Fairbanks Police and other law enforcement agencies have announced the arrests of three people in connection with the shooting death of John Kavairlook in Fairbanks on May 17.
Police are not giving details on the suspected roles each of the arrested individuals played in the homicide, which took place outside of the Rock ‘n Rodeo Bar in Fairbanks. But only one of the three men is charged with first degree murder.
He is Joel Roland Joseph – a 26-year-old former resident of Anchorage, who was arrested on Tuesday in Texas. According to a press release from the Fairbanks Police Department, authorities believe that Joseph left Alaska and relocated to Texas immediately after the death of Kavairlook.
Two other men were arrested on charges of hindering prosecution, including Joel Joseph’s older brother David. Another former Anchorage resident, Demarius William Hinson, was arrested in Florida yesterday (Wednesday) on charges of hindering prosecution. According to police, Hinson fled the country after the incident and only returned to the United States a month ago.
Fairbanks Police Detective Peyton Merideth says more arrests are expected in conjunction with the Kavairlook shooting.
“The fact that we’ve made a couple of arrests was going to be made public anyway, and there was no reason not to let the public know that, ‘Hey, we’re still working on this. It’s been a long road to get where we are.’ The case is currently under investigation. So yes, we expect further arrests to be made.”
Merideth especially calls upon residents of Anchorage to assist with the ongoing investigation.
Kavairlook was at the Rock ‘n Rodeo Bar with his wife Shalene. He and another man were ejected from the bar for fighting, and the altercation continued in the parking lot, where one of the suspects shot Kavairlook multiple times.
Kavairlook was originally from Koyuk, and graduated from high school in Galena. He was working as a plumber in the Fairbanks area at the time of his death.
