Palmer troopers help capture murder suspect

PALMER -- Alaska State Troopers from Palmer played a key role in the search for and capture of Bill Conger, who is accused of murdering a friend in Seward last weekend.

Eleven members of the Palmer troopers' Special Emergency Response Team combed the dense woods north of Seward for three days following the July 19 shooting of John Tulin, 43.

Lt. Randy Hahn, SERT leader for the Palmer unit, was at the mile 24 site near Moose Pass where Conger, 31, was apprehended Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Conger was unarmed and didn't resist when taken into custody.

"He was tired," Hahn said. "He hasn't been sleeping well. He had done a lot of movement."

The suspect kept walking between mile 12 and mile 19 of the Seward Highway in an effort to elude police, Hahn said. He added that Conger traveled through deep, thick brush and through thorny bushes. He stuck to remote routes, although ones that provided the easiest passage possible given the terrain, Hahn said.

Troopers from Soldotna, Seward police, three canines and two helicopter crews also took part in the search. Hahn was notified of the incident just before noon on Sunday and the local contingent was in the Seward area continually until Conger's arrest.

The first break came when a four-member tracking team found footprints apparently made by Conger.

"We identified a trail, a solitary track," Hahn said. "Between Monday night and Tuesday he changed footwear."

Calls from citizens who believed they'd seen Conger helped police narrow their search area. That's what eventually led to his arrest.

"Several reports had come in over a couple of hours," Hahn said. "Citizen tips are absolutely valuable."

In addition to information from the public, he credited Soldotna troopers for good police work.

"It was a joint effort," he said.

Conger reportedly was trying to follow the Alaska Railroad tracks to Talkeetna, where he owns property.

He has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Tulin, with whom Conger had worked.

Meanwhile, Hahn was back in his Palmer office Wednesday morning. He admitted he could use some sleep.

"It's been a long couple of days," he said.