EPISODE · Aug 18, 2026 · 1H 2M
#58- Sophie Sergie: A Cold Case Cracked
from The Spooky Darlings · host Jeannette, Emily, Hayley
The tragic 1993 murder of 20-year-old Alaskan native Sophie Sergie went unsolved for over 25 years, until advances in forensic genealogy led investigators to a former UAF student named Steven H. Downs—who had been living thousands of miles away. We’re covering Sophie’s final hours, the evidence left behind, the path to identifying a suspect, Downs’ arrest more than 25 years later, and the 2022 trial that finally attempted to answer the question Sophie’s family had been asking for decades: Who killed Sophie Sergie?Sources: Podcast: Dark Downeast Sophie Sergie part 1 and 2Podcast: DNA ID Sophie Sergie part 1 and 2https://law.alaska.gov/press/releases/2022/092722-Downs.htmlhttps://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/04/24/man-found-guilty-1993-murder-uaf-appeals-conviction-over-dna-privacy/?outputType=amphttps://fm.kuac.org/sophie-sergie-murder-casehttps://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-04-22/appeals-court-hears-dna-privacy-arguments-in-uaf-cold-case-murder-convictionhttps://alaskapublic.org/news/2022-02-04/alternative-suspect-says-he-had-nothing-to-do-with-murder-of-sophie-sergiehttps://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/new-details-emerge-from-cold-case-suspects-past/97-5992380e-afad-4fd3-9b52-863ce2ede123https://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-04-22/appeals-court-hears-dna-privacy-arguments-in-uaf-cold-case-murder-convictionhttps://www.nacdl.org/getattachment/029c3335-803f-4131-a6e6-75838e44ae2c/downs-v-state-of-alaska-brief.pdfhttps://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-04-22/appeals-court-hears-dna-privacy-arguments-in-uaf-cold-case-murder-convictionhttps://www.wsoctv.com/news/trending/man-convicted-brutal-1993-rape-murder-woman-university-alaska-dorm-shower-room/FGH55NX4RZBKPNCG37NRCU4JXE/?outputType=ampArticle “Death in Bartlett Hall” By Michael Kernhttps://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/cold-case-review-finds-new-lead-1993-slaying/2009/04/26/](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/cold-case-review-finds-new-lead-1993-slaying/2009/04/26/)https://medium.com/@robinbarefield76/murder-in-a-college-dorm-806c6170496bhttps://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/new-details-emerge-from-cold-case-suspects-past/97-5992380e-afad-4fd3-9b52-863ce2ede123https://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-04-22/appeals-court-hears-dna-privacy-arguments-in-uaf-cold-case-murder-convictionhttps://www.nacdl.org/getattachment/029c3335-803f-4131-a6e6-75838e44ae2c/downs-v-state-of-alaska-brief.pdfhttps://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-04-22/appeals-court-hears-dna-privacy-arguments-in-uaf-cold-case-murder-convictionMessage us!Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at [email protected] us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more!Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/
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The tragic 1993 murder of 20-year-old Alaskan native Sophie Sergie went unsolved for over 25 years, until advances in forensic genealogy led investigators to a former UAF student named Steven H. Downs—who had been living thousands of miles away. We’re covering Sophie’s final hours, the evidence left behind, the path to identifying a suspect, Downs’ arrest more than 25 years later, and the 2022 trial that finally attempted to answer the question Sophie’s family had been asking for deca...
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#58- Sophie Sergie: A Cold Case Cracked
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