A 48-year-old African American man named Duane Byron Fields Jr. died on the night of October 21, 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska. He was shot and killed at the Chelsea Inn Hotel in the Spenard neighborhood, where he both resided and worked.
Earlier that evening, at about 10:20-10:22 p.m., a disturbance took place at the hotel. Fields had stepped in to help break up a fight between a woman and her assailant.
After being forced out of the hotel along with another person by the assailant, the assailant left and then returned with others. Giles and video evidence established that after return, several men—including suspects—approached the hotel. Fields went to the front entrance to ensure it was locked. It was then that gunfire erupted, and Fields was struck through the front door windows. He was found still breathing by emergency responders but was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Initially there were no arrests or charges in the case. Over the following weeks and months investigators developed evidence, including security camera video and cell‐tower data, linking two brothers—31-year-old Josiah F. Pouli and 26-year-old Jacob F. Pouli Jr.—to the shooting. On December 10, 2020 felony Murder I warrants were issued for both. On December 11, Josiah Pouli was arrested in Anchorage without incident. Jacob Pouli Jr. remained at large, described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Around the same time, two other people were arrested in connection with evidence tampering and misconduct with weapons. On October 26, warrants were issued for 34-year-old Shannelle M. Macpherson for multiple counts of tampering with physical evidence, and for 48-year-old Sean S. Smith on charges of misconduct involving a weapon and tampering with evidence. Both were arrested that same day.
As of late December 2020 the investigation remained ongoing, with Jacob F. Pouli Jr. still sought by authorities.
