Anchorage Daily News

A Wasilla man described by acquaintances as "psycho," "crazy" and "not a happy guy at all" shot and killed himself Sunday, ending a 23-hour standoff with Alaska State Troopers that began after the man allegedly killed a former neighbor.

Fred Heilman Jr., 63, walked out of his house on East Porcupine Trail around 5 p.m. Sunday and shot himself as troopers looked on. He died shortly after reaching a hospital, trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

Heilman is believed to have shot and killed a former neighbor the previous night. Michael L. Zagars, 49, was dead outside Heilman's home when troopers arrived at 5:36 p.m. Saturday to investigate reports of gunfire in the neighborhood.

Galen Rupe, a friend of the Zagars family, said Heilman repeatedly threatened to kill Zagars and at least one other neighbor.

"This guy is crazy," Rupe said. "He lives in this house, the windows are all covered over and there's security cameras outside.

"He had told Mike a few days ago, 'Your days are numbered. I'm gonna get you.' "

Bob Mann, who lives next door to Heilman, said that besides the blacked-out windows and surveillance cameras, Heilman was often armed.

"He carries a Glock under each arm," Mann said. "He carries those guns, and he's threatened Mike with those guns before.

"He's a psycho-manic depressive."

Heilman's behavior toward Zagars was so threatening, Rupe said, that Zagars' new wife was afraid to live in the neighborhood. So Zagars built a new house about a mile away and the couple had already moved into it.

"He didn't even live in the house anymore," Rupe said. "Mike went over there (Saturday) to do a last bit of painting on the old house before selling it. It appears (Heilman) was waiting for him."

Troopers offered few details on Saturday's shooting, but Mann and Rupe both said they believe Heilman shot Zagars while he was still inside his truck. They think Zagars got out of the truck and died while trying to seek help.

When troopers arrived, the truck was in a ditch and Zagars' body was in Heilman's yard.

Troopers are calling Heilman a suspect in Zagars' murder, because their investigation is ongoing. They believe he had access to multiple weapons during the standoff, Peters said.

Mann and Rupe both called Zagars a great guy who was left to raise two young sons -- Michael Jr., who just finished his freshman year at the University of Montana, and Antone, who just graduated from Colony High -- after their mother died in 2001.

Zagars and his new wife married last week in Las Vegas, Mann said. He was a self-employed carpenter and handyman, Rupe said.

Heilman and Zagars once were fishing buddies, Mann said, but at some point things turned sour.

Heilman had issues with Zagars' dog, Mann said, and often took pictures of the animal while it was in the back of Zagars' truck. Then he'd take the photos to animal control to prove that Zagars wasn't properly restraining the animal, Mann said.

"Animals don't run loose around here anymore because of him," Mann said. "He shot at Mike's dog a couple of years ago."

According to an online database, both Zagars and another East Porcupine Trail neighbor, Dennis Hubbard, filed for restraining orders against Heilman in April of last year, claiming Heilman was stalking them. The same database shows that Heilman filed for a restraining order two months later, but the online records don't name the subject of the complaint.

Heilman worked briefly -- for about one day -- at Halfrack Liquors, which is near the neighborhood.

"He was not a happy guy at all," manager Brenda Denton said. "I guess he finally snapped."

Denton said Heilman often videotaped and tape-recorded people. "If kids come a hair on his grass, he was mad," she said.

She described Zagars as a regular customer at the mini-mart. "A great guy," she said.

The standoff emptied the neighborhood near Wasilla-Fishhook Road for much of the night Saturday and much of the day Sunday.

Peters said a number of neighbors voluntarily left Saturday night as the standoff wore on, but Mann said he was told to leave. He and his wife spent the night at the Grand View Inn, and on Sunday morning his wife was allowed into the house briefly to feed an animal and get a few belongings.

Rupe said he spent part of Saturday night with Zagars' family. Michael Jr., just returned from college, and Antone just graduated from high school. Both boys were multi-sport athletes at Colony High School.

"It took them forever to get over losing their mother," Rupe said, "and now they've lost their father."

Find Beth Bragg online at adn.com/contact/bbragg. Daily News reporter T.C. Mitchell contributed to this story.

ADVERTISEMENT