Man sought in Hatcher Pass assault case turns himself in to police

A Kenai man allegedly involved with an Oct. 27 kidnapping and assault of two Anchorage men, turned himself into Palmer Police Saturday morning and was arraigned in Palmer District Court Monday on four felony charges.

Michael Elder is one of three men allegedly involved in an Oct. 27 incident that left two Anchorage men injured and stranded on the Palmer side of Hatcher Pass. He was arraigned on two counts of kidnapping and two counts of third-degree assault. Two Anchorage men — 34-year old Matthew Scharber, and 26-year old Corey Sylva, were also involved, according to Alaska State Troopers. Scharber faces two counts of attempted murder, among other charges.

The trio was indicted Nov. 10 by an Anchorage Grand Jury for their alleged involvement in the assault, kidnapping and shooting of two Anchorage brothers — 22-year old Kevin and 23-year old Kurlin Keeton. According to police, the brothers were pistol-whipped in an Anchorage apartment, taken out a window, and driven to Hatcher Pass where Scharber allegedly shot both. A passerby found the brothers around 5 a.m. Both had been shot and one handcuffed.

Elder remains jailed at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. Bail is set at $50,000 plus a court appointed third party (CATP) . He is scheduled for a Nov. 17 Superior Court arraignment in Anchorage Superior Court. Both Scharber and Sylva remain jailed on $50,000 and CATP bails.