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The Butcher, Baker, and Nightmare Maker of Alaska: The Chilling Case of Robert Hansen Part One of Two



The Butcher, Baker, and Nightmare Maker of Alaska: The Chilling Case of Robert Hansen Part One of Two

For over a decade, the frozen wilderness of Alaska served as the haunting backdrop to one of the most sinister crime sprees in modern history. Robert Hansen, infamously dubbed the "Butcher Baker," lived a double life as a mild-mannered baker and a sadistic predator. Between 1971 and 1983, Hansen raped 30 and murdered at least 17 women, forever etching his name in the annals of true crime infamy.

The Early Years of a Predator

Born in Estherville, Iowa, in 1939, Hansen endured a turbulent childhood marked by severe acne and a debilitating stutter. These insecurities led to social isolation, breeding resentment toward women who, he claimed, ridiculed and rejected him. As a young adult, he found solace in two things: hunting and his deepening fantasies of dominance and revenge.

From Baker to Monster

Hansen moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in the late 1960s, where he established himself as a successful baker and a family man. Beneath the façade, however, lurked a methodical killer. Hansen would frequent Anchorage’s red-light district, luring sex workers and exotic dancers with promises of money or gifts. Once they were in his control, he subjected them to unspeakable acts of violence.

The Hunting Ground

Hansen’s modus operandi was as chilling as it was unique. After abducting his victims, he would fly them in his private plane to remote locations in the Alaskan wilderness. There, he would set them loose, only to hunt them down like animals. Armed with a rifle and a twisted sense of superiority, Hansen turned the vast, snow-covered terrain into his personal killing field.

The Victims

Though Hansen’s confirmed victims numbered 17, authorities believe the true toll may be much higher. These women were often marginalized individuals—runaways, sex workers, and dancers—whose disappearances were tragically overlooked by society. Their bodies, some found years later, bore the horrifying evidence of Hansen’s sadistic games.

The Fall of the Butcher Baker

Hansen’s reign of terror came to an end in 1983, thanks to the courage of Cindy Paulson, an 18-year-old sex worker who managed to escape his clutches. Paulson’s harrowing account of her abduction and assault gave investigators the breakthrough they needed. A search of Hansen’s home revealed an arsenal of weapons, as well as a hidden map marked with the burial sites of his victims.

Justice Served

In a dramatic courtroom revelation, Hansen confessed to the murders to avoid the death penalty. He was convicted of four murders but admitted to 17, and was sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison without the possibility of parole. He died in prison in 2014 at the age of 75.

Legacy and Lessons

The case of Robert Hansen serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk beneath seemingly ordinary lives. His crimes shocked the nation and highlighted systemic issues, including the vulnerability of marginalized women and the challenges law enforcement faced in tracking transient populations.

The story of the Butcher Baker continues to captivate true crime enthusiasts, serving as a chilling exploration of how the frozen isolation of Alaska became the perfect cover for a cold-blooded killer.


Sources used for information and photographs for this podcast:

The Department of Psychology at Radford University. Retrieved from https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/psyc%20405/serial%20killers/hansen,%20robert%20-%20fall,%202005.pdf

Leland Hale.com. Retrieved from https://lelandhale.com/

Find a Grave: Celia Beth Van Zanten. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119381709/celia_beth-van_zanten

Find a Grave: Lisa Futrell. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119382656/lisa-futrell

Find a Grave: Sherry D. Morrow. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14596619/sherry_d-morrow

Find a Grave: Delynne Renee Frey. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23951727/delynne_renee-frey

Find a Grave: Paula Goulding. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126157839/paula-goulding

Find a Grave: Malai Larsen. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132639933/malai-larsen

Find a Grave: Angela Lynn Feddern. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119383407/angela_lynn-feddern

Find a Grave: Tamara Joy Pederson. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26778974/tamara_joy-pederson

Wikipedia: Robert Hansen. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hansen

The Charley Project: Andrea Mona Altiery. Retrieved from https://charleyproject.org/case/andrea-mona-altiery

The Charley Project: Megan Siobhan Emerick. Retrieved from https://charleyproject.org/case/megan-siobhan-emerick

The Charley Project: Mary Kathleen Thill. Retrieved from https://charleyproject.org/case/mary-kathleen-thill

The Charley Project: Roxane Easland. Retrieved from https://charleyproject.org/case/roxane-easland

Find a Grave: Sue Luna. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119383182/sue-luna

All That’s Interesting. Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/robert-hansen

A&E First Blood. Retrieved from https://www.aetv.com/shows/first-blood

The Big Book of Serial Killers. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Serial-Killers/dp/1548119644/

Butcher Baker: The True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Butcher-Baker-Account-Alaskan-Serial/dp/1504049489/

Video, Television and Movies

Movies:

Walt Disney Pictures. (1996). D3: The Mighty Ducks [Film]. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Searchlight Pictures, Paramount Pictures, MTV Entertainment Studios, & United International Pictures. (2004). Napoleon Dynamite [Film].

Columbia Pictures, & Sony Pictures Releasing. (1995). Sense and Sensibility [Film].

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Universal Pictures, & Gramercy Pictures. (1996). Fargo [Film].

Warner Bros., & Touchstone Pictures. (1988). Who Framed Roger Rabbit [Film].

Television Episodes:

20th Television. (1991). The Simpsons: What Animated Women Want (Season 2, Episode 17) [TV series episode]. In M. Groening (Creator), The Simpsons. Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved from https://www.fox.com/the-simpsons/

Touchstone Television. (2016). This Is Us: Pilgrim Rick (Season 1, Episode 8) [TV series episode]. NBCUniversal Television. Retrieved from https://www.nbc.com/this-is-us

ABC. (1973). The Brady Bunch: You’re Never Too Old (Season 4, Episode 21) [TV series episode].

Netflix. (2015). Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Windbreaker City (Season 2, Episode 15) [TV series episode].

HBO. (1999). The Sopranos: Kaisha (Season 6, Episode 12) [TV series episode].


DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

All information contained in this video presentation is provided for entertainment purposes only. The authors leave any and all conclusions to individual members of the audience. The author offers no statements of fact beyond those available through diligent private research or through information freely available in the public record. To the extent that pending or settled criminal matters or crime or possible crimes, are discussed in this video presentation. All parties or defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. To the extent that any pending or settle civil matters are discussed in this video presentation, all parties or defendants are presumed not liable unless proven liable in a court of law. Copyright for material incorporated and presented under Fair Use is retained by the original author or copyright holder where applicable. Our cases are researched using open source and archive materials, and the subjects are real crimes and people. We strive to produce each episode with respect to the victims, their families and loved ones. At Hitched 2 Homicide we are committed to always discussing how victims lived, and not just how they died. All podcast information is gleaned from sources given. All opinions in the podcast are solely of Hitched 2 Homicide and are for entertainment purposes only.

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