Crime & Justice

Graffiti threats painted on pipeline had 'death list' of troopers' names

A man faces charges filed Thursday that he spray-painted terroristic threats on the trans-Alaska pipeline in the Glennallen area that included satanic symbols and a "death list" of Alaska State Troopers.

The troopers' arrest of Ryan Vukson, 29, stem from the discovery early Wednesday by a Tazlina man living off a pipeline-access road near Mile 110 of the Richardson Highway that his two pickups were spray-painted -- one with the word "Satan" on the tailgate using an inverted T, the other with "Satan snitch" scrawled on the hood -- according to Trooper Darrel Christensen's affidavit filed with the charges against Vukson. The man also had a confrontational note from Vukson that used the upside-down cross symbol.

The inverted T "is one of the most popular Satanist signals," Christensen's affidavit says.

'Vulgar pictures and death-threat statements'

Later that morning, Doyon Security called to report that a guard found graffiti on the pipeline near the man's house, the charges say.

Christensen wrote in the charges that he drove to the end of the access road and found black, white and silver spray paint on the stop signs on the road and the word "Satan" painted in black on a rock near a gate beside the pipeline.

"The Alaska pipeline had six sections of pipe with vulgar pictures and various death-threat statements painted with black-and-white spray paint," Christensen wrote.

Following the words "death list" were the names of five Glennallen troopers, including Christensen. Other writing said "car bomb," "pig die" and "your Satan" -- again with the inverted T -- as well as "other vile statements about Trooper Jon Simeon's wife," Christensen's affidavit says.

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Court records show Simeon's wife filed for a protective order against Vukson on Thursday.

What led Christensen to Vukson was a black plastic lid from a spray-paint can the trooper found near the graffiti, under the pipeline. The lid had a price tag -- $5.99 -- and a sticker with two numbers on it. Christensen went to the Tazlina Trading Post and saw the same stickers on the remaining cans of Krylon spray paint.

The cans had not been restocked, Christensen wrote, and it appeared as if one had been removed recently. A store clerk said Vukson bought a can the day before.

Later that night, three troopers went to a home back near the pipeline access road after learning Vuckson was staying there. The man Vukson was apparently staying with, William Buck, told the troopers Vukson's hands had been covered in paint the night before.

"When asked why he had spray paint on his hands, Vukson told him, 'I was out doing something stupid, and the cops might be stopping by tomorrow.'"

Contact Casey Grove at casey(at)alaskadispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter @kcgrove

Casey Grove

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

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