Excerpts from the unpublished original manuscript, “Sailor Take Warning,” by Leland E. Hale. That manuscript, started in 1992 and based on court records from the Alaska State Archive, served as the basis for “What Happened in Craig.” In this installment, Jerry Mackie lends his local expertise to the search for a murder suspect.
Of the four on-scene officers, Jerry Mackie knew Craig and its residents better than anyone. He had grown up there. He had worked commercial fishing boats there. Like most locals, he was shocked that such a crime had happened in Craig. And like most locals, he felt slightly on edge because of it.
Although no one knew for sure how many people had died on board the Investor, it seemed obvious that it was a homicide. Mackie thought, “there’s nobody that lives here could do something like that.” Craig was the kind of town where people still left their houses unlocked and the keys in their cars.
But Mackie had little time to think. He had work to do. His first stop was the Tyee Airlines terminal. If anyone had left town either early that morning or the day before, on the day of the fire, Mackie wanted to know about it.
In the summer of 1982, Tyee Airlines had five flights a day out of Craig, beginning at 7:00 am and ending at 7:20 pm. Given that the Investor fire was reported at 4:20 pm on Tuesday, September 7th — and a suspect was seen leaving the scene within that timeframe — the only available flight that day was at 7:20 pm. The following day, when Mackie made his rounds, there were only two morning flights, one at 7:00 am and another at 9:20 am.
A quick look at the airline’s manifest revealed only a few names that he didn’t recognize, however, and the airline manager was certain none of them fit the suspect’s description.
The next stop on Mackie’s itinerary was the Hill Bar. It was a logical stop — and not just because his mom happened to be the owner. The Hill Bar was a hangout. And one of the few places in town where a stranger could linger over a beer without raising suspicion.
“The Hill” was the perfect hideaway.
Given its proximity to the float plane dock, “The Hill” was also a natural place to wait for a later flight out of Craig. In a village of few possibilities, it was the next best place to check.
Hill Bar entrance (copyright Leland E. Hale)
Copyright Leland E. Hale (2018). All rights reserved.
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