Last updated at 8:22 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9
Four additional teenagers were charged Friday in the killing of 16-year-old Palmer teen David Grunwald.
According to online court records, Dominic Johnson, 16, Devin Peterson, 18, and Austin Barrett, 19, and Bradley Renfro, 16, face multiple charges in connection with Grunwald’s kidnapping and murder.
Johnson is charged with first-degree murder, felony kidnapping, three counts of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Peterson faces three counts of tampering with physical evidence and one count of hindering prosecution, all felony charges. Barrett faces a single first-degree murder charge, three second-degree murder charges, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. Renfro has been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and kidnapping.
Few additional details were immediately available Friday, as courts are closed for the weekend. But an Alaska State Trooper dispatch posted Friday night said the teens were connected to Grunwald’s murder.
Grunwald was first reported missing to authorities on Nov. 13. His Ford Bronco was discovered burned the next day on an off-road trail near Wasilla. His body was found one week ago.
An initial complaint filed against Almandinger Dec. 3 shed light on the roles Peterson and juveniles, identified in the documents as D.J. and A.B., played in Grunwald’s death. The document was made before these additional charges were filed Friday.
According to the document, investigators spoke with Peterson on Dec. 2. In the interview, Peterson told investigators that Almandinger, and another juvenile, had shown up in a Bronco, matching the description of Grunwald’s vehicle, on Nov. 13.
“He said Almandinger confessed to him that he had killed (Grunwald) and was seeking advice,” the document said. “Peterson said that he told them they were stupid and sent them away because he didn’t want trouble.”
Also, on Dec. 2, police interviewed D.J. The 16-year-old spoke with an attorney and then gave them the location of where Grunwald was killed, the complaint explains. The same day, law enforcement located the teen’s remains, near a 9 mm shell casing.
Almandinger was interviewed by investigators the day Grunwald’s body was found. He initially claimed he didn’t know anything about Grunwald’s murder. Then he blamed D.J, the complaint states. Almandinger also told detectives D.J. drove Grunwald’s vehicle and pulled the trigger on the gun, killing Grunwald.
Almandinger later changed his story and said someone identified as A.B. pulled the trigger, the document said. Almandinger did admit to being there at the time of the slaying.
According to Alaska State Troopers, all of the teens have been taken into custody.
Related
Court documents detail disappearance, slaying of Palmer teen
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
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