Hope man charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in death of a Wasilla hunter

Earlier this month, a Wasilla man was shot while on a hunting trip along the Taylor Highway and later died at a Fairbanks area hospital. Tuesday, a Hope man was arrested in connection with the case.

Robert Geller, 42, was arrested for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of the Wasilla hunter, Michael Easley, 74.

The investigation revealed that Geller shot at Easley despite having no clear picture of what he was shooting at after being told by another member of the hunting party that Easley was not in camp and he shouldn’t shoot, according to the Alaska State Troopers.

AST initially received a report just after 9 p.m. on Sept. 11 of an SOS activation from a satellite communication device. Troopers were alerted that a person had been shot around Mile 8.5 of the Taylor Highway near Chicken. The Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center was notified, and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter located Easley and transported him to Fort Wainwright, where he was pronounced dead.

Geller was remanded to the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

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