(Anchorage, AK) – Thursday, Superior Court Judge Jack McKenna sentenced Ruben Fernandez, 50, to serve 20 years for one conviction of Murder in the Second Degree for the 1995 murder of 18-year-old David Burdette in Anchorage.

Mr. Fernandez pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 6, 2024 as part of a plea agreement with the State. On May 20, 1995, Mr. Fernandez shot Mr. Burdette in the back of the head as Mr. Burdette was walking away from a verbal argument. After Mr. Burdette fell to the ground, Mr. Fernandez shot him again in the chest. Mr. Fernandez continued to shoot out the window of a vehicle as he fled the scene. The shooting took place in an area referred to as “The Strip,” which was a popular outdoor hangout near Northern Lights and C Street in the 1990s. Mr. Fernandez was indicted on one count of Murder in the First Degree on Aug. 11, 1995 by former Anchorage Assistant District Attorney James Fayette.

After the shooting, Mr. Fernandez, a United States citizen, fled to the Dominican Republic, where he lived illegally under aliases for nearly 30 years. In 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service located Mr. Fernandez, and with the cooperation of the Anchorage Police Department, Mr. Fernandez was extradited to the United States to face the charges.

The case was initially investigated by Anchorage Police Department Detective Joseph Hoffbeck. Anchorage Police Department Officer John Daily worked on the initial investigation in 1995 and conducted additional investigation in 2022, including traveling to return Mr. Fernandez to Alaska after his arrest. Between 1995 and 2022, Detective Dave Cordie and other APD officers worked to locate Mr. Fernandez, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service.

In his sentencing remarks Judge McKenna prioritized the seriousness and circumstances of the crime, the harm to the victim, his family, and the community, and the rehabilitative potential of the defendant.

Following Mr. Fernandez’s arrest, the case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Erin McCarthy of the Office of Special Prosecutions.

The Department of Law thanks the Anchorage Police Department, the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, the U.S. Marshals Service, INTERPOL, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and dedication throughout the life of this case.

  Anchorage, burdette, fernandez, murder, sentencing