Robert Hansen: The Butcher Baker of Alaska
In 1924, Richard Connell’s short story The Most Dangerous Game introduced the idea of human beings being hunted for sport. The tale follows a Russian aristocrat who, bored of hunting animals, lures unsuspecting prey to his remote island to chase them down. The concept has fascinated audiences for nearly a century, inspiring books, films, and television series.
But for most, the story remained firmly within the realm of fiction.
Then came Robert Hansen.
Between 1973 and 1983, Hansen, a mild-mannered baker from Anchorage, Alaska, made this horrifying concept a reality. While he seemed like an upstanding citizen—a quiet businessman, a skilled hunter, and a family man—he was, in truth, a predator.
Hansen kidnapped women, flew them in his private plane to the remote Alaskan wilderness, and set them loose before tracking and killing them as if they were game. His depravity remained hidden for over a decade, and when his crimes were finally uncovered, authorities were shocked by the sheer scale of his brutality.
A Troubled Childhood: The Formation of a Killer
Robert Christian Hansen was born on 15 February 1939, in Estherville, Iowa. His father, a Danish immigrant, ran a bakery and imposed strict discipline on his son. From a young age, Hansen worked long hours in his father’s shop, receiving little affection or encouragement.
Hansen’s early years were defined by isolation and rejection. He suffered from severe acne that left deep scars on his face, and he had a debilitating stutter. His natural left-handedness was forcibly corrected, which only worsened his speech impediment. His social interactions were disastrous—his classmates mocked him, and the girls he admired rejected him outright.
Alienated from his peers, Hansen withdrew into solitude, finding solace in hunting. He became obsessed with stalking and killing animals, developing the skills that would later define his reign of terror.
Escalation: Early Crimes and a Move to Alaska
In 1957, at 18, Hansen enlisted in the United States Army Reserve, hoping for a fresh start. After a year, he became an assistant drill instructor in Pocahontas, Iowa, where he met and married his first wife.
But his resentment towards society had not diminished. In 1960, at 21, Hansen convinced a young employee at his father’s bakery to help him set fire to a school bus garage as revenge against the community that had shunned him. The accomplice confessed, and Hansen was arrested. His wife left him while he was in prison.
During his 20-month incarceration, Hansen was diagnosed with manic depression and periodic schizophrenic episodes. A psychiatrist noted his “infantile personality” and deep-seated need for revenge.
After his release, Hansen continued to struggle with the law, repeatedly jailed for petty theft. However, he remarried in 1963 and in 1967 moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in search of a new beginning.
In Alaska, Hansen seemed to thrive. He opened a successful bakery, had two children with his second wife, and was well-liked by his neighbours. He was known for his hunting prowess, setting local records in bowhunting. But beneath this respectable facade lurked a man who had begun acting on his darkest urges.
Hunting Humans: A Serial Killer’s M.O.
Hansen’s violent spree began in the early 1970s. He preyed on sex workers and exotic dancers, women he believed no one would miss.
His method was terrifying. He would pick up his victims, either by coercion or by hiring them under false pretences. He then transported them—often by his private bush plane—to the remote Alaskan wilderness, where he set them free before hunting them down with a rifle.
His reign of terror lasted over a decade.
For years, authorities had little evidence to connect the growing number of missing women to a single perpetrator. Anchorage, a transient city, saw many people come and go. But behind the scenes, bodies were being discovered in remote locations—often in shallow graves, sometimes with .223 shell casings nearby.
The Escape That Changed Everything
On 13 June 1983, 17-year-old Cindy Paulson managed to escape Hansen’s clutches, leading to his downfall.
Paulson had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Hansen, then chained by the neck in his house. He later attempted to load her onto his plane to transport her to his remote cabin. However, as he prepared for takeoff, Paulson saw an opportunity and ran, barefoot and handcuffed, onto Sixth Avenue, where she was rescued by a passing driver.
Paulson gave police a detailed description of her attacker, including his stutter and the model of his plane. Yet, despite the clear evidence against Hansen, he had an alibi provided by a friend and was initially released.
Meanwhile, Alaska State Troopers were becoming convinced that a serial killer was on the loose.
The discovery of several bodies in the Alaskan wilderness led to an FBI profile by John Douglas, a pioneer in criminal profiling (later depicted in Mindhunter). Douglas predicted that the killer would be:
• An experienced hunter
• Socially awkward, with low self-esteem
• Someone with a history of rejection by women
• A stutterer
Hansen fit the profile exactly.
Authorities secured a search warrant for Hansen’s property. What they found was horrifying.
The Kill Map: The Evidence That Sealed Robert Hansen's Fate
During the search, police found a hidden aviation map marked with 24 “X”s—suspected kill and burial sites. They also uncovered a stash of jewelry, souvenirs from his victims. A .223-caliber Ruger Mini-14 rifle—matching shell casings found at the crime scenes—was also recovered.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, Hansen confessed.
A List of Hansen’s Victims
Hansen confessed to killing 17 women, though authorities believe he may have murdered more than 20. Some victims remain unidentified, and five bodies have never been recovered.
Confirmed Murders
• Eklutna Annie (unidentified, 1980)
• Joanna Messina (1980)
• Sherry Morrow (1981)
• Paula Goulding (1983)
Other Known Victims
• Celia Beth Van Zanten (1971)
• Megan Siobhan Emerick (1973)
• Mary Kathleen Thill (1975)
• Sue Luna (1982)
• Tamera “Tami” Pederson (1982)
• Andrea “Fish” Altiery (1981)
• Teresa Watson (1983)
• Angela Feddern (1983)
• Malai Larsen (1981)
• Lisa Futrell (1980)
• Robin Pelkey (“Horseshoe Harriet”) (1983)
Justice: Hansen’s Sentencing and Death
In 1984, Robert Hansen was sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison without parole. He was incarcerated at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska.
Despite agreeing to help locate burial sites, five victims were never found.
On 21 August 2014, at age 75, Hansen died in the Anchorage Regional Hospital due to natural causes.
The Legacy of the Butcher Baker
The case of Robert Hansen remains one of the most chilling in American criminal history. His crimes demonstrated the dark potential of an embittered, rejected man who turned his skills as a hunter into a weapon against innocent women.
The case was later depicted in the 2013 film Frozen Ground, starring John Cusack as Hansen and Nicolas Cage as the investigator who helped bring him to justice.
To this day, some of Hansen’s victims remain unidentified, and the vast Alaskan wilderness still holds secrets of his unspeakable crimes.
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