Grand jury hands up indictments for assault, two rapes

A Palmer grand jury on Thursday indicted a Big Lake man on a second-degree assault charge, for allegedly breaking another man's jaw at a party.

Cole M. Saunders, 20, is accused of seriously injuring Garreth Schroeder at a party on June 5.

According to Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak, Saunders believed Schroeder had said something derogatory about him at the gathering and made it apparent that he wanted to fight.

Hearing this, Schroeder and his friends decided to go. They were leaving the party when Saunders reportedly approached Schroeder from behind and hit him in the face, knocking him out, Kalytiak said.

Once Schroeder was on the ground and unconscious, Saunders allegedly continued punching him in the face, Kalytiak said. Schroeder's friends reportedly pulled Saunders away and took Schroeder to Valley Hospital.

Valley Hospital staff testified about the extent of Schroeder's injuries, which necessitated $8,000 worth of surgery to sew up his tongue and wire his broken jaw shut.

The grand jury also handed up indictments in other, unrelated cases involving two Wasilla men who were each charged with first-degree sexual assault.

Kenneth D. Smith, 27, of Wasilla, was indicted on one count of first-degree sexual assault stemming from an Oct. 5 incident.

Smith reportedly was watching a movie at the home of a woman with whom he had once been romantically involved. The woman fell asleep in her child's room and later was awakened by Smith, who was allegedly rubbing her body, Kalytiak said.

Kalytiak said Smith proceeded to have sexual intercourse with the woman, even though she told him to stop.

The woman did not immediately report the matter to police because she was afraid of how Smith might react, Kalytiak said.

Michael A. Linn, 25, of Wasilla, was indicted on one count of first-degree sexual assault for allegedly raping a woman at his home on Mulchatna Drive. The woman said she told Linn she did not want to have sex with him and told him "no" repeatedly, according to charging documents.

Linn allegedly forced her to submit to oral sex and sexual intercourse anyway, according to charging documents. The woman said she did not resist because she was afraid Linn would assault her, according to charging documents.

The woman reported what Alaska State Troopers described as a "long history" of domestic assaults by Linn, according to charging documents. She told a trooper investigator she never reported those assaults to police, however, "because she felt sorry for Linn and did not want to send him to jail."

After the alleged incident, the woman went to Valley Hospital and a nurse there contacted troopers to report the incident.

Linn reportedly left more than 10 voice mail messages on the woman's cell phone on the day of the alleged incident, charging documents stated. Several of the messages included apologies and one reportedly contained a statement in which Linn talked about turning himself in.

He reportedly also apologized and made remarks about the alleged sexual assault and prior domestic violence in telephone conversations that were recorded the following day after police received approval from a judge.