Man kills apartment manager after learning lease wasn’t renewed, Alaska officials say
A man accused of fatally shooting an apartment manager after a lease non-renewal notice was posted on his door was convicted of murder and other charges in Alaska, prosecutors said.
A jury found Jesse Lee Jones, 28, guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, third-degree assault and tampering with physical evidence, the Alaska Department of Law said in a news release on Feb. 13.
McClatchy News reached out to Jones’ attorney Feb. 14 and was awaiting a response.
Jones was living with his girlfriend at the Alpine Apartments in Anchorage when Josiah Goecker, the community director, placed a lease non-renewal notice on the door, prosecutors said.
“Jones armed himself and went to the leasing office where he shot Goecker at least six times,” prosecutors said. “Another employee was present and witnessed the event, and was placed in fear that she might also have been killed by the defendant.”
Jones fled but was arrested in Palmer, about a 45-mile drive northeast from Anchorage, three days after the Oct. 23, 2023, shooting, according to prosecutors.
Jones admitted to killing Goecker, arguing during trial that he was defending himself and that “he acted in the ‘heat of passion,’” prosecutors said.
However, “the jury rejected both of those defenses,” prosecutors said.
In an online obituary, the 34-year-old Goecker was described as a kind and wise man who had the “ability to create community everywhere he lived.”
He was”military brat” who’d spent time in Alaska as a teen and returned in 2017, according to the obituary, which said he died trying to protect his colleague.
“His selfless act of heroism surprised no one who knew him,” the obituary said.
At the time of his death, Goecker’s wife was pregnant with a girl – Goecker’s second daughter.
An “ultimate girl dad,” Goecker was beloved “for his steadiness, his kindness, and his courage. All who mourn his passing take solace in knowing his legacy is one of love to family, friends, and community,” the obituary said.
Jones is set to be sentenced in July and faces up to 99 years in prison for the highest charge, first-degree murder, according to prosecutors.
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