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Investigators established that Branch lived in Sitka at the time of Jessica’s murder. Most of her clothing and belongings were found in the immediate area, as well.Nine days after Jessica was discovered deceased, a man confessed to her sexual assault and murder. Jessica was found dead less than two hours later; it was May 6th. She just turned 17 the day before and was visiting with a friend and her sister at her sister’s residence, when she decided to walk home alone, which was about a mile away. In September of 2018, the CCIU and Sitka PD discussed utilizing a new forensic DNA procedure called Genetic Genealogy. SITKA, Alaska (KTVF) - Tuesday August 11th, Alaska State Troopers and the Sitka Police Department announce the closure of the Jessica Baggen cold case. Investigators left the residence to apply for a search warrant, as well as interview other witnesses who also lived in Arkansas. In den frühen Jahren des Territoriums übernahmen verschiedene Organisationen, darunter die Im Gegensatz zu fast allen anderen US-amerikanischen Bundesstaaten besitzt Alaska keine Die AST verfügt über verschiedene Abteilungen mit zum Teil spezialisierten Aufgaben:Neben dem regulär angestellten Polizeipersonal unterhält die AST das Village Public Safety Officer Program (VPSO), zu deutsch also ein Programm für Verantwortliche für öffentliche Sicherheit innerhalb von Die Ausbildung neuer Rekruten (16 Wochen Alaska Law Enforcement Training, 2 Wochen Trooper Basic Course)Das Grundgehalt eines State Troopers liegt je nach Qualifikation zwischen ca. It's a challenging time in our nation right now, but the hard work of our Alaska State Troopers is appreciated by our citizens and by our Governor. Jessica was left discarded and hastily buried in a hollowed-out area beneath the trunk of a large fallen tree, approximately 70 feet off the bike path which paralleled Sawmill Creek Road. In January 2020, the CCIU reached out to the Arkansas State Police (ASP) and requested assistance. On August 3, 2020, investigators made a preliminary contact with Branch at his residence to question him and obtain a DNA sample in order to positively confirm he was the source of the suspect DNA. This case was mine,” said now-retired Lt. Dave Tugmon. The suspect DNA was submitted to Parabon Nanolabs a few weeks later.In February 2019, a SNP-DNA profile was developed and uploaded into public genealogy databases. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state agency charged with providing functions … The Alaska State Troopers' eight core missions in meeting these responsibilities are: Maintain public peace and order. I am very grateful to have played a small role in this investigation and to bring closure to Jessica’s family and the community of Sitka.”The Alaska State Troopers and the Sitka Police Department would also like to thank the Arkansas State Police, Company A, Criminal Investigation Division; the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; the FBI Little Rock, AR Field Office; the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in Virginia; and, personnel in the forensic biology section of the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, for their assistance with the investigation.“While nothing will ease the pain or bring Jessica back, I am humbled and proud of the work that many law enforcement professionals did over the years to bring closure to her family and friends. Steve Branch, 66 of Austin, Arkansas, the suspect of the sexual assault and murder of Jessica Baggen, killed himself on August 3, 2020, after denying to investigators that he had any knowledge of the crime and refusing to provide a DNA sample for comparison to the DNA collected on scene 24 years ago. He was indicted and arrested for the incident in June of 1996, but he was subsequently acquitted after a trial in 1997.Branch moved from Sitka to Arkansas in 2010 and took up permanent residency. “Each cold case represents a victim and a family that is grieving while awaiting justice. Kinship DNA analysis completed in May of 2020, determined that Steve Branch was most likely the source of the suspect DNA found on Jessica’s clothing and body.In early August, investigators from the Alaska Bureau of Investigation (ABI) traveled to Arkansas.

What ultimately solved this case was the tireless efforts of two genealogists, one with Parabon and the other with the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Criminal Intelligence Analyst Patty Busby, who finally pointed the investigators in the right direction,” said Inv.
However, approximately a half hour after the investigators departed, Branch shot himself. The CCIU also learned that in March of 1996, Sitka PD investigated Branch for sexually assaulting another teenaged woman. Branch denied any involvement in the homicide case and refused to voluntarily provide a DNA sample. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the state agency charged with providing functions relative to the protection of life, property, and wildlife resources.
By the end of the year, after months of genealogical research, a new suspect emerged: Steve Branch. The Alaska State Troopers consists of five regional detachments controlling 43 State Trooper Posts. Enforce traffic laws and regulations and investigate violations of those laws and regulations.

Die Leitung obliegt einem zivilen Kommissar (Commissioner), welcher in der Regel aber langjährige Berufserfahrung und ehemalige Führungsverantwortung in diesem Bereich besitzt. They never forgot about Jessica or the people that loved her,” said Commissioner Amanda Price, Department of Public Safety. For weeks, ASP unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a discarded DNA sample from Branch.