Eli Sharclane Missing Person Case

Jun 07, 2011

Jul 30, 2024

Eli

Sharclane

67

19

64 inches

68 inches

145 lbs

165 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the late hours of a September night in 1977, a young, 19-year-old man named Eli Robert Sharclane was last seen in Juneau, Alaska. He was a Native American male with black hair and brown eyes, and on that particular evening, he was wearing a brown coat and brown dress shoes. The exact date of his last contact is documented as September 23, 1977. The events of that night, as pieced together by authorities, paint a grim picture of a violent altercation that ended in tragedy. An argument and physical fight reportedly broke out between Sharclane and another man, Peter Castillo, on the Juneau-Douglas Bridge. This confrontation would be the last time anyone reported seeing Eli Sharclane. The investigation into Sharclane's disappearance began after his grandfather filed a missing person report on November 17, 1977, nearly two months after he was last seen. A grand jury was convened in early December of that same year to look into the matter. The subsequent investigation led to the indictment of Peter Castillo for second-degree murder. According to the prosecution's case, the fight on the bridge escalated to the point where Castillo threw Sharclane off the railing into the waters below, a fall of approximately 49 feet. There was conflicting information regarding whether Sharclane could swim, and it was also reported that he had been drinking earlier in the evening. During the legal proceedings, Castillo confessed to the police that he had thrown Sharclane off the bridge, though he later retracted this confession. Despite the lack of a body, Castillo was ultimately convicted of attempted murder. A witness reported seeing Sharclane running onto the bridge that night and hearing moans or sobs, and another witness saw Castillo chasing Sharclane across the bridge after an initial fight. The case remains a somber chapter in Juneau's history; though a conviction was secured, the absence of Eli Sharclane's remains leaves a painful void for his family and community. The official investigation concluded with the belief that Sharclane was a victim of a violent act, and while the legal system provided a measure of justice, the full story of what happened on the Juneau-Douglas Bridge remains shrouded in the mists of that September night.

Sep 23, 1977

Juneau

Alaska

Juneau Borough

99801

No

10273

Juneau Police Department

Juneau

Alaska

Juneau Borough

99801

Patrick Taylor

Detective

6255 Alaway Avenue, Alaska

9075860600

Local

Law Enforcement

http://www.juneaupolice.com

77007802

1977-11-18

Juneau Police Department

Black

Brown

Brown

07/20/2026