A Circle man is facing a first-degree murder charge for allegedly shooting a man to death with a borrowed shotgun. 66-year-old Walter John is accused of shooting and killing Raymond Nathaniel on Friday, according to charging documents.
Alaska State Troopers received a report of a homicide in Circle around 8 p.m. that night, the documents say. According to Troopers, the caller said John had told him he’d shot Nathaniel.
Troopers say they got a search warrant and responded to John’s home in Circle, a small village at the end of the Steese Highway in Interior Alaska, where they found Nathaniel’s body.
John told investigators that Nathaniel had entered his home while he was sleeping, according to charging documents, and that Nathaniel was his friend but that they fought often.
John said he armed himself with a shotgun he’d borrowed from his brother and told Nathaniel to leave, but that Nathaniel refused, according to charging documents. Troopers say John told investigators that he then pointed the gun at Nathaniel, who began to approach with closed fists before John shot him.
Troopers also say John appeared intoxicated in the interview and said he’d had alcohol during the day.
The charging documents say evidence at the scene and investigators’ interview with a witness contradicted the idea that the shooting was in self defense. The documents say the witness account suggested the shooting wasn’t justified, and that an intact cigarette butt in Nathaniel’s hand indicated he likely hadn’t balled up his fists.
John was arraigned Saturday, and his bail is set at $1 million, according to court records.