Trio indicted in murder of two women found dead in Trapper Creek area

Sunday Powers and Kami Clark were found murdered in the Trapper Creek area in June. Two men and a woman are now charged with their murder.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week charging three defendants with crimes connected to the murders of two women, according to the United States Attorney General District of Alaska office.

According to the indictment, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, 56, Tamara Denise Bren, 41, and Kevin Glenn Peterson II, 29, engaged in a drug conspiracy and conspired to kidnap and murder Powers and Clark in furtherance of a drug trafficking enterprise on May 22. The drug conspiracy resulted in the distribution of over 33 kilograms of fentanyl, 11 kilograms of meth, four kilograms of heroin and 57 grams of cocaine, officials said..

Sanchez-Rodriguez was in prison in California and used contraband phones to conduct the business, and coordinated the kidnapping of Powers and Clark through phone calls and text messages. Tracking applications on the phones were used to locate the two women on the day of the murders, officials said. Multiple vehicles were used to meet the co-conspirators near Trapper Creek and have a conspirator carry a firearm to carry out the kidnapping, according to the indictment.

Also according to the indictment, conspirators restrained Powers and Clark under the threat of force by carjacking the vehicle they occupied. During the kidnapping and carjacking, Powers called 911 but a conspirator ended her call. Powers and Clark were driven to a hidden location, where they were executed and buried in a shallow grave near Trapper Creek.

All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, killing in furtherance of continuing criminal enterprise, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death and use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Bren and Sanchez-Rodriguez are also charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. If convicted of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, Bren and Sanchez-Rodriguez face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The maximum penalty for the remaining charges is life imprisonment, according to official records.

Powers, 30, of Fairbanks, was reported missing to the Alaska State Troopers on May 24. Clark, 34, was from Anchorage. Sunday made a 911 phone call prior to her disappearance which ultimately factored into Trooper's decision to deem the situation as suspicious. AST and Alaska Bureau of Investigation immediately engaged in search efforts along the Parks Highway since that was where Sunday was believed to be traveling. Troopers discovered two deceased women in Sunday's vehicle in the Trapper Creek area Friday, June 2.