Alaska Woman Vanished in 2019, Suspect Is Charged with Murder After Tipster Says Man Has Her Watch

Anesha "Duffy" Murnane was declared dead in court proceedings last June

Anesha “Duffy” Murnane
Anesha "Duffy" Murnane. Photo: Homer Police Department

Authorities in Alaska have accused a Utah man of kidnapping and killing a 38-year-old woman who has not been seen since late 2019.

PEOPLE confirms with Homer police that Kirby Foleni Calderwood, 32, was arrested in Ogden, Utah, on May 9.

Calderwood was charged with kidnapping, tampering with evidence and first- and second-degree murder, all in connection with the Oct. 17, 2019, disappearance of Anesha "Duffy" Murnane.

Police say Murnane, a resident of Homer, vanished while walking to a doctor's appointment.

Calderwood has yet to appear in an Alaska court, and has not entered pleas to the charges against him. Lawyer information was not immediately available for him.

According to police, Calderwood lived in Homer at the time of Murnane's disappearance, and he had been identified early on as a potential person of interest in the case.

The Homer News obtained a copy of the criminal complaint, which alleges Calderwood had spotted Murnane walking, pulled over, and offered her a ride to her appointment at SVT Health & Wellness Center.

Instead, the complaint says, Calderwood allegedly drove to an unoccupied home, owned by his then-girlfriend's parents, and then sexually assaulted and tortured Murnane in a crawlspace before killing her.

Calderwood allegedly prepared the crawlspace prior to heading out in his car, looking for a victim.

Murnane's remains have not been found. She was declared dead in court proceedings last June.

Kirby Calderwood
Kirby Calderwood. Homer Police Department

Citing the criminal complaint, the Homer News reports that investigators realized early on that Murnane likely accepted a ride, after police dogs lost her scent on a road between her home and SVT Health & Wellness Center just a mile away.

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According to the Homer News, a tip came in on April 14, 2022, from a person who knows Calderwood. The tipster said Calderwood had told them about Murnane's abduction, assault, and killing.

The caller further alleged that Calderwood had kept Murnane's Timex watch. When Ogden Police searched his home there, they reportedly found a ladies Timex watch.

The criminal complaint alleges investigators learned Calderwood had a history of being physically violent with women.

Calderwood is being held on $1 million bond.

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