Jury finds Anchorage man guilty of 2019 Wasilla murder case

PALMER, Alaska (KTUU) - A man was convicted last week by a jury in a murder trial stemming from a 2019 shooting in Wasilla.

An Alaska Department of Law release said Friday that a Palmer jury convicted 43-year-old Cooper Gordon on murder charges in the death of Wasilla resident Terry Spencer, following a two-week trial.

Investigators said that Spencer, 32 at the time of his death, was found dead on Oct. 19, 2019, by a hunter on an all-terrain vehicle trail with a single gunshot wound to his head. Investigators with the Alaska State Troopers arrived at the scene, a state recreation area near Nightfall Drive and Sunset Drive in Wasilla.

Troopers traced clues back to Gordon two days later and found Gordon with Spencer’s belongings, including firearms and his Jeep. Authorities arrested Gordon on Oct. 24, 2019.

Gordon was convicted on two counts of second-degree murder, second-degree theft, and third-degree misconduct involving weapons. The last charge was deliberated by a bench trial at Gordon’s request.

Gordon’s sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2024.

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