Brett Edward Allen was an 18-year-old White male whose life ended during a violent roadside confrontation near Fairbanks, Alaska, in the early morning hours of January 14, 2021. Allen, a senior at North Pole High School, was remembered by his family as an energetic and mechanically inclined young man who enjoyed snowmachines, motorcycles, BMX racing, snowboarding and other outdoor activities.
He reportedly hoped to join the United States Marine Corps or begin a career through the laborers’ union after graduating.
The events leading to Allen’s death began with an argument involving Anthony Peterson and his son, Aaron Peterson, at the Peterson residence. Two young people who had been at the home left and arranged for a ride from Robert Reed and Allen. As the group traveled through the Fox area north of Fairbanks, they encountered Aaron near the intersection of Goldstream Road and the Old Steese Highway. Aaron reportedly fled toward the trees and contacted his father, saying that people were trying to kill him.
Anthony arrived at the scene, and the confrontation intensified. Allen and Anthony became involved in a physical and verbal dispute while Aaron was nearby. Multiple firearms were present, and both Anthony and Aaron were accused of firing weapons. Allen was struck by gunfire several times. Emergency responders transported him to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, but he was pronounced dead. A forensic examination determined that a bullet entering the right side of his chest caused the fatal injury, and his death was classified as a homicide.
Alaska State Troopers arrested Anthony and Aaron Peterson following the shooting. Anthony, who was 43 at the time, and Aaron, who was also 18, were initially charged with first-degree murder. In February 2021, a Fairbanks grand jury indicted both men on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder. Anthony was held on a $500,000 cash performance bond, while Aaron was held on a $250,000 cash performance bond.
The criminal cases against the father and son proceeded separately. Anthony maintained that he had acted in self-defense and in defense of Aaron, claiming that Allen displayed a firearm and presented a threat. Prosecutors argued that Anthony was not responding to an immediate danger but had escalated an argument and answered an insult with deadly force. During Anthony’s trial, a firearms examiner testified that the bullet recovered from Allen’s fatal chest wound matched a handgun investigators recovered from Anthony.
After hearing testimony from 16 witnesses during a five-day trial, a Fairbanks jury reached its decision on May 17, 2024. The jury acquitted Anthony of first-degree murder but found him guilty of second-degree murder. The verdict rejected his claim that the shooting was legally justified as self-defense.
In September 2024, Superior Court Judge Brent Bennett sentenced Anthony to 30 years of active imprisonment. The sentence also included 10 additional years of suspended incarceration and 10 years of probation. Anthony was declared ineligible for parole. During sentencing, Bennett concluded that Anthony had not been protecting his son when he shot Allen but was responding to an insult with a firearm. The judge also pointed to what he described as Anthony’s history of irresponsible gun use and a pattern of attempting to resolve conflicts with weapons.
Aaron continued to face first-degree and second-degree murder charges after his father’s conviction and sentencing. His defense later challenged the grand jury proceedings that had produced the murder indictment against him. In December 2024, a judge dismissed Aaron’s murder indictment in connection with Allen’s death. The dismissal ended the prosecution under that particular indictment, meaning Aaron was no longer awaiting trial on those counts as they had originally been filed. The publicly available reporting reviewed does not establish that Aaron was convicted of Allen’s killing, and no conviction or sentence against him in the case has been reported.
