Robert Shem News Today

In an open letter, the Kotzebue police chief said state investigators reviewed the case of Jennifer Kirk’s 2018 death and found no new leads. But parts of the letter contradict previous information the department has released about the case.

Ex-mayor’s sons faced few consequences despite history of similar allegations.

Before they died, Jennifer Kirk and Sue Sue Norton were both victims of domestic violence, but the men involved — the ex-mayor’s sons — faced few consequences despite a long history of similar allegations.

Investigators turned to forensic analyst robert shem. he test fired an hk-91 into a piece of metal the same thickness as the road sign. then using a rubber-like casting substance called microsil, he made impressions of the bullet holes in the road sign and those produced by his test firing of the same type of gun. the castings were compared under a microscope. >> once i removed the rubber, i was able to establish that the holes in the sign were indeed 0.30 caliber, and they possessed the same ri...

The fatal bullet entered the car through the back window, hit the victim, and exited through the passenger side window. here, investigators got a lucky break. there was tinting film on the windows of the victims car. >> had the vehicle not had tinting film, the tempered glass that was on the back window of the vehicle and on the passenger side window would have shattered and probably been completely lost. >> the tinting film held the glass together. as a result, the bullet hole was still visible...

With three bullet holes. to test kerrs story, investigators turned to forensic analyst robert shem. he test-fired an hk-91 into a piece of metal the same thickness as the road sign. then using a rubber-like casting substance called microsil, he made impressions of the bullet holes in the road sign and those produced by his test firing of the same type of gun. the castings were compared under a microscope. >> once i removed the rubber, i was able to establish that the holes in the sign were indee...

The fatal bullet entered the car through the back window, hit the victim, and exited through the passenger side window. here, investigators got a lucky break. there was tinting film on the windows of the victims car. >> had the vehicle not had tinting film, the tempered glass that was on the back window of the vehicle and on the passenger side vehicle would have shattered and probably been completely lost. >> the tinting film held the glass together. as a result, the bullet hole was still visibl...

Through the back window, hit the victim, and exited through the passenger side window. here, investigators got a lucky break. there was tinting film on the windows of the victims car. >> had the vehicle not had tinting film, the tempered glass that was on the back window of the vehicle and on the passenger side vehicle would have shattered and probably been completely lost. >> the tinting film held the glass together. as a result, the bullet hole was still visible. shem took what was left of the...

Away, which hit the car. >> i believe that this was done so as to throw a bone to his friends, that is, to give them an out, to say that it wasnt first-degree murder, that maybe it was something lesser than that, like criminally negligent homicide or manslaughter. basically, something to try to appease his friends. >> the shell casing at the scene indicated the weapon was an hk-91 assault rifle. receipts from a local gun store supported george kerrs claim, that doug gustafson had bought an hk-91...

Hk-91 that day. but could investigators prove the shooting was intentional? the fatal bullet entered the car through the back window, hit the victim, and exited through the passenger side window. here, investigators got a lucky break. there was tenting film on the windows of the victims car. >> had the vehicle not had tinting film, the tempered glass that was on the back window of the vehicle and on the passenger side vehicle would have shattered and probably been completely lost. >> the tenting...