Everett Semone of Shageluk was arraigned on murder charges at the Bethel court this afternoon. He is accused of killing his parents with an ax in the village of Shageluk earlier this week.
Appearing via video teleconference from the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center, Everett Semone stared through the TV monitor into the small Bethel courtroom, uttering little more than yes and no to questions asked by the judge.
Judge Nathaniel Peters read the charges to the 21-year-old who said he understood them. Then he set bail.
“The court will follow the state’s recommendation plus 500-thousand cash plus third party custodian. If you have a bail hearing the court can set further conditions of your release Mr. Semone. Any questions? Any? ,” said Judge Peters. “No Judge,” said Semone.
Semone was arrested Wednesday at approximately 4pm and brought to the Bethel jail after two people were killed in Shageluk Tuesday. Earlier today, Alaska State Troopers identified them as residents Flossie Semone, 46, and John Arrow, 57. A Trooper spokesperson says people in Shageluk have said the two are the suspect’s parents.
The remains of both are being transported to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsies.
Residents reportedly caught the suspect themselves and held him until troopers arrived the next day. Troopers were requested Tuesday evening but did not arrive in Shageluk until mid-morning Wednesday.
Shageluk is a village of 83 people located on the Innoko River, 20 miles east of Anvik and 150 miles northeast of Bethel. The village has no police or medical personnel presence. The Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation has sent a crisis response team to Shageluk to help residents with counseling.
Semone is charged with two counts of Murder 1. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing October 20th in Aniak.
Daysha Eaton is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.
Daysha Eaton holds a B.A. from Evergreen State College, and a M.A. from the University of Southern California. Daysha got her start in radio at Seattle public radio stations, KPLU and KUOW. Before coming to KBBI, she was the News Director at KYUK in Bethel. She has also worked as the Southcentral Reporter for KSKA in Anchorage.
Daysha's work has appeared on NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", PRI's "The World" and "National Native News". She's happy to take assignments, and to get news tips, which are best sent via email.
Daysha became a journalist because she believes in the power of storytelling. Stories connect us and they help us make sense of our world. They shed light on injustice and they comfort us in troubled times. She got into public broadcasting because it seems to fulfill the intention of the 4th Estate and to most effectively apply the freedom of the press granted to us through the Constitution. She feels that public radio has a special way of moving people emotionally through sound, taking them to remote places, introducing them to people they would not otherwise meet and compelling them to think about issues they might ordinarily overlook.
