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In 2003, a 19-year-old woman from Alaska, Sonya Ivanoff, disappeared one night while returning home. The last time she was seen alive was when a police car approached her in the dark of the night, and she climbed aboard. Two days later, Sonya was found dead outside the city limits.
A subsequent investigation into her disappearance and eventual murder revealed shocking details about the Nome Police Department and the events that transpired on the night of Ivanoff's disappearance.
Moreover, an autopsy revealed that she was shot in the back of the head at close range. One of the police officers on duty that night, Matthew Owens, became the prime suspect based on witness statements and indirect evidence.
Former Nome Police Department officer, Owens, was convicted in connection with Sonya Ivanoff's murder and sentenced to 101 years in prison.
Five quick facts to know about Sonya Ivanoff's 2003 disappearance and murder
1) Sonya Ivanoff's roommate filed a missing person report
She was visiting the town with her roommate and a few friends on the evening of August 10, 2003, but she didn't come home for the next two days, which worried her roommate.
On August 12, Ivanoff's roommate, Timayre Towarak, reported her missing, stating that they had been out with friends the previous night when the 19-year-old departed for home at approximately one in the morning. Towarak claimed that Sonya appeared to be a little under the weather that night.
2) Ivanoff's belongings were found burned in a fire pit
Following Sonya Ivanoff's murder, it was claimed that Matthew Owens drove to Coffee Creek, located about 75 miles from Nome, and set the victim's belongings on fire.
Sonya's roommate Timayre confirmed that the grommets from a pair of Tilt jeans, the eyelets from a pair of Skechers shoes, the underwire and other metal bits from a bra, four keys on a ring, and zippers, all belonged to Sonya.
3) She was shot fatally in the back of the head
When Sonya Ivanoff was reported missing, authorities started investigating her disappearance and found that all her belongings were still in the home she shared with her roommate. A rescue team was put in place, and a volunteer, Jon Larson, discovered her naked dead body at around 8.30 pm on August 12, 2003.
The body was found in a gravel pit hidden in a bush about five feet from the side of Dredge Road 5, an isolated road located three to five minutes outside the Nome City limits. She was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was reportedly stripped of all clothing except a sock on her left foot. An autopsy revealed that she was shot at close range with a .22 weapon.
4) Sonya's wallet and ID were found in officer Matthew Owens' possession
Reports state that Matthew Owens' landlord and friend at the time, Charlotte Calandrelli, claimed to have seen Ivanoff's ID card and wallet in Owens' living area. Owens later clarified that the items were evidence in connection with the case, which he intended to turn in for further inspection.
5) The Sonya Ivanoff Bill was signed into law years after the incident
Sonya Ivanoff's case brought out several other narratives of multiple s*xual assault allegations and years of injustice that women faced in the hands of officers like Matthew Owens serving in the city's law enforcement. The Sonya Ivanoff Bill was implemented into law in 2007, about two years after Owens' conviction. According to the bill, if a cop kills someone while on duty, they will be subjected to a first-degree murder punishment.
Sonya Ivanoff's murder case airs on NBC Dateline this Friday at 9 pm ET.
