Troopers seek help in Hooper Bay woman’s homicide after body found north of Willow

An Alaska State Trooper cruiser parked on Nome’s Front Street in January 2015.
An Alaska State Trooper cruiser. (Matthew Smith/KNOM)

A Hooper Bay woman whose body was found along the Parks Highway north of Willow is the victim of homicide, according to Alaska State Troopers, who are looking for help to find her killer.

Arnoldine Simone Hill, a Hooper Bay woman that Alaska State Troopers say is the victim of homicide, and whose body was found Jan. 9 north of Willow. (Alaska State Troopers)

Troopers said in a written statement Tuesday that Arnoldine Simone Hill, 26, was last known to be alive in Midtown Anchorage on Dec. 10 and might have been in Anchorage, Wasilla or Willow prior to her death.

Investigators believe she was dead for a few days before someone left her body near Mile 81 of the Parks Highway. That occurred sometime between the evening hours of Jan. 8 and the afternoon of Jan. 9, when troopers said someone reported finding Hill’s body.

Department of Public Safety Communications Director Megan Peters said troopers are now looking for information about any suspicious activity on the highway around Mile 81 or information about where Hill traveled or with whom she interacted after Dec. 10.

“We want people to know that we care,” Peters said. “We want people to know that we are prioritizing this death.”

Troopers are getting help from federal authorities, though Peters noted that was not unusual.

Troopers are not yet saying how or where they believe Hill was killed.

“Whenever we have homicide investigations, we try and keep information close to us so we don’t inadvertently harm the investigation,” Peters said. “But we are certainly looking for any information that people can share with us, just in case it’s something that we haven’t already chased down, or it could help confirm something that we think we know.”

Hill is described as 4-foot-11 and about 150 pounds, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a distinct mole below her right lip.

Troopers ask anyone with information about Hill’s death to call 907-352-5401.

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Casey here

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