Jennifer Kirk Part 1

In the small town of Kotzebue, Alaska, police responded to a call at the mayor’s property and found 25-year-old Jennifer Kirk dead, a rifle beside her and a bullet wound under her chin. Within days, her death was ruled a suicide.

But many in the community saw something different: a history of domestic violence involving all three of the mayor’s sons, unanswered questions at the scene, and an investigation closed almost as soon as it began. Today’s episode examines a powerful family, a rushed case, and a community still searching for the truth.

Please be aware that today’s episode contains descriptions of domestic violence and brief references to sexual assault. Please take care while listening.

“A photograph of Jennifer Kirk posted to her Facebook page on Feb. 20, 2018.”

“The home of Clement Richards Sr., former Northwest Arctic Borough mayor and former Kotzebue city mayor, on Third Avenue in Kotzebue, photographed on Sept. 6. (Emily Mesner / ADN).”

Anthony Richards Jr.

“Clement Richard Sr. is pictured while campaigning to become the mayor of Kotzebue, Alaska.”

Mayor Clement Richards Sr. and his wife Annette Richards.”

Superior Court Judge Paul Roetman.

“Grace Norton holds a photo of her niece, Ashley Johnson-Barr, who was murdered in Kotzebue in 2018. Kotzebue residents walked along Shore Avenue and scattered rose petals in remembrance of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People on May 7. (Marc Lester / ADN).”

Ashley Johnson-Barr.

A full transcript of this episode is available here.

Action Items Related to Today’s Episode:

I want us to sit with something that’s easy to turn into numbers but hard to hold as truth. The violence Jennifer Kirk lived through didn’t appear out of nowhere, and it didn’t end with her. A study from the National Institute of Justice found that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience violence in their lifetime. More than half of all Native people have experienced intimate partner violence. And two in three have faced psychological aggression from a partner.

Statistics like that can start to blur if we let them. But behind every one is someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, someone who deserved safety and compassion.

That’s why I want to point you toward the StrongHearts Native Helpline. It’s a 24/7, culturally grounded resource created for Native American and Alaska Native survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Advocates understand the histories, the communities, the realities that shape Indigenous people’s lives. And they show up with safety planning, support, education, and connections to local resources — without judgment.

If you or someone you love needs support, you can call or text 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483), or chat online at strongheartshelpline.org. And if you’re in a place to help sustain this work, their website also has resources to learn more and ways to donate.

Audio Used:

ADN Politics podcast: Two deaths in Kotzebue.

KTUU: Police say they won’t reopen death investigation of woman found on former mayor’s property

YouTube: Sue Sue Norton Public Info Request March 2025. Uploaded by @AlaskaStateTroopersOfficial.

Sources Used:

DocumentCloud: Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention List of Factors in DV Staged Crime Scenes.

ProPublica: One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged. By Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News.

ADN Politics podcast: Two deaths in Kotzebue.

Alaska.org. Exploring the Remote Town of Kotzebue, Alaska. By Carl Johnson

DocumentCloud: Jennifer Kirk Death Investigation – Kotzebue Police Department.

DocumentCloud: 2KB-89-00168CR Clement Richards Sr. DV (1).

Alaska Rules of Court – Code of Judicial Conduct.