Anchorage Police Witnessed Public Sexual Assault, Case Took Seven Years to Trial
A sexual assault case in Anchorage took over seven years to reach trial, raising concerns about delays in the justice system.
Anchorage, Alaska, Sexual Assault, Justice Delays, Court System
Anchorage: It’s been a long road for a sexual assault case that started back in 2017. The police saw the whole thing happen in broad daylight at a park. A witness even called 911 while it was going down. The suspect was caught right there, with DNA evidence backing up the claims. But here’s the kicker: it took over seven years for the case to finally go to trial.
Can you believe that? The accused, Fred Tom Hurley III, had his trial delayed 50 times! Most of those delays were requested by his lawyers. It’s like the court system was stuck in slow motion. Sadly, the two women he assaulted never got to see justice served; they both passed away before the trial even happened.
Former prosecutor Melba Pearson called it a “travesty of justice.” And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. This isn’t just a one-off situation either. A recent investigation found that many misdemeanor cases in Anchorage were tossed out because prosecutors couldn’t keep up with speedy trial deadlines.
But when it comes to serious crimes like felonies, victims often face years of waiting. The National Center for State Courts says most felony cases should wrap up in under a year, but in Alaska, it’s not uncommon for them to drag on for five, seven, or even ten years. That’s just wild!
Alaska has strict rules about how long cases can take, but those rules are often ignored. In a recent year, only seven criminal cases made it to trial within the 120-day limit. The wait times for serious cases have nearly tripled in the last decade. It’s frustrating for everyone involved, especially for victims who just want closure.
Rebecca Koford, a spokesperson for the courts, said they’re aware of the backlog and are trying to fix it. But with so few attorneys available to handle complex cases, it’s a tough situation. Some defense lawyers are juggling hundreds of cases at once, which doesn’t help anyone.
During the trial for Hurley, one of the key witnesses was Eva Foxglove, who called 911 during the assault. She felt compelled to testify for the women who couldn’t. The whole thing started just after Hurley got out of jail for another sexual assault charge. He met the two women at a soup kitchen, and things escalated quickly.
Foxglove saw Hurley on top of one of the women and immediately called for help. The police arrived just in time to catch him in the act. DNA evidence confirmed his involvement, but the case just kept getting delayed.
After all those years, the trial finally happened, and the jury found Hurley guilty on five out of six charges. It’s a bittersweet victory, though, because the women who suffered never got to see justice served in their lifetimes. It’s a stark reminder of how broken the system can be.