A 24-year-old from Wasilla was arrested this week on charges related to the fatal shooting of his father on Christmas Eve, Alaska State Troopers say.
A Palmer grand jury last week indicted Mark Myers on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter.
Troopers responding to reports of shots fired during a disturbance Dec. 24 at a home on South Outrigger Drive near Wasilla found 51-year-old Julian Myers dead, according to a troopers dispatch.
Investigation revealed that Mark Myers shot his father after a verbal disturbance turned physical, troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain said in an email Thursday. The men lived together.
Mark Myers was arrested Wednesday at a residence in Wasilla after a warrant was issued Tuesday, troopers said.
He was jailed at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility, according to a public inmate database. His first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Asked about the time between the shooting and Myers’ indictment, troopers Sgt. Tony Wegrzyn said it takes time to gather evidence needed to make a final charging decision.
The troopers and prosecutors worked together “on a daily basis” to bring the case before a grand jury in Palmer, Wegrzyn wrote in an email. “Just because the case came in December and we made the arrest yesterday doesn’t mean we weren’t working on it between those two dates to firm up the investigation.”
Troopers and the Palmer District Attorney’s office kept the family as informed as possible throughout the process, he said.