Michigan man charged after anonymous confession cracks 1993 cold case
An anonymous tip helped investigators locate the remains of a man missing since 1993, leading to the arrest of a Michigan suspect
A decades-old missing person case has been solved after an anonymous tip led investigators to human remains in Alaska, resulting in the arrest of a Michigan man now charged with murder.
According to the Alaska State Troopers (AST), Christopher Popps, 54, was arrested in Michigan after authorities identified him as the person who allegedly submitted anonymous tips confessing to the 1993 killing of Patrick Orville Dearth.
Investigators said the first tip was received on January 22, 2025, prompting the Alaska Bureau of Investigation's Cold Case Investigation Unit to reopen the case. After snow melted in the spring, detectives searched the area described by the tipster and discovered human remains inside a barrel down a steep embankment near Steese Highway in Fairbanks.
The Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office later identified the remains as Dearth, who was 34 when he disappeared in November 1993.
Authorities said Popps and Dearth had worked together at an auto shop in Fairbanks. Investigators believe an altercation between the two men escalated, with Popps allegedly shooting Dearth before disposing of his body.
Officials also revealed that Popps had reportedly sent multiple anonymous tips to different Alaska law enforcement agencies over the years, claiming responsibility for the killing before investigators ultimately traced the messages back to him.
A Fairbanks grand jury indicted Popps on two counts of second-degree murder on June 25. He was arrested by Michigan State Police near Kalamazoo on July 16 and is currently being held in the Kalamazoo County Jail while awaiting extradition to Alaska.
Authorities have notified Dearth's family of the development. The investigation remains ongoing.
