Press Release

Oregon man indicted in 1978 cold case slaying of Anchorage teenager

October 4, 2019

(Anchorage, AK) – An Anchorage grand jury has indicted 62-year-old Donald McQuade on murder charges in the 1978 death of Anchorage teenager Shelley Connolly. McQuade is charged under the 1978 laws that were in existence at the time of the murder.

McQuade, who was living in Gresham, Oregon at the time of his arrest, is expected to be extradited and will be arraigned in Anchorage upon his return to Alaska. McQuade’s bail has been set at $1,000,000.  

As with all criminal cases, the charges are only allegations, and a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty.  

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Jenna Gruenstein at (907) 269-6250 or jenna.gruenstein@alaska.gov.

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Department Media Contact: Senior Assistant Attorney General Cori Mills at (907) 465-2132 or cori.mills@alaska.gov.