A Minto woman has been arraigned in the May stabbing of a man Alaska State Troopers call her former boyfriend, after allegedly admitting to her cousin that his last words were, "Why do you love me so much?"
Carleen Charlie, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the May 2 death of 26-year-old Jordan Baker. She was arrested in Anchorage Tuesday by members of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, wrapping up a two-month investigation of a case in which troopers suspected foul play from the outset.
According to a criminal complaint written by Trooper Henry Ching, Charlie told Baker's mother that he had been stabbed at a home where he was spending the night. When investigators arrived with a search warrant at the Front Street home where the stabbing occurred, a health aide had already visited and confirmed that Baker was dead.
"I found (Jordan Baker) lying on the couch deceased with apparent multiple stab wounds in his upper torso area," Ching wrote. "Further investigation revealed that there were bloodstains leading outside."
After searching near the home investigators found a knife, which apparently had blood on it when it was thrown into nearby snow.
Charlie told troopers that she and a mutual acquaintance had been at the home when Baker told her to go home, so she could put wood on her stove and take care of her cut finger. When she returned about an hour later, she saw the acquaintance leaving and stooping to pick something up nearby, then putting his hands in his pockets and walking off; she then entered the home and found Baker dead.
Ching wrote that Charlie was covered in blood when investigators found her at the scene. She said a sweatshirt later found on a trail near the home was hers, and that she'd taken it off when she left the home to get help for Baker.
According to Ching, Charlie tried to commit suicide later on May 2 after Baker's stabbing, but continued to insist that the mutual acquaintance had killed him.
"(Charlie) attempted suicide by stabbing herself in the stomach with a knife," Ching wrote. "(Charlie) told investigators that she wanted to be with (Baker)."
Investigators received a major break in the case Tuesday when Charlie's cousin, Bessareen Gonzalez, told police that Charlie had confessed to stabbing Baker.
"Gonzalez stated that (Charlie) told her that she was the only one that she would confess to and that when she was done confessing, she was going to kill herself," Ching wrote.
Troopers eventually obtained a confession from Charlie by acquiring a Glass warrant -- named after a 1979 Alaska Supreme Court decision requiring warrants for law enforcement to record conversations involving people working undercover for the state -- then taping a call between Charlie and Gonzalez.
During the call, Charlie allegedly told Gonzalez that she was angry on the night of May 2 and got a knife from her home before finding Baker and their mutual acquaintance at the Front Street home. When the acquaintance left, Charlie entered the house.
"(Charlie) went inside and stabbed (Baker) approximately five times with the knife because she was very angry," Ching wrote. "(Charlie) stated that (Baker) kept holding himself and she pushed him down on the couch."
As the conversation continued, Charlie told Gonzalez that she and Baker had spoken before he died.
"(Charlie) stated that she 'realized what she did and dropped the knife and looked at (Baker) and told him sorry,'" Ching wrote.
Charlie was taken into custody outside the Anchorage home where she was staying, then held without bail at the Anchorage Jail. She was arraigned Wednesday afternoon, with prosecutors saying the case will be tried in Interior Alaska.
Channel 2's Austin Baird contributed information to this story.
Contact Chris Klint
Carleen Charlie, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the May 2 death of 26-year-old Jordan Baker. She was arrested in Anchorage Tuesday by members of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, wrapping up a two-month investigation of a case in which troopers suspected foul play from the outset.
According to a criminal complaint written by Trooper Henry Ching, Charlie told Baker's mother that he had been stabbed at a home where he was spending the night. When investigators arrived with a search warrant at the Front Street home where the stabbing occurred, a health aide had already visited and confirmed that Baker was dead.
"I found (Jordan Baker) lying on the couch deceased with apparent multiple stab wounds in his upper torso area," Ching wrote. "Further investigation revealed that there were bloodstains leading outside."
After searching near the home investigators found a knife, which apparently had blood on it when it was thrown into nearby snow.
Charlie told troopers that she and a mutual acquaintance had been at the home when Baker told her to go home, so she could put wood on her stove and take care of her cut finger. When she returned about an hour later, she saw the acquaintance leaving and stooping to pick something up nearby, then putting his hands in his pockets and walking off; she then entered the home and found Baker dead.
Ching wrote that Charlie was covered in blood when investigators found her at the scene. She said a sweatshirt later found on a trail near the home was hers, and that she'd taken it off when she left the home to get help for Baker.
According to Ching, Charlie tried to commit suicide later on May 2 after Baker's stabbing, but continued to insist that the mutual acquaintance had killed him.
"(Charlie) attempted suicide by stabbing herself in the stomach with a knife," Ching wrote. "(Charlie) told investigators that she wanted to be with (Baker)."
Investigators received a major break in the case Tuesday when Charlie's cousin, Bessareen Gonzalez, told police that Charlie had confessed to stabbing Baker.
"Gonzalez stated that (Charlie) told her that she was the only one that she would confess to and that when she was done confessing, she was going to kill herself," Ching wrote.
Troopers eventually obtained a confession from Charlie by acquiring a Glass warrant -- named after a 1979 Alaska Supreme Court decision requiring warrants for law enforcement to record conversations involving people working undercover for the state -- then taping a call between Charlie and Gonzalez.
During the call, Charlie allegedly told Gonzalez that she was angry on the night of May 2 and got a knife from her home before finding Baker and their mutual acquaintance at the Front Street home. When the acquaintance left, Charlie entered the house.
"(Charlie) went inside and stabbed (Baker) approximately five times with the knife because she was very angry," Ching wrote. "(Charlie) stated that (Baker) kept holding himself and she pushed him down on the couch."
As the conversation continued, Charlie told Gonzalez that she and Baker had spoken before he died.
"(Charlie) stated that she 'realized what she did and dropped the knife and looked at (Baker) and told him sorry,'" Ching wrote.
Charlie was taken into custody outside the Anchorage home where she was staying, then held without bail at the Anchorage Jail. She was arraigned Wednesday afternoon, with prosecutors saying the case will be tried in Interior Alaska.
Channel 2's Austin Baird contributed information to this story.
Contact Chris Klint