Kiana 12-day manhunt ends with peaceful arrest

September 28th 3:05 pm | Hannah Heimbuch    

A tragic scenario in the Northwest took one more violent turn outside of Kiana last week, when Teddy Smith allegedly shot two hunters before being apprehended by Alaska State Troopers.

The injured men, brothers Paul James Buckel,46, of Kotzebue, and Charles W. Buckel Jr., 47, of Michigan, sustained their injuries last Tuesday evening. They were rescued from the cabin, approximately 40 miles up the Squirrel River from Kiana, on Wednesday, and are currently recovering from their injuries in an Anchorage hospital.

A Thursday afternoon arrest followed the violent assault on the Buckels, ending a two-week search for Smith, and a period of worry and confusion in a small, tight-knit community.

It is a relief to have Smith in custody at this point, said Alaska State Trooper Captain Barry Wilson.

"(It is) anytime we get ahold of somebody who has committed a crime in a community," Wilson said, "and relieve that stress from the community."

Smith had also been on the run for two weeks, Wilson said, and was in need of rest and food himself.

Most of all the worry and fear felt by an entire community can now be eased, Wilson said. Fear for both resident safety, and fear for a longtime neighbor who was now in serious trouble.

"It ended the best way it could have possibly ended," Wilson said.

Forth-five-year-old Smith is from Kiana, and is best known outside his hometown as a lead character in the feature film "On the Ice." The film has garnered high acclaim since its release, opening a window into an Inupiaq community touched both by resilient family connections and violence. Smith portrayed a strong father figure, acting as moral compass as his son navigated the troubled waters of youth in an Arctic community.

Smith's own story followed a darker path these last weeks, beginning with an incident at his mother's house on Sept. 7. The exact events surrounding it are still unclear and under investigation, but several facts emerged from that evening.

Smith's mother, Dolly Smith, 74, a respected Kiana woman, passed away at her home. Alaska State Troopers marked the death as suspicious, but have yet to elaborate on what exactly that means.

According to Trooper reports, Teddy Smith was intoxicated and armed while at his mother's house, and when first responders arrived, fired a gun toward a group of people.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on assault and weapons misconduct charges, and the troopers initiated an investigation into Dolly Smith's passing.

Smith was not seen again until nearly two weeks later, when a run in with two brothers on a hunting trip upped his fugitive status to even more serious charges.

Hunting cabin nightmare

According to trooper reports, Charles and Paul Buckel arrived at a small cabin upriver from Kiana on Tuesday evening. They found another man already occupying the space, but the interaction did not turn troubling until an hour after the men had arrived.

The man, later identified by troopers as Teddy Smith, shot Charles Buckel in the chest, then ordered Paul to load the hunters' raft with their gear. Smith departed with the two men's transportation and hunting equipment, shooting Paul Buckel in the shoulder before he left.

The injured men were able to radio for help from a VHF in the cabin, and a message was relayed to the Kotzebue Police Department. Troopers responded at daylight to medevac both men for immediate medical attention.

Later that day, the Buckels' inflatable raft was spotted from the air, five miles downriver from the cabin. Troopers from Kotzebue convened in Kiana with members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team, and community members familiar with the area. They staged both air and water craft approximately 16 miles from Kiana, up the Squirrel River.

A final search

Kiana resident Lorry Schuerch thought that he might be able to help troopers locate Smith, he told Alaska Dispatch reporters. Schuerch himself is a former trooper. Now, at 68 years old, he works the winters at Red Dog. In the summers he runs a lodge and is a fishing guide. He knows the land, he knows his community and he felt obligated. And he wanted it to be over. Shortly, he was going to have to leave his family to go work at Red Dog for three weeks, and he didn't want a dangerous man with a gun in the community.

Too, he had been close to Smith's father, Don Smith when he was alive. He wanted to help bring Don's son in safely.

His wife packed two sandwiches: one with eggs and bacon, another with caribou, mayonnaise and onions, and sent him out the door.

The troopers told Schuerch that Smith was on the river paddling downstream toward Kiana. Schuerch knew the river made a wide left bend about 22 miles upstream from Kiana. "I suggested to the search commander that 'this is probably going to be a good place,'" to apprehend Smith.

He took the troopers to the spot and they waited. By the time Smith's raft floated past five hours later, they had the area surrounded and they told him so over a loudspeaker.

Smith immediately surrendered and paddled to the shore. "He was tired and hungry," Schuerch said. "He had been out there for 12 days. He's one tough hombre, but he looked like he was tired and worn out."

On the boat on the way to town, Smith mumbled incoherently. The only word he spoke clearly was when, as they were docking the boat, Schuerch asked Smith if he was hungry. Smith said, "Yes." Schuerch gave the sandwiches to a trooper to give to Smith when he was in his cell.

In addition to the charges incurred from the events in Kiana on Sept. 7, Smith is now charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder. He faces additional charges of second-degree theft, first-degree robbery and third-degree weapons misconduct. His bail was set at $500,000. His court arraignment was held in Kotzebue last week.

Troopers issued a "thank you" to the community of Kiana for its significant support in this dangerous situation, and its assistance in bringing Smith in safely.

"Not only were they certainly supportive of the troopers efforts to locate Mr. Smith during the week an a half that we were out there," Wilson said, "but also at the final event where we went to make contact with him we had some community members that helped with transporting the troopers on boats."

This ordeal and the one of Sept. 7 caused a great deal of concern for safety in the Kiana community. Lockdowns were issued by community organizations on both occasions. Wilson said the community pulled together in many ways throughout the ordeal.

"The community of Kiana really was supportive," Wilson said. "They were supportive of the troopers' effort to find Mr. Smith. They were supportive of each other to help relieve some of the stress created by this event."

Troopers had a post-crisis meeting with Kiana community members on Tuesday afternoon at the Kiana school.

Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at hheimbuch@reportalaska.com. Alaska Dispatch reporters Amanda Coyne and Suzanna Caldwell contributed to this story.

 

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