On Thursday, June 23, 2022, Bethel Superior Court Judge Nathaniel Peters sentenced Samuel Atchak to 115 years for the murder and attempted sexual assault of a 19-year-old Chevak woman. Atchak previously pled guilty to murder in the second degree and attempted sexual assault in the first degree pursuant to a plea agreement.
During sentencing, Judge Peters found that Atchak’s offenses were egregious because sexual assault and murder, are among the most serious types of cases in Alaska. In emotional testimony, the victim’s father described the impact his daughter’s passing has had on the family and asked the court to impose the maximum sentence. Bethel District Attorney R. Christopher Knowles prosecuted the case.
