Hunt Begins For Alaskan Photographer's Killer

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John Pezzenti, Jr. was an eccentric, wildlife photographer who was found dead in his home on Dec. 3, 2007.

The remote wilderness, rugged coastline and menagerie of wildlife make Alaska a destination for people who want to get away from it all. In the Anchorage community of Hillside, trees are abundant, roads aren’t paved, and houses are built of scrap metal and lumber.

Often, plumbing is optional.

In December 2007, Anchorage police detective Pam Perrenoud drove up to a two-story shack in Hillside after getting a call that there was a dead man in the unfinished home.

Perrenoud went inside, and the home was so cluttered, she couldn’t tell if there were signs of a struggle. In the corner, 55-year-old John Pezzenti, Jr. lay murdered, dead of a gunshot to the head.

Nothing in the home appeared to be stolen; from the beginning, Perrenoud knew she had her work cut out for her. The pressure was especially on to find Pezzenti’s killer, because he was something of a legend in some circles.

An Artist's Love Letter To Alaska

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Some of murder victim John Pezzenti's photography hung in the Oval Office.

Alaska’s quiet and bold beauty lured Pezzenti to this part of the world from his native Connecticut. The mission: to capture and preserve the very essence of Alaska’s soul, the wildlife, and to make other people aware of it through his photography.

In his pursuit for the perfect photo, he’d lay in wait for a grizzly to wander by or an eagle to soar above. He succeeded. In addition to his three notable books, “The American Eagle”, “Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness” and “Shooting Bears: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer”, Pezzenti gave standing-room only lectures at the Smithsonian and had works published in prestigious photo journals.

When Ronald Reagan was in the Oval Office, the president had Pezzenti’s eagle portraits hanging near his desk.

At the time of his murder, Pezzenti was preparing to shoot his next Alaskan odyssey. In the book, he planned to photograph the native people of Alaska.

Who Killed John Pezzenti?

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Cops say John Pezzenti's supply of prescription drugs or his outstanding debts to numerous people may have been factors in his murder.

After interviewing those closest to John, Det. Perrenoud believes the victim had unwittingly kept his enemies closer than he thought.

"This is a real whodunit, and I’m stumped about the exact 'who' is, but I am pretty convinced whoever done it is someone he knew well," she said.

Perrenoud discovered the meager life Pezzenti led as an artist had brought with it a pile of personal debts.

Friends and business partners had loaned him money they would never see again. Laborers who had worked for John were enraged when John couldn’t pay their wages.

"Everyone who knew John is a suspect," Perrenoud said, "and we can use all the help we can get on this one."

Police are trying to ascertain a motive in John's killing, and one such motive is drug-related. Prior to his death, John had a prescription for oxycontin for his chronic arthritis. 

A single pill goes for $50 on the street, and cops say John may have been murdered for his stash of prescription drugs.

If you have any information about the murder of John Pezzenti, Jr., please call our hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV.