(Anchorage, AK) – An Anchorage man was sentenced to serve 55 years in prison this week for killing an Anchorage Zoo groundskeeper and security guard in November 2018.

Clayton Andrew Charlie of Anchorage had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of Michael Greco. Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson sentenced Charlie to a total of 75 years in prison, with 20 of those years suspended.

On the evening of Nov. 4, 2018, Charlie stole his stepfather’s vehicle and drove it to the Anchorage Zoo, where he encountered Greco, who was filling in as the night watchman for another employee who had called in sick. An eyewitness reported to police that she saw two people in a physical altercation outside the zoo’s entrance. The eyewitness said one man was laying on the ground being punched repeatedly by the other man.

Greco’s body was discovered in the zoo parking lot the next day. He had suffered multiple stab wounds and had injuries consistent with being ran over by a vehicle.

Charlie stole Greco’s debit card and used it at multiple businesses to purchase food and gas. Anchorage Police Department homicide detectives obtained video footage from businesses where Charlie used Greco’s card and linked Charlie to the murder.

Charlie pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October 2019 and entered a plea agreement with a sentencing range of 35 to 55 years in prison.

At sentencing, the judge considered the statutory sentencing factors in the context of Charlie’s extensive history of mental health issues to include his time spent in treatment inside and outside of institutional settings, his past criminal history, the facts of the underlying crime, the victim’s impact statements, his ability to be rehabilitated, and arguments of counsel.

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Ronald Dupuis, Office of Special Prosecutions, (907) 269-6250.

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  Anchorage, clayton charlie, keeper, michael greco, murder, zoo