Today we’re diving into Alaska’s most recent murder that shook the community of Palmer, Alaska. We’re going to look at the story of David Grunwald’s murder at the hands of his “friends.”
David Grunwald was raised in Palmer, Alaska
Palmer, Alaska is home to David Grunwald, who in 2016 was 16. David was born in January 2000 to Benjamin and Edith Grunwald on Elmendorf Air Force Base. He had one brother and one sister. David was in 11th grade at Matsu Career and Tech High School. He just moved to that school from another school. He loved engineering and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents, by joining the military and eventually becoming a pilot. His family was pretty involved with a local church.
Moreover, David was outgoing, helpful and friendly. He was well liked and was dating Victoria. This takes us right to the fateful day of November 13, 2016. The story begins at David’s house, where he was hanging out with Victoria. At 6:00 p.m., David told his parents, he was going to take Victoria back home. It would be 10 minutes and he would be right back home.
David Grunwald never made it back home
He told his mom he loved her and closed the door. A door he would never enter again. Not long after David dropped Victoria off, he rang his parents telling them he was going to pop in on a friend and would be home soon. He was just staying long enough.
He had a 9 p.m. curfew and never arrived home. With no word or sign of him and no contact with him, his parents began to worry. It wasn’t really like David to be gone this long. His parents called Victoria who told them that David dropped her off safe and sound. They then called the friend he said he was going to see, who said David was never there. Where he went to after he dropped off Victoria was limited, but also very not limited. His parents then drove around town, looking for him.
The next day, the Grunwald’s reported him missing to the police. His description and his car were released to the public, in the hopes of finding him. It was the very next day, that something was found. Moreover, On November 14, 2016, David’s Ford Bronco was found, but was burnt to shit and left off the road, about 20 miles from Victoria’s house.
Police eventually found David’s body
As the temperatures continued to plummet, searches continued as they looked for any trace of David in the woods and around businesses near Palmer. When the car was found burned, people began to think something bad had happened. Sadly, on December 3, police provided a new update and confirmed that human remains had been found and that it was David. He was frozen in the snow, 20 minutes from Palmer. It appeared that David had been beaten and shot in the head. That same day, police announced that arrests had been made.
16-year-old Erick Almandinger was charged as an adult with first degree murder and kidnapping. Eric was the one who Edith called and said “he (david) never showed up.” While these searches were trying to find David, the Alaska State Troopers were putting together what David had actually been doing the night of November 13th.
The police spoke to David’s dad Benjamin who said that perhaps David had gone to Anchorage with his friend Eric. “Maybe he had driven Eric to Anchorage,” that.
Moreover, Police searched the area between Palmer and Anchorage. The next day, David’s Bronco was found and so police were fairly adamant to speak with Eric. They tried for a couple of days, but seemed like he was dodging them. Then on the 16th of November, they were eventually successful. Eric told them he had no idea what happened to David and he hadn’t seen him in weeks.
Police quickly zeroed on Eric
Eric’s answers to the police were extremely vague and led police to get a warrant and seized his table and tracked his location on the table and discovered that he was near where David’s Bronco was found burnt. On that night, David Grunwald went to Eric’s house. David, Eric and another teen Dominic Johnson were hanging out in a 1971 camper van behind Eric’s house. The three were smoking marijuana. It all started after David smoked just all the weed. Eric and Dominic beat the hell out of David and pistol-whipped him for quite some time. They then forced him into his own Bronco and drove toward a remote area. The group walked David as he pled for his life into the woods and executed him. They then got back into the Bronco, drove it and set it on fire.
Moreover, the group got a taxi back into town to Eric’s to clean up the trailer using bleach and burning a carpet. They then went and slept at a friend’s house. Eric eventually confessed and named his co-cosnspirators. I should mention, none of this was planned; it was over like the stupidest thing ever. Eric’s story also kept changing, one time it was Dominic who pulled the trigger, the other time it was him who pulled the trigger. Perhaps it was somebody else who pulled the trigger. It was all over the place and frankly, disgusting Eric never showed remorse or any guilt over what happened.
Dominic broke and led police to the scene
Moreover, it was actually Dominic who led the police to David’s body and police searched the trailer and found it too be pretty grisly. So after the arrest of Eric Erick Almandinger and the discovery of David’s body four more teenagers would be arrested. They were all friends with David and were involved in the local drug scene. They all pled not guilty to the charges. As Christmas came along, more charges would be rolled out. It wasn’t just David, Eric and Dominic in the trailer.
Police believe 4 were involved in the murder
It seemed that Austin and Bradley were there too. There was four of them involved in the murder from start to finish. Devon’s charges were from knowing of the murder and not telling the police and helping cover it up. It seems like he wasn’t really complicit in the murder. In September 2017, a judge agreed to have Erick Almandinger stand trial alone. Austin, Dominic and Bradley would be tried together. This would later be changed and they would all be tried separately. Erick Almandinger was up first in November 2016.
Erick Almandinger’s crimes occurred after David Grumwald was killed. Prosecutors claimed that they as a group made unanimous decisions to do all these things. In the end, Erick Almandinger was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, kidnapping, vehicle theft arson and evidence tampering. Dominic was found guilty on all counts. Bradley was too chicken to stop what was happening, so he went along with it.
Three of the suspects still awaiting sentencing
Moreover, Bradley claims that David came into the garage and introduced himself he knew Eric from school but didn’t know the others. They all started smoking together and the others were drinking. David wasn’t because he was driving. When David went to use the bathroom, Eric brought out a backpack to Dominic, who grabbed it and blocked the bathroom door with his foot, tapping David inside.
They then let him out after several minutes and started beating him. Moreover, Eric then came back into the trailer to see David curled up on the bathroom floor and bloody. They then dragged him into his car Grunwald. David going in and out of consciousness asked to be dropped at home. Someone said he wasn’t going home that night. Still to this day, no one really knows who pulled the trigger. Some say Eric, others say Dominic.
Moreover, Erick Almandinger, Dominic Johnson and Bradley Renfroe have still yet to be sentenced for the murder that took place five years ago. Austin was the only one who pled guilty. He was sentenced to 64 years with 20 suspended and parole after 15. You can be assured that Eric, Dominic and Bradley will get a shit load more than that. There you have it, that is the sad story of the murder of David Grunwald.
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