Court indicts Darius Morgan on murder charges related to October fatal shooting at party near Fairbanks
Alaska State Troopers have redoubled their efforts to locate a North Pole man charged with murder. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of a teenager at a party near Fairbanks last month.
Meanwhile, a court has issued an arrest for the warrant of Darius Morgan, and set bail at a million dollars.
Troopers have been looking for Morgan ever since witnesses said they saw him carrying a gun during an Oct. 25 party at a residence off Farmers Loop Road. But so far they’ve been unable to locate the 18-year-old, who was indicted last week on charges of first- and second-degree murder and two weapons-related offenses.
Sergeant Jeremy Rupe says Troopers have widened their search to include areas as far away as Anchorage.
“Basically,” he said, “we’ve gotten some tips and some other information that people think they may have seen him in various places, or they have ideas of where he might be.”
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Morgan during a Nov. 14 proceeding. And it upped his bail from a hundred-thousand to a million dollars. Superior Court Judge Brent Bennett is presiding over the case.
Rupe says the bail reflects both the serious nature of the crimes he’s charged with. And because it appears he’s trying to evade law enforcement.
“It’s a high-priority crime, right? It’s an unclassified felony,” he said, “and we’ve had somebody who fled. You know, they didn’t turn themselves in, they didn’t seek out law enforcement.”
Investigators also asking anyone who knows anything about Morgan’s whereabouts to contact Troopers. Rupe says those found to have helped him elude capture may themselves face criminal charges.
“If anybody’s hiding him, or hoping to hide him, there’s a high probability that they’re likely going to be charged.”
Troopers say anyone with information about Morgan can contact the Fairbanks office (907) 451-5100. Or they can submit anonymous tips with the AKTips smartphone app or go online at dps.alaska.gov/tips.
