Crime & Courts

Woman found shot and in ditch to be taken off life support

A woman shot in the head by her ex-boyfriend and left on a Midtown street early Monday is set to be removed from life support Thursday, according to her father.

The woman, 30-year-old Kristen Reid, was declared brain dead Wednesday, said her father, Kenneth Malay. State prosecutors charged Reid's ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Bukurim Miftari, with attempted murder, kidnapping, assault and evidence tampering. Miftari will likely be facing a murder charge if Reid dies as expected, a prosecutor told her family.

"She's done," Malay said Wednesday just after hearing that his daughter, an organ donor, would only be kept alive for another 24 hours. "He did what he tried to do. There's no attempted about it."

Reid and Miftari had been dating for about nine months, Malay said. But Reid, a stay-at-home mother of four, recently broke off the relationship with Miftari, who comes from a wealthy family, Malay said.

According to the charges against Miftari, an officer discovered Reid lying in a ditch along Fairbanks Street near International Airport Road early Monday after a passer-by reported a blue Chevrolet Tahoe SUV parked in the middle of the street. Reid was naked, shot through her left temple, and paramedics rushed her to a hospital, according to the charges.

Reid's jeans were on one side of the street, her underwear and sweatshirt on the other, the charges say. Police found a loaded 9mm Silver Taurus handgun and keys to the Tahoe, registered to Miftari Auto, in some nearby bushes, the charges say.

According to the charges, a girlfriend of Reid soon called detectives. She told them about the breakup and said that Miftari tracked Reid down at the friend's apartment and kidnapped her at gunpoint.

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According to the charges:

It was about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when Reid first arrived at the friend's apartment to get ready for a night out. The friend could see that Miftari was trying to call Reid repeatedly on her cellphone. She wasn't answering.

Reid and the friend left the apartment and drove to the Great Alaskan Bush Company on International Airport Road, the charges say. Miftari was there with two others, and all five sat at the bar together, the friend told detectives. The friend, not identified in the charges, said she didn't notice any hostility between Miftari and Reid while they were at the strip club.

Reid and her friend left the club about 2 a.m. Monday and went back to the apartment. The friend noticed a dark-colored SUV with "nice wheels" passing by the apartment and thought the driver might be Miftari. A short time later, she heard a voice outside asking for "Kris," according to the charges.

Miftari was at the bottom of steps leading up to the front porch. The charges say he pulled out a silver pistol and "racked the slide," an action that loads a bullet into the gun's firing chamber.

Reid walked away with him, leaving behind her shoes and phone, the friend told detectives.

Police found the Tahoe, then Reid in the ditch, about 6:40 a.m. Monday.

That night, police located Miftari at a South Anchorage residence, but he jumped out a back window and ran, a police spokeswoman said. Using a helicopter and search dogs, police scoured the area but couldn't find Miftari. He surrendered late Tuesday.

About 30 of Reid's friends and family members -- including her three daughters and one son, ages 3 to 13 -- filled the small jailhouse courtroom for Miftari's first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. After reading Miftari's charges, a judge set his bail at $1 million cash.

Malay, Reid's father, said it was unfortunate that state law does not allow defendants like Miftari, whom Malay said had threatened Reid's children, to be held without bail. A prosecutor assured Malay and his group of supporters that they'd have a chance to ask a judge to increase Miftari's bail.

Malay said he set up an account -- "Kristen Malay Reid and Kids" at Wells Fargo -- to collect donations for his grandchildren.

Losing Reid meant "losing something very special that you can't replace," Malay said.

"She was loved by a lot of people. Took care of a lot of people," he said, both arms around Reid's daughters as they cried. "These people right here don't get a second chance. They don't get a second mom."

"For what he's done, he needs to pay."

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.

By CASEY GROVE

Anchorage Daily News

Casey Grove

Casey Grove is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He left the ADN in 2014.

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