John Sturgus

Murdered

On February 20, 1921, Anchorage's first Chief of Police, John J. "Jack" Sturgus, was found fatally shot in an alley behind the Anchorage Drug Store. The 60-year-old chief had been appointed on January 1, 1921, leading a one-man police department in the newly incorporated city. His tenure was marked by efforts to curb rampant crime, including gambling and bootlegging, prevalent in the early 1920s.

On the evening of his death, Sturgus was reportedly patrolling the streets, focusing on ill ...Read More

Chief of Police John J. Sturgus

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