There’s an old saying… Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart… It is, of course, an inverted version of a more popular saying, which puts “smart” in the lead position. We won’t quibble here… Except to point out that two months after Muriel’s murder, authorities got the biggest break in the case so far. It seemed to come from an unexpected place. Not Anchorage. Not Fairbanks – where another vehicle explosion had caught the eye of investigators – but Seattle. Nearly 1500 air miles to the southwest of Anchorage.
On November 19, 1976, the Seattle Times broke a frontpage story under the subhead “Travel agent killed.” The headline read: “Suspect quizzed in bombing.” This was the first break worth writing about. It brought with it a sense of cautious optimism. The details were tantalizing.
As the Seattle Times story noted:
A Marine Corps fugitive, arrested here last week for suspicion of burglary, is being questioned by Alaska authorities in connection with the fatal car bombing of an Anchorage travel agent September 30, The Times has learned.
The marine, 18… has said he was paid $5,000 to plant a bomb which killed Muriel Pfeil, 41, the owner of Anchorage’s Professional Travel Services, according to King County police sources.
At the time of the bombing, Alaska authorities told The Times, the murder could have been part of a nation-wide effort by organized crime to gain control of travel agencies. The agency is one of Alaska’s most successful.
The marine, arrested by Seattle police Saturday… is being held without bail in the county jail.
