hansen to 461 years in prison the maximum possible
sentence available in alaska for his crimes he noted that even though hanson's history was well known to authorities he
had been able to kill indiscriminately for years by targeting vulnerable victims
quote the court system has failed if ever there was a case in which a man or defendant needed to be surveillanced
for the rest of his life it is this gentleman here and it's been known for many years
here we've turned a person loose several times knowing he had the propensity for
what he did there's absolutely no excuse for it i hope when we leave this courtroom
today that i have to the best of my ability provided this man shall never walk the streets of america or any other
place as a free man including a clute narani joanna messina sherry morrow and paula goulding a total
of 11 of robert hansen's known murder victims have so far been recovered according to hanson's confession
that still leaves six unaccounted for while hanson acknowledged that he had killed 23 year old andrea altheri and 24
year old roxanne eastland they are two of the six victims that were never recovered
to this day all their cases remain open investigators are certain that hanson is
responsible for more murders than he admitted to given there were four markings on his map that he never
addressed one aligned with the location where 18 year old celia beth vanzanten was found
on christmas day 1971. she had disappeared days earlier after walking to a downtown store to buy a
soda beth was stripped bound gagged and raped before being left in the mchugh creek
recreation area where she froze to death the crime has never been solved to many robert hansen seems a likely
suspect especially as beth's ordeal came mere days after hanson attacked two other women
both of whom survived two marks made on the map along resurrection bay in the port city of
seward are also unaccounted for it is believed one represents missing seventeen-year-old megan emmerich
megan was a student at the seward skill center and was last sighted leaving the dormitory laundry room on saturday july
7 1973 she hasn't been seen or heard of since hanson admitted to being in seward on
the day megan vanished but denied crossing paths with her he also said he was ensued on saturday
july 5 1975 when 22 year old mary phil vanished from the city although hanson also denied having any
involvement in mary's disappearance it is speculated the second seward-based asterisk hints at her burial location
both megan emmerich and mary phil's cases remain unsolved robert hansen was incarcerated at a
number of different penitentiaries before serving the majority of his sentence at a correctional center in
seward in 2014 he was transferred back to anchorage to be admitted to alaska regional hospital
as he was battling chronic illness he died on august 21 of that year at the age of 75.
by the time of his death hanson had admitted to carrying out 30 rapes and 17 murders over a 12-year span
though these numbers remained disputed upon learning of hanson's death glenn flothey told the anchorage daily news
on this day we should only remember his many victims and all of their families and my heart goes out to all of them
as far as hanson is concerned this world is better without him in a 2019 interview for amd's real crime
blog former assistant district attorney frank roth's child said that though some
wished hansen could have been given the death penalty spending his final 30 years in prison
had been a fitting end to his life quote here's a guy whose passion in life is going out into the wilderness and
hunting the great alaska wild instead of being able to do that he was put in a cell with no view of anything
forget the mountains with rancid air and horrific people around him that to me is supreme punishment
[Music] [Music] you

Case 190: The Butcher Baker (Part 2)

[Part 2 of 2] In June 1983, Cindy Paulson ran out onto a highway in Anchorage, barefoot and handcuffed. She was the prized prey of a prolific serial killer who was plaguing the region and had escaped his plans to hunt her down in the Alaskan wilderness – something he had done with many other women...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro and Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production & music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-190-the-butcher-baker-part-2

Brief Summary

Cindy Paulson escapes from serial killer Robert Hansen, leading to his arrest and confession to multiple murders in Anchorage, Alaska.

Key points

Cindy Paulson's Abduction. Cindy, an 18-year-old sex worker, is abducted by a man in Anchorage.
Cindy's Escape. Cindy manages to escape her captor and runs for help.
Police Investigation. Police investigate Robert Hansen after Cindy's escape, uncovering his past.
Judy's Escape. Judy manages to escape from Hansen's abduction, but struggles to remember key details.
Hansen's Denial. Hansen admits to knowing Judy but disputes her version of events, claiming she was trying to extort him.
Police Investigation. Police discover evidence linking Hansen to multiple murders, including a map with marked locations of victims.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

You'll make me mad, and you don't want to see me mad.

6:28WatchOct 2, 2021

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.