First off, thanks to the wonderful students at the University of Alaska – Anchorage who met with the Butcher, Baker authors on 7 November 2013. Your questions, your curiosity and your passion are remarkable.
One of the things I discovered during our interaction was how interested you were in the victim map that Robert Hansen kept, using a flight map as a starting point. The map is gruesome documentation of Hansen’s savagery and cruelty — and the single best image of the scope of his crimes. Each colored circle represents a possible victim burial place. There are 24 circles in all.
Robert Hansen’s Flight Map (annotated by AST Glenn Flothe)
Legend:
- Blue Circle = Hansen admits victim
- Yellow Circle = Hansen denies victim
Interesting map but is there anyway to enlarge the map to actually make it readable? Also, whatever happened to Hansen’s plane? Is it in the hands of a private owner now?
Hansen’s plane was sold at auction by a good friend of his. I have tried to trace it, but no luck. Sorry about the map. We’ll see if that can be fixed. At last look, there was a problem supporting popups, which is what you need here.
I was finally able to enlarge the map to make it readable. Here’s the link (sorry it took so long!): https://lelandhale.com/butcherbaker/images/hansen_map_fullsize.png
Sorry i cant use the link Error 404
I’m sorry too. I need to fix it – I have a new web host setup!
Fixed. Enjoy!
Did they ever retrieve the Butcher Baker’s souveneirs that he collected from his vics? Or was that part of the movie of “Frozen Ground” a misrepinterpretation?
Yes, Danny, they did retrieve many of the “trophies” that Hansen took from his victims. As portrayed in “Frozen Ground,” they found them in the attic of Hansen’s house. Since the movie’s writer worked closely with Sgt. Glenn Flothe of the AST, much of what is seen in the movie is accurate. They did make some changes — that’s Hollywood — for “dramatic” purposes.
You can read more about this in the book, Butcher, Baker. It’s available online from Amazon, as well as from the Alaska State Trooper Museum gift shop (here: http://www.alaskatroopermuseum.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ATM&Product_Code=263&Category_Code=BOO). I encourage you to buy from the AST museum; I donated copies, so all proceeds benefit the Trooper Museum.
Has any efforts been made to retrieve the bodies marked in yellow? I’m sure the family members would like to have the bodies returned to them.
Considerable efforts were made to recover bodies. As part of Hansen’s sentencing agreement, he led troopers to many of the places on the map. Not all bodies were found, however. The marks on the map were approximations and sometimes Hansen didn’t remember the exact location.
Not sure if anyone monitors this page still or if this would be of interest to anyone. In the late 1970s I was under the age of 10 and lived in the apartments next to Boniface Mall [Anchorage]. It was winter and I was outside on a Sunday morning waiting to go to church. I saw a Brown car driving towards Baxter Road, (I remember the direction because it was my route to walk to school.) While the car was moving the passenger door opened and a woman attempted to jump out of the car. The driver – a white male – pulled her back into the car and shouted something to the extent of I should of killed you at home and the door slammed shut with the car never stopping. As a child I didn’t know how to process this and did not tell a soul at the time but it has haunted me ever since.
Many thanks for sharing your childhood memory! Of course, it’s no secret that Robert Hansen was active in those days (late 70’s). And I would be surprised if that thought hasn’t crossed your mind. Given that Hansen had some “mishaps” during this period — a few women got away from him — your experience coincides with that fraught timeframe.
I’m not saying it WAS him. Although Baxter Road leads to Campbell Airstrip Road, Hansen kept his plane at Merrill Field and didn’t start using his plane until the early 80s (after several more close calls). His flight maps, moreover, don’t show any marks in that area. But just the thought of your random encounter sends chills! And who knows, really? Hansen was all over the map during this period and even brought some of his victims back alive…
Leland, did you ever meet Robert Hansen or any of his victims?
When Walter Gilmour and I started writing “Butcher, Baker” back in 1984, we made inquiries. Hansen was not interested, saying he was going to write his own book. Of course, he never did! I did not get a chance to meet any of his surviving victims, although I did manage to get myself kicked out of one of the Anchorage topless clubs, because I brought up Hansen and was “scaring the dancers.”
I did, however, meet Bob’s wife, Darla. Both at their house and during a Bible study group she belonged to. Where Bob comes off as something of a blank canvas onto which various folks project their imaginations, Darla emerged as smart, sensitive and complex. Yin and Yang, if you will. And yes I got to see Bob’s “dungeon.” I’d characterize it as a “mixed use” area, with Darla’s tutorial materials, a laundry area and, of course, the infamous pool table. That experience was, to quote a famous phrase, an exercise in “the banality of evil.”
Thank you very much. Great job sir. Keep it up.
Leland comment on the ongoing developments, please?
From Amanda Prahl, Popsugar, IMDb News
The 2013 crime thriller The Frozen Ground has been seeing something of a resurgence since its debut on Netflix. Based on the crimes of real-life serial killer Robert Hansen, The Frozen Ground covers most of the unsettling true story, but there have been developments since the movie’s release. Sep 5, 2020
Robert Algeri contacted Alaska State Trooper Cold Case Division on 04/12/2020.
The biggest recent development is the identification of “Horseshoe Harriet” as Hansen victim Robin Pelkey, using genetic genealogy techniques. Her body was first exhumed in 2016, but finally identified in October 2021. In this case, the DNA tests were insufficient, but with more people opting to take DNA tests, scientists have developed algorithms that, finally, made a match. Pelkey was originally from Colorado. [More info here]
As for the resurgence of The Frozen Ground, it’s worthwhile to note that, while Netflix certainly deserves credit, there are other contributing factors. In the last three years, for instance, several major U.S. networks have filmed and debuted Robert Hansen documentaries — including Investigation Discovery, Oxygen and CNN/HLN. There are more in the works… (I know, because I’ve done on-camera interviews in each of them and continue to do so.) I recently filmed another piece for a UK production company, to be shown in England, Scotland and Ireland. We are, in fact, in the midst of a “true crime” renaissance. And, it seems, nothing fascinates more than serial killers. It’s a sick comment on the state of the world, but here we are…
Thank you. (Her body was first exhumed in 2016 but finally identified in October 2021.)
Amanda Prahl’s article was published on 09/2020? Prior to the identification being finalized. She seems to be suggesting multiple developments. Please keep us posted if anything of significance does develop.
There is a parallel effort to finally ID the woman known colloquially as “Eklutna Annie.” The same genetic genealogy technologies are being used here as well. I’m pretty certain that was Prahl’s other “hidden” reference. And, as the Pelkey case demonstrates, it’s a slog.
Got it. Thank you again for being so responsive.
Can you reveal what production company from the UK, and when we can expect to possibly find a way to watch this production? If not please announce when you are allowed.