On Aug. 29, 1986, the case against John Kenneth Peel, who was charged with killing eight people and setting their boat on fire near Craig, came to a close — the jury was deadlocked. It was declared a mistrial and the jury was dismissed. The trial, which took place in Ketchikan over several months, was the longest and most expensive in Alaska’s history. It was set for retrial on Jan. 20, 1987.
In the political realm, Gov. Bill Sheffield had pledged to keep his work going in an interview with the Associated Press, despite losing the Democratic primary to Steve Cowper. He announced that he would be traveling to Juneau, ready to get back to work and continue to get things done. This statement proved true when the president of Alaska Pulp Co. announced he planned to come to Juneau from Japan to meet with Sheffield about the intense strike with Alaska mill workers in Sitka.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire freelancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
