Day 2 of the Nathanial Kangas murder trail included testimony from Alaska State Troopers who investigated the May 2014 shooting deaths of two of their comrades in the village of Tanana.
Twenty-two-year-old Kangas shot Sergeant Scott Johnson and Trooper Gabe Rich as they tried to arrest his father Arvin Kangas for threatening the local village public safety officer.
At issue in the case is whether Nathaniel Kangas premeditated the murders.
Trooper investigator Ramin Dunford said examination of the rifle used in the killings showed rounds in the gun’s magazine were loaded in a specific way.
“We found something unique when we did that,” Dunford said. “If you look closely, they’re in an order, this is a soft tip, and this is hard, soft, hard.”
Dunford said the two types of rounds are designed to penetrate and fragment respectively, and he also showed a picture of a hole in the bullet proof vest worn by one of the slain Troopers.
The jury also listened to audio from recorders worn by Trooper Rich and Sergeant Johnson during the May 2014 incident.
Rich and Johnson are heard being professional and courteous in trying to take an extremely uncooperative Arvin Kangas into custody.
Kangas repeatedly denies doing anything wrong, and questions the Trooper’s authority.
After shots are fired by Nathaniel Kangas, he’s heard crying and apologizing.
Arvin Kangas is later heard tampering with the crime scene.
The trial continues this morning.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
