Anchorage Daily News

More than a year after a 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in Whittier, investigators have filed charges against her mother's former boyfriend. Now he's nowhere to be found.

Alaska State Troopers have a warrant for the arrest of Shaka J. Levshakoff, 26, on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of his girlfriend's toddler, Anne Marie Nimmo.

She died June 24, 2007, after being taken to the Whittier clinic not breathing and with extensive bruising, according to an affidavit filed in court by trooper Mark Granda. Medics tried unsuccessfully to revive her for more than an hour.

The child had bruises across her face, head, stomach and thigh, the affidavit says. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was "homicide, due to multiple blunt force trauma injuries," court records say.

At the time, Levshakoff was the live-in boyfriend of Anne Marie's mother, Shaunteala Graham. He told investigators he was alone with the child at the Begich Towers apartment that day because Graham was at work, the affidavit says.

He said the injuries were the result of previous falls the child had taken and that he was putting ice on her swollen eyes when she stopped breathing. He then called Graham, who took the girl to the clinic.

Based on autopsy results and interviews with people who know the mother and child, including a baby sitter, investigators determined Anne Marie did not have the injuries before the morning she died, the affidavit says.

Assistant district attorney John Skidmore said he couldn't specifically discuss why the case has been more than a year in the making. He said, in general, that reviewing evidence and sometimes getting a second opinion can take time.

"Oftentimes we just have to process information," Skidmore said. "I don't think it's actually that unusual for cases to be charged some time later."

Whittier Police Chief Robert Haskell, who assisted in the investigation, referred questions to the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, which refused to release any further information.

"At this point, we're not releasing anything on it," troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

Levshakoff's arrest warrant, signed Thursday, describes him as black, 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and his last known residence was in Kenai, the warrant says.

"We don't know where he is," Skidmore said. "We have some ideas, but it's going to take us a little while to sort of follow up the leads that we already have."

According to court records, Levshakoff is a convicted felon who has been the subject of 19 criminal cases in Alaska. He has faced theft, forgery and criminal mischief charges and repeated domestic violence assault accusations.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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