Missing 10-year-old Alaska girl found dead, arrest made

Ten-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr who has been missing from a remote Inupiat Eskimo town on Alaska’s northwestern coast since September 6 was found dead yesterday afternoon. Late last night, Alaska State Troopers reported that Johnson-Barr’s lifeless body was discovered east of the city of Kotzebue.  An arrest has been made in connection with her death. Yahoo! News reported on September 13 that . . .

Late Friday night, FBI spokeswoman Staci Feger-Pellessier said that 41-year-old Peter Wilson of Kotzebue is facing charges of making false statements to a federal agent investigating the girl’s death. Wilson is being transferred to Anchorage, Feger-Pellessier said.

After Ashley went missing, 17 agents with the FBI were called in to assist State Troopers and local towns-people in the search for the missing child.  She was last seen playing at local Rainbow Park with some friends more than one week ago on September 6.  Later that day, Ashley’s cell phone was found one half-mile away and going in the opposite direction from where she lived.

Ashley’s Missing Persons Bulletin described her as 4’9”, weighing 100 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes and last seen leaving Rainbow Park wearing a pink sweater and jeans.

KTUU reports the FBI as saying that the 41-year-old Wilson, arrested in connection with Ashley’s death, is being transferred to Anchorage where he’ll be facing those charges of making false statements to a federal agent. KTUU also reported that Ashley’s father, Walter “Scotty” Barr, described his daughter as a “very happy person” who “always had a smile no matter what.”

Authorities have not released any other details surrounding Ashley’s death.  The Springfield News-Sun reported Alaska State Troopers as saying that their investigation is still ongoing.

https://youtu.be/PNfNpa1TboI

~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter