Wasilla man Charged with Attempted Murder in Cemetery Assault on Woman

Alaska State Troopers revealed that a Wasilla man is being held on $100,000 bail following a preliminary investigation that was carried out on Sunday that resulted in charges that include Attempted Murder II.

Troopers were alerted to an incident on South Old Glenn Highway at 2:15 am by a resident there that a woman was on their porch ringing their doorbell and “screaming that someone was trying to kill her.”

AST immediately responded to the location and contacted the “distraught and injured” woman who was still on the porch. Troopers noted that she had difficulty speaking. But, she explained to the investigators that she had been at the cemetery on the Old Glenn Highway with 29-year-old Matthew Bendt of Wasilla. 

At the cemetery, the woman told troopers, Bendt took out a  knife and attacked her. She revealed that she managed to fight off the attack by Bendt and was not injured, but the suspect then punched her in the face causing injury.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adversal-468×60″]

Bendt continued to assault the  victim, troopers say that “Bendt strangled her to the point where she lost consciousness.” Following the choking attack, Bendt took the vehicle that the victim was driving and took off leaving the victim in the cemetery.

Further investigation into Bendt would find that he had been charged for a previous domestic violence assault against the victim.

Troopers went to the District Attorney’s office with the case that resulted in charges of Attempted Murder II, Assault I, and Vehicle Theft I being leveled at Bendt.

Bendt was taken into custody on Sunday and transported to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and remanded with his bail set at $100,000.

See also  ‘Alaska’s Changing Environment’ — a new report