Michigan man charged after anonymous tip led to 1993 Alaska killing

Tipster’s call led police to remains after 32 years, troopers say

Christopher Popps, 54, of Battle Creek, Michigan, was taken into custody by Michigan State Police on July 16 near Kalamazoo after a Fairbanks grand jury indicted him June 25 on two counts of second-degree murder in the death of Patrick Dearth, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Dearth, 34, was reported missing to Fairbanks police in November 1993. His whereabouts remained unknown until January 2025, when an anonymous caller contacted authorities, took responsibility for Dearth’s disappearance, and disclosed where the victim’s remains could be located, state police said in a statement.

Investigators determined the caller was Popps, though authorities did not specify how they made the identification. In May 2025, troopers recovered what was later confirmed to be Dearth’s remains from a barrel at the bottom of a steep highway embankment, the location Popps had allegedly provided.

Alaska State Police spokesperson Austin McDaniel told Alaska Public Media that Popps and Dearth had been co-workers at an auto shop in Fairbanks. McDaniel said Popps allegedly shot Dearth to death during an altercation at their workplace.

McDaniel said Popps appeared to have provided multiple anonymous tips about Dearth and his own responsibility for the disappearance to law enforcement agencies in the state. The motivation behind Popps’ decision to call remained unclear, McDaniel told Alaska Public Media.

The spokesperson also said investigators delayed about four months before searching for Dearth’s remains because the area was covered in snow at the time of the January 2025 tip. Daylight in interior Alaska is also scarce during that period, McDaniel said, according to Alaska Public Media.

Popps was listed as a Battle Creek resident in court records at the time of the indictment. Michigan State Police arrested him on July 16 and booked him into the Kalamazoo County jail, where he remained held without bond Monday, officials said. His transfer to Alaska custody is pending.

Under Alaska law, Popps could receive a sentence of 10 to 99 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Alaska State Troopers said they have notified Dearth’s family of the arrest.

Attempts to reach Dearth’s survivors on Monday were unsuccessful. Information about an attorney representing Popps was not immediately available.