Stacey Allen Graham, the Anchorage man accused of veering off the roadway and killing two teenagers, was arraigned Tuesday at the Anchorage Jail courtroom. The girls' families packed the small court, wearing pink-and-black ribbons pinned to their chests.
The 31-year-old Graham appeared in court with a bruised and battered face, his left eye nearly swollen shut. Two officers kept the defendant upright during the brief arraignment. Little new information resulted from the hearing, as the State of Alaska has not filed an affidavit supporting the charges against Graham.
Graham allegedly swerved onto a south Anchorage sidewalk, hitting and killing Brooke McPheters and Jordyn Durr, who were walking home from the Dimond Center Mall after shopping for back-to-school items. Preliminary tests indicate his blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit of .08 at the time of the crash, Anchorage police said.
The crash seriously injured Graham, and after responders removed the roof of his Toyota Tacoma, he was transported to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. Graham was arrested following his release from the hospital Monday night.
Judge Jennifer Henderson laid out Graham's charges: two counts of second-degree murder and driving under the influence. Graham faces 10 to 99 years for each of the murder charges, in addition to fines of up to $500,000. Graham's DUI is a misdemeanor charge -- he has no history of alcohol offenses, Prosecutor Aaron Peterson confirmed in court.
Graham, a sales representative for Puget Sound Pipe and Supply, told the judge he takes home $1,600 every two weeks, though sales commissions can add $300 to $4,000 to that. Graham was appointed a public defender pending an interview with court officials.
Bail had originally been set at $75,000. "In light of the extreme, serious nature of this crime, I will be asking for a higher bail," he said. Peterson requested the court increase the bail to $500,000, but Henderson decided to make it $100,000, a bail amount given in similar cases.
The victims' families filed out of the courtroom following the hearing. A family spokesperson said they did not want to speak publicly.
Conact Jerzy Shedlock at jerzy(at)alaskadispatch.com