5 shocking details about Genevieve Tetpon's murder

In March 2000, an Alaskan native and Anchorage mother-of-four, Genevieve Tetpon, went missing only to be found stabbed to death. Her body was dumped in a ditch inside a sleeping bag, leading investigators to believe that a serial killer may have been involved given the similar occurrences that were happening in the city around that time.

Years later, in 2011, DNA evidence and a bag of mails retrieved from the crime scene were used to locate the killer, Derrick Torian, who reportedly committed the murder when he was only 17. He pleaded guilty, received a prison sentence, and has been released from prison ever since.

Genevieve Tetpon's cold case is slated to feature on ID's A Time to Kill on Thursday, March 9, 2023, in an all-new episode titled Anchorage Cold Case.

The synopsis states:

"When the body of a single mother turns up in a snowbank outside Anchorage, Alaska, the evidence points to the victim's fugitive fiancé; the shocking murder of a second native Alaskan sparks investigators' fears that a serial killer is on the loose."

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Genevieve Tetpon's murder: 5 facts to know about the cold case that was solved after a decade

1) Tetpon's case initially started as a missing person case

Genevieve Tetpon went missing in March 2000 (image via Oxygen)

Genevieve Tetpon was 28 years old and a single mother of four at the time of her disappearance in March 2000. Reports state that she used to work at a local bakery and failed to return home after work one evening.

A few days later, on March 22, a motorist found her body inside a sleeping bag dumped in a ditch on Arctic Valley Road in Anchorage.

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2) She had sustained multiple stab wounds as well as defensive ones

According to reports, an autopsy revealed that 28-year-old Genevieve Tetpon was stabbed 30 times. Four deep knife wounds were found in her chest.

Moreover, there were multiple defensive wounds all over her body, which suggested a struggle between the victim and her attacker. Authorities believed that the individual was "able to overwhelm her."

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3) DNA evidence along with a trash bag consisting mails were collected from where Genevieve Tetpon's body was found

Detectives found DNA evidence from underneath Tetpon's fingernails while inspecting her body. Later, they were also able to extract DNA from the sleeping bag in which the body was dumped. At the time, however, the DNA evidence yielded no leads.

Reports stated that investigators also discovered a trash bag filled with dumped mail near the victim's body. The mails reportedly belonged to Amy Torian, an Anchorage School District employee. Her husband was a pastor and retired Air Force officer. The couple had two sons, 17-year-old Derrick Torian, a high school senior, and the elder son, who was in college at the time.

The Torians were ruled out as suspects when authorities failed to establish a connection between them and the victim. Following a few other pointless leads, the case went cold.

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4) The evidence was linked to Derrick Torian about a decade later

Amy Torian had initially told detectives that the mails ended up at the same location as Genevieve Tetpon's body, likely because a few months before the incident, their car was burglarized. She claimed that someone might have stolen the mails and tossed them in the garbage bag on the side of the road.

However, in 2009, Genevieve Tetpon's cold case was re-opened after Detective David Cordie discovered mail and credit card bills from March 2000 in that same pile. The Torians were then asked to submit their DNA samples for further examination. But Derrick Torian refused, which raised suspicions. His DNA was eventually found to be a match to the sample found under Tetpon's nails.

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5) Derrick Torian alleged that a second person may have been involved before pleading guilty

After his arrest in 2011, Derrick Torian told authorities that in March 2000, he worked at a pizza restaurant where he and his friend Louis de Jesus peddled cocaine. He claimed that Genevieve Tetpon walked into the pizza place after their closing hours and spotted them with drugs. Torian further added that De Jesus was the one who stabbed her and that he only assisted in disposing of the body.

In 2013, Torian pleaded guilty to manslaughter, receiving a 15-year prison sentence, but was released after serving only three years.