Press Release

Anchorage Man Sentenced for 2019 Nordstrom Stabbing

July 7, 2020

(Anchorage, AK) – Today, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby sentenced 33-year-old Gordon Samel III to ten years in prison for stabbing his former boss at Nordstrom in April 2019. Mr. Samel previously pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree assault.

Judge Saxby agreed with the State that Mr. Samel’s conduct was among the most serious first-degree assault offenses and was tantamount to an attempted murder.  In imposing a composite sentence of twenty years with ten years suspended, to be followed by a period of probation of ten years, the court further agreed that a significant period of post-release monitoring was necessary to protect the public.

CONTACT: Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Patrick McKay at (907) 269-6300 or patrick.mckay@alaska.gov.

More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

# # #

Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.