Meghan Pugh, charged with murder in connection with a double homicide Monday in Anchorage, told investigators she brought a handgun to an early morning drug deal as "backup" because she had a bad feeling about the transaction, according to charging documents.
When the deal took a turn for the worse, gunfire was exchanged and two people -- including Pugh's new husband -- ended up dead.
Pugh, 31, was arraigned Tuesday in the Anchorage jail on three charges: second-degree murder, manslaughter, and third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance. Dressed in a yellow prison uniform, she remained silent during the brief hearing. She's the only person charged in connection with the shooting, although charging documents say she wasn't the only one who fired a weapon.
Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said Tuesday that Pugh and 33-year-old Robin Porter had only been married a week and it wasn't clear if Pugh had legally changed her name; a statement from APD Monday referred to Pugh as "Meghan (Pugh) Porter."
According to the charging documents, at 12:30 a.m. Monday, Anchorage police received several 911 calls about two cars ramming each other and shots being fired in the area of Tudor Road and Lois Drive, just west of Minnesota Drive. A short time later, Pugh arrived at Providence Hospital with her husband in a car similar to the one described to police in the 911 calls.
Robin Porter died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Pugh told responding officers that Jeramyha Talauega, 22, had contacted her husband to buy methamphetamine. Pugh and Porter drove to a Spenard convenience store where Porter had agreed to meet Talauega, according to charging documents.
Once they arrived, Pugh got into the back seat and Talauega sat in the passenger seat. Then Porter drove south down Minnesota Drive.
"While driving towards Tudor, it became apparent that Jeramyha Talauega did not have the 'buy money' to purchase the drugs," charging documents said.
When the couple learned Talauega didn't have the money, all three fired guns inside the vehicle, charging documents said. Pugh admitted to investigators that she fired at Talauega, then told Porter to stop the car and kick Talauega out, charging documents said.
"Despite being shot numerous times, Jeramyha Talauega got out of the vehicle and ran a short distance before collapsing to the ground, where he died of his injuries," charging documents said.
His body was found just west of Lois Drive. A bag of what appeared to be meth was found with him, charging documents said.
Soon after Talauega got out, a second car "associated with" Talauega began exchanging gunfire with Porter and Pugh, the charging documents said. Pugh eventually got into the driver's seat of her car and drove off, but the second car followed. She lost the second car before arriving at the hospital with her husband.
It wasn't clear from the charging document who fired the shot or shots that killed Porter, and the Anchorage Police Department said Monday they were searching for the occupants of the other car from Pugh's account, but weren't releasing any details about that car.