Utah man arrested, charged with murder in case of Homer woman missing since 2019

Content Warning: This article contains information that some readers might find disturbing. Specific details have been omitted

HOMER, Alaska (KTUU) - Homer police report that a man has been arrested and charged in connection to the disappearance of Anesha “Duffy” Murnane in October 2019.

In a statement Monday, the Homer Police Department said 32-year-old Kirby Foleni Calderwood of Ogden, Utah, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence.

Murnane, 38 years old at the time of her disappearance, went missing Oct. 17, 2019, triggering a massive search effort that lasted months. A grand jury later determined her to have died by homicide following testimony in June 2021.

Murnane was last seen at 12:15 p.m. that day on security cameras at the assisted living facility where she lived. Murnane left for a medical appointment that she would never arrive to.

Calderwood, who lived in Homer from 2016 to at least 2021, had been reported to Homer police, and was made a person of interest in the case on May 20, 2021, according to an affidavit filed in the case. When he was interviewed on May 25, 2021 he told Investigator Matt Haney, hired by the Homer Police Department in early 2020 to investigate the case, that he knew Murnane from working at her residence, Main Tree Housing, for a few months in 2018.

Homer Police received more than 100 tips about Murnane’s disappearance, but a specific tip came in to the Kenai Crime Stopper’s TIPS line April 14, 2022 that named Calderwood, and included specific details.

Calderwood was arrested on Thursday, May 5, 2022 after search warrants were served to him during a traffic stop in Utah.

According to Haney’s affidavit in the case, two women who had been romantically involved with Calderwood in the past had reported sexual violence, including rape, by Calderwood to the U.S. Army. One of the women told Haney that Calderwood disclosed to her an addiction to pornography and that he had intentionally harmed animals since childhood. Other women made similar claims of sexual violence and disturbing behavior.

“Calderwood has an extensive history of abusive violent sexual behavior towards women and fantasized about torturing and killing someone,” Haney wrote in the affidavit.

The affidavit details that Calderwood had access to a home in Homer that he knew was unoccupied, and that the anonymous tipster said Calderwood admitted to the crime and had prepared the crawl space of the home to torture and kill a victim.

The affidavit states that Calderwood told the tipster he was driving around looking for a victim when he picked Murnane up in his 2010 blue Subaru and brought her to the home, where he told Murnane he had to go inside to get a phone charger and that she could come into the house, which she did.

The tipster said Calderwood admitted to torturing and killing Murnane, throwing her cell phone in a lake, concealing her body and disposing of it in a dumpster.

The affidavit says that when the caller to the Kenai Crime Stoppers provided the tip, they reported that “Calderwood kept Murnane’s wristwatch, that would light up when a button on the side was pushed, and that it may have been a Timex. Photos of Murnane show a small black watch.”

When Calderwood’s home in Utah was searched for evidence, “a small ladies Timex watch with a black band was found in Calderwood’s clothes dresser drawer,” the affidavit states. “This exactly matches the watch the Kenai Crime Stopper’s TIPS caller had described and Murnane’s mother and stepfather had described. Additionally, a missing persons’ flyer was found next to the same dresser.”

In a sworn affidavit signed by officer Ryan Long with the Ogden (Utah) Police Department, Calderwood was stopped by detectives involved with the case on Thursday, after more than 10 search warrants were served in connection to the case.

Upon stopping him, police detectives discovered a hard, black plastic case in the back of the car containing a “black powder rifle” and a .22-caliber Marlin rifle. As the subject of an active protective order from December 2021, Calderwood was prohibited from possessing firearms.

In another search of Calderwood’s home, a machete and other large knives that appeared to “have dried blood on them” were found. The affidavit said that in the protective order, the petitioner indicated that Calderwood “raped her on numerous occasions and is known to carry weapons.”

In their statement on Facebook, Homer police credited “hundreds of tips” and “numerous people” that contributed to tracking down and finding Calderwood.

“We would like to thank everyone who cooperated in this investigation,” the post read. “There were dozens of folks that helped out with initial searches. Many others called in with tips and information and stood by ready to assist us.

“We would also like to thank the FBI and the Ogden Utah Police Department for all of the help they have provided. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Duffy’s family and all who are touched by this horrible event.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, resources are available on the Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) website or by calling the statewide crisis hotline at 1-800-478-8999.

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

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