Murder trial moves forward

ANCHORAGE -- A Wasilla man accused of driving drunk and causing the death of a four-year-old boy in November appeared in Anchorage Superior Court Thursday to determine whether the trial will proceed as scheduled.

John Knauss, 42, was indicted in February on one count of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault, along with DWI.

The indictment alleged that Knauss caused the death of Floyd Mack on Nov. 27 and serious injury to Mack's mother and sister, Linda Mack and Jeanette Siebert.

The trial remains scheduled for Palmer Superior Court but preliminary hearings are held in Anchorage after both superior court judges here were pre-empted at Knauss' request through Office of Public Advocacy attorney Darrell Gardner. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Wolverton is scheduled to preside over the trial set for Sept. 23.

According to investigation at the scene of the accident after 10 p.m., Nov. 27, a 1968 Ford truck, driven by Knauss, was traveling east on the Parks Highway when he reportedly crossed the center line and struck the front left side of a 1985 Chevy truck, driven by Mack, 35, of Wasilla.

Jeanette Siebert, 15, and Floyd Mack, 4, were passengers in Mack's vehicle. Following the impact, Mack's truck reportedly burst into flames, trapping all three passengers inside.

Linda Mack and Jeanette Siebert were pulled from the burning vehicle by a passersby, according to police reports at the time. Floyd Mack did not survive the crash.

According to trooper reports, officers found open beer containers in Knauss' truck, causing them to suspect alcohol was a factor.

Linda Mack spent more than a month at the Alaska Native Medical Center after the accident, then was transferred to a Seattle burn unit where she underwent surgery.

Jeanette Siebert was also hospitalized for several days at the Alaska Native Medical Center, then treated as an out-patient for burns at the Seattle hospital, said Lloyd Siebert, Mack's brother.

Knauss was at Alaska Providence Medical Center for more than two months under treatment for numerous fractures in his face, arms and legs. Troopers obtained arrest warrants, which were served on Knauss at the hospital, and he was subsequently jailed at Mat-Su Pre-Trial in lieu of $100,000 bail.

"He is considered both a flight risk and a danger to the community," assistant district attorney Bill Estelle argued at the time.

At the time of the accident, Knauss was supposed to be at a half-way house serving a sentence for a previous DWI conviction in October 1999 that resulted in severe injuries to Joe Miexner of Wasilla.

Knauss reportedly walked away from Glenwood Center July 10 in Anchorage, and though police were issued a warrant for his arrest, Knauss was not located.

Knauss' conviction record in Alaska begins with a forgery charge in 1992. He was convicted in a 1993 Juneau case charging him with selling contraband, court records show. He was jailed on additional larceny and theft charges until 1995. Twelve days after being released from probation for those convictions, he crashed into Joe Miexner and was convicted of drunken driving and assault charges.

While awaiting sentencing for that crime, Knauss was caught allegedly trying to steal a Wasilla man's truck as it warmed up in the driveway. At the time of his arrest, police reported that Knauss was intoxicated.

When Knauss was sentenced for the 1999 DWI and assault convictions, the other two charges were factored into a two-year sentence.

At most court proceedings since Knauss' arrest last winter, Linda Mack, her brother, and Joe Miexner were present in the courtroom. They each said they wanted to be a visible presence reminding the court of the seriousness of what happened to them.