Anchorage police looking for man they say is connected to homicide deaths of woman and girl

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Anchorage police are looking for a man they consider armed and dangerous, and say he’s connected to a homicide case in which a woman and girl were found dead on Friday.

Police announced that 39-year-old Jalonni M. Blackshear, a former correctional officer until recently, is a person of interest in the case and is believed to have fled the state. The case which involves two victims who were found dead on April 15 in a home on Resurrection Drive near Race Circle, in the Scenic Foothills neighborhood of Anchorage.

The two victims, who police say are both related to Blackshear, were discovered as part of a welfare check into the residence just after 1 p.m. on Friday. They were a 35-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl.

Anchorage police initially described their deaths as suspicious, but on Tuesday upgraded it to a homicide investigation. Police have not released the names of the victims due to this being a domestic violence-related incident, but their family on Tuesday identified the homicide victims as 35-year-old Raechyl Blackshear and 14-year-old Jayla, her daughter.

Police say Jalonni Blackshear, a former worker with the Alaska Department of Corrections, is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The Alaska Department of Corrections confirmed that Blackshear was employed by the department from February 2018 until he “separated from state employment” on April 6, 2022.

Shannon Thompson, Raechyl Blackshear’s cousin, has spoken up about the devastation their family feels.

According to Thompson, family and coworkers had been concerned and asked police to go by the house to check on things. Raechyl Blackshear’s coworkers said the last time they saw her was April 1, Thompson said.

Mourning the death of one family member is enough heartbreak, but to lose two in one day, according to Thompson, doesn’t feel real. When she remembers Raechyl, who was a nurse, Thompson consistently circles back to the love she had for her daughter.

“She’s a health care professional, she’s smart, she’s a rock star mom and this is not just because she died, but in terms — and as the story develops, and things that she up prior to her death, it was all about her kids,” Thompson said. “And there’s just no way that we would’ve thought that we would lose a cousin.”

Since the news broke of her their deaths, Thompson said her inbox has been flooded with people wishing their condolences. Often times the first word she sees scrolling through her messages is the word “sorry.”

“And it’s double the amount of sorry’s because it’s Jaylas friends and associates and their parents, and then there’s Raechyl’s coworkers and friends and associates, and I never would’ve imagined going to a funeral for a double homicide,” Thompson said.

At just 14, Thompson said, Jayla had a long life to live.

“Beautiful spirit, beautiful soul,” Thompson said. “I can tell you of course as her family member how amazing she was, but I think that it’s easier to tell by the amount of parents that have inboxed us saying that their child went to school with them and how hurt, and how upset and how, you know, just traumatized their child is about the loss of Jayla.”

Police say any information related to the case can be submitted by either calling 907-786-8900 and pressing 0 or by going to the Anchorage Crime Stoppers website.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional details.

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