What Happened in Craig: Alaska's Worst Unsolved Mass Murder

by Leland E Hale

On a foggy afternoon in September of 1982 the Investor, a salmon fishing vessel, was engulfed in flames near the tiny village of Craig, Alaska. All efforts to stop the blaze were repulsed by the heat and fury of fire--until the blaze had run its course. Eight people, including a pregnant woman and two small children, were missing. On the charred wreck of the Investor, troopers hoped to find evidence that the fire was accidental, and that the crew and family were away from the scene. Instead, they found bullet-ridden bodies. The investigation of the case and arrest of a former crewmember of the Investor became a nationwide sensation, with headlines appearing in the New York Times and People Magazine. John Kenneth Peel, a Bellingham fisherman was the center of the investigation and eventual trials for murder and arson. Convoluted motivations, family secrets, a lawyer bent on protecting his client, family members of the victims seeking answers swirl into a story only one person can know--and he isn't telling. Leland Hale, author of Butcher, The True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer , meticulously researched the events of the Investor tragedy, and when alibis don't line up and witnesses doubt their own memory, Hale's narrative pulls the unraveling story together into a book that will keep your attention long after you turn the final page.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

228 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

its hard to make an octuple homicide acquittal featuring your grandpa as a main figure deadly boring but damn if this guy didn’t pull it off

[Kim Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting. I have sat on a jury. There was a very methodical and intelligent District Attorney and an unconventional defense attorney, so it was easy to picture the court proceedings. Thank goodness it wasn’t a months long trial deciding a horrendous murder like this.
It’s too bad this ends the way it does. 8 people were killed. Including 2 young children. And the murderer still walks free. Did John Peel do it? I think he did. But you’ll just have to read the book to decide for yourself.

[Jessica Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

My latest read, once again courtesy of my daughter's cruise to Canada. Interesting read. Much better writer than the last one. Basically an entire fishing boat (including all members of one family) is slaughtered and this story goes through the discovery, investigating, and trial. Alaska really is a wild, very different place with challenges most investigations don't have to consider.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This case was intriguing to read about but I felt it was confusing in some aspects. Recommended for those who enjoy reading about true crime cases.

[Mary Kamrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting review of a murder in Alaskan waters. Unfortunately, the murders were never solved, so there is no closure in the story.

[jj Grilliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy. Never solved

[Beth Stiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a good job of sharing the facts without leading the reader either way. This is a sad story told in an engaging way.

[VeeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know when the word “unsolved” shows up in the book title, you are never going to be satisfied. Still, I think the appeal of a true crime book, is trying to find/figure out something the investigators missed. I felt the book was much more about the trials and the legal process.