Manley Hot Springs is a town of less than 100 that lies at the end of the Elliott Highway, along the Tanana River. It is most famous for the gorgeous hot springs that bubble up from the ground into spacious tubs in a greenhouse. But, the other reason the name rings out is the terrible murder of many of the residents in a killing spree in the 1980s. This horrible day lives on in the minds of those who were around at the time and those who choose to live there now.
Manley Hot Springs lies deep into the interior of Alaska, 150 miles west of Fairbanks. It is a small community of people tucked into the dense forest who crave solitude and a peaceful life in the wilderness.
Known for the glorious hot spring tubs located in an elegant greenhouse, this village has been a thriving, albeit tiny, community since 1902. Many "End-of-the-Road" types show up in the summers, but usually vanish with the snow.
At the time of the incident, a man named Michael Silka had recently moved to town. Villagers had just met him, although he stated he intended to stake a claim and settle in Manley Hot Springs.
The Troopers were already investigating Michael Silka in connection with the disappearance of Roger Culp, Silka's former neighbor who had gone missing a few weeks before in Fairbanks.
They sent in two police helicopters and a special emergency response team to hunt for the suspect.
On the afternoon of May 19, the helicopters found Silka in a boat stolen from one of the victims. He was way up a tributary of the Tanana called the Zitziana River. He was a military trained expert marksman and the shootout was savage.
The Alaska State Trooper who went head-to-head with Silka was Troy L. Duncan of Fairbanks. The team brought Silka down and Officer Duncan took out the perpetrator, but didn’t survive the attack.
The other victims were Fred Burke, a homesteader, Albert Hagen Jr., a young man home to visit his parents, Lyman & Joyce Klein, who was four
months pregnant, and their 2-year-old son Marshall Klein, Joseph McVey, a disabled Vietnam veteran, and Dale Medaeski, a carpenter.
The victims bodies were never found in the heavily silted, swift river. This terrible tragedy will live on in the minds of all Alaskans and the people who lost their lives will always be remembered.
