Troopers seek help finding rape location

PALMER -- Alaska State Troopers are asking for the public's help in locating a mobile home where an alleged sexual assault occurred last month.

In the early-morning hours of Jan. 30, a male suspect reportedly drove a woman in her late 30s from Anchorage to the Mat-Su. She apparently had asked him for a ride home from Spenard. He drove past her house and reportedly said he wasn't going to drop her off. Instead, according to trooper investigator Randy McPherron, the man took her to the Valley.

"She was very unfamiliar with the area," McPherron said. "He drove her around for a couple of hours and got her very lost. Based on the few landmarks, we're convinced it's somewhere in the Valley area. We're trying to find the place."

The man reportedly stopped at an abandoned mobile home in the Palmer-Wasilla area, took the woman into the trailer and sexually assaulted her. The woman was reportedly then driven back to Anchorage and dropped off.

Troopers have identified a suspect, but so far have been unable to find the crime scene. They are seeking assistance in finding the trailer. It is described as a dilapidated, full-sized, possibly double-wide mobile home parked on a wooded lot.

A large wooden beam was reportedly in the middle of the living room, propping up the ceiling. The trailer was sparsely furnished. It did not have electricity or running water. Two vehicles were parked on the property. One vehicle was described as a step-van, similar to an ice cream truck, blue in color. The second vehicle was a small white passenger car. Both vehicles and the driveway were covered knee-deep in snow. There were no tracks in the snow, indicating the place had not been entered for a while, McPherron said.

The suspect reportedly drove a blue, four-door, mid-sized passenger car. It was parked at the driveway's entrance to the road during the sexual assault.

Anyone who has information about the owners of the mobile home or its location are asked to immediately contact Sgt. McPherron at 746-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 745-3333. A caller could earn up to $1,000 if the information leads to the arrest and criminal indictment of the suspect. Callers do not need to give their names.