On August 3, 2017, Michael Staton, a 34-year-old resident of Wasilla, Alaska, was brutally murdered by members of the 1488s, a white supremacist prison gang. Staton, who was associated with the gang, was accused of stealing from both the 1488s and Craig King, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. In retaliation, gang leader Filthy Fuhrer, formerly known as Timothy Lobdell, orchestrated a plan from his prison cell to punish Staton severely.
On the day of the murder, 1488 members, including Roy Naughton, Glen Baldwin, and Colter O'Dell, lured Staton to a duplex in Wasilla. The vacant side of the duplex had been prepared for the assault, with walls and floors covered in plastic sheeting. Once there, Staton was bound and subjected to a horrific beating and torture. His gang tattoo was cut off his rib cage with a knife heated by a propane torch. After the torture, Baldwin and O'Dell transported Staton to a remote area, where he was shot and his body set on fire.
The investigation led to the arrest and conviction of several individuals involved in the crime. In May 2022, Fuhrer, Naughton, Baldwin, O'Dell, and King were convicted of charges including racketeering, kidnapping, and murder. By January 2023, all five were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case highlighted the violent operations of the 1488s gang and their influence both inside and outside prison walls.
