16-Year-Old, VPO Jailed in Connection with Mountain Village Teen Murder

A second person has been arrested in connection with the April 24th shooting death of 18-year-old Coy Bryan, this one a VPO in Mountain Village identified as John Hunter, age 22. Hunter was arrested on Thursday after investigators returned to the village. He has been charged with two counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence, Theft III, and Official Misconduct.

The investigation was opened on April 24th when troopers received a death report after a family member found Bryan deceased in his home. His remains were sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.

While in the southwest Alaska rural community, investigators interviewed several community members.

“Investigators and troopers from the Anchorage ABI Major Crimes and Technical Crimes units, Soldotna GIU, Fairbanks GIU, Palmer GIU, St. Mary’s AST Post, crime scene technicians from the State Crime Lab, and Village Police Officers in Mountain Village” assisted in the investigation, the trooper dispatch reported.

Following the completion of Bryan’s autopsy on April 27th, it was determined that his death was a homicide. Leads were developed that led investigators to 16-year-old Raymond Landlord. It is believed that Landlord shot and killed Bryan at Bryan’s residence in Mountain Village.

Following an interview on April 29th, Landlord was placed under arrest and transported to Bethel and remanded to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center on charges that included Murder I. Despite being a minor, Landlord was automatically waived into adult court. His bail was set at $750,000 and a court-approved third-party custodian.

Hunter was also remanded to YKCC with his bail set at $2,000.

The investigation is continuing.

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