Home invasion charges filed

March 10, 2006

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Two men who stand accused of invading a Houston home, dousing two children and a mother with gasoline, holding a knife to the father's throat and stealing $2,000 from the family Feb. 23, turned themselves in to the Houston and Wasilla police departments Monday.

A Palmer grand jury handed up a 10-count indictment for Matthew T. Marr, 22, and Barret A. Ray, 26, on March 2, but the men remained at large, and the family they allegedly assaulted remained terrified they would return.

&#8220My son is very traumatized,” Mandy Munholland said. &#8220He either won't leave home or will only be here with my grandma or us there. The night before they tried to kill us, the same guy who poured gasoline on him was playing video games with him, as his buddy. For my husband, every night is a struggle. He has nightmares of a knife to his throat and then wakes up and checks on the children.”

Houston Police Chief John Ryshek said he knew Marr had left the state.

The chief was working with another police agency to nab Marr and extradite him to Alaska if he didn't return voluntarily.

&#8220He was in Florence, Alabama,” Ryshek said. &#8220I talked him into coming back, to give us his side of the story. He turned himself in to me. If he hadn't cooperated with me, the Florence police would have got him.”

Then Ryshek got a call from Ray's attorney, wanting to know what was going on, he said.

&#8220I told him about the $50,000 felony warrant,” Ryshek said. &#8220The attorney telephoned Mr. Ray and told him to turn himself in. He gave himself up to the Wasilla Police Department. They didn't know he was coming in.”

Superior Court Judge Beverly Cutler arraigned Ray and Marr on Tuesday morning, on charges of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted arson, first-degree burglary, three counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, second-degree theft and third-degree criminal mischief.

Marr's bail is set at $50,000 cash and a court-approved third party custodian.

His court records show a previous second-degree theft charge lodged against him on Aug. 18, which the state dismissed Dec. 16.

Marr has 17 closed minor offenses from Palmer and Anchorage dating from 2000.

Ray has been taken from Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility to jail in Anchorage, where he is wanted on a 2001 charge of shoplifting and failure to appear.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.