Episode 502: Young Woman Self Exits W/ Gun Longer Than Arms In Mayor's Home - 2 Yrs Later Another Girl Is Dead
Two officers from the Kotzebue, Alaska Police Department enter a living room and ask the two small children watching SpongeBob, “Did someone call the police?”
One just points to a bedroom door. Inside, a man, Anthony, cradles a young woman’s body drenched in blood. He says she’s his girlfriend, Jennifer. That he too, was just watching SpongeBob in the living room when he heard a ‘pop’ from the bedroom and found her with a ‘self-inflicted’ gun shot wound to her chin.
An investigation begins. The rifle used measures 27 and 1/8th inches long from barrel to trigger. Jennifer’s arm is 26 and 3/16th inches long. Nothing comes of it. The medical examiner observes red strangulation marks around Jennifer’s neck. The investigation is over within one day. Jennifer’s death is declared a self exit.
They don’t test for gunshot residue on the boyfriend, Anthony.
They don’t look into his past record of abuse and SA.
After all, Anthony lives with his father, Clement Richards Senior, the mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough. Surely this was a horrific one time tragic event…
Two years later another young woman’s body is found one again, at the mayor’s home.
Sources
FOIA Documents
Two Women Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. No One Has Ever Been Charged. — ProPublica
Police Say They Won’t Reopen Case of Alaska Woman Found Dead on Mayor’s Property — ProPublica
For Alaska Families, Questions Remain About Unsolved Deaths and “Suicides” — ProPublica
Susanna "Sue Sue" Norton, Found Dead on Former Mayor's Property in Alaska in 2020, Unsolved.
Kotzebue women’s deaths at former mayor’s property did not get thorough investigations, report says
Letter: Do better, fellow men - Anchorage Daily News
Letter: A heartbreaking, necessary story - Anchorage Daily News
ADN Politics podcast: Two deaths in Kotzebue
We wanted to share with you a letter from Police Chief Roger Rouse that provides details relating to community questions stemming from November news stories about the investigation into the death of Jennifer Kirk. The letter also contains information on the status of the Susanna Norton case. Read the letter in its entirety here: https://www.cityofkotzebue.com/
Sue Sue Norton Public Info Request March 2025
Kotzebue women’s deaths at former mayor’s property did not get thorough investigations, report says
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218446902
Production Note
Rotten Mango has not done original reporting on this case. The stories are based on existing material (listed in show notes).
The RM team works hard to make sure everything you’re listening to is as accurate as possible and we try to use multiple sources to verify the facts. Creative liberties may be taken in certain cases during the presentation of the case. Please email us at rottenmangop@gmail.com if you have any questions!