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Jan. 13, 2022

Dear UAF community,

Last year, the ³ÉÈËӰƬ State Troopers made an arrest in the murder of Sophie Sergie. Sophie was a young ³ÉÈËӰƬ Native woman from Pitkas Point who was found murdered on the Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’ campus in April of 1993. After a delay, the trial of the suspect, Steven H. Downs began this week.Ìý

Sophie’s tragic death had a deep impact on our community and the pain of that loss is still felt across UAF and the communities we serve. I want to recognize that the news of the trial is painful to the many individuals that were directly or indirectly impacted by this case or similar incidents.Ìý

For ³ÉÈËӰƬ, the Student Health and Counseling Center can provide support or counseling. Call 474-7043 to speak with someone, or, for more information, visit https://uaf.edu/chc/services/counseling.php. Employees are eligible for free counseling through the Employee Assistance Program. Please call 1-888-993-7650, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sincerely,

Dan White