Press Release

Fairbanks Jury Finds Christopher Oktollik Guilty of Murder in the First Degree

July 15, 2025

(Fairbanks, AK) – Today, a Fairbanks jury returned a guilty verdict against 28-year-old Christopher Oktollik, of Fairbanks, for Murder in the First Degree. For his conviction, Oktollik faces a sentence of 30 years to 99 years of imprisonment.

On the evening of April 9, 2023, the Fairbanks Police Department received a report of a shooting that had occurred in the parking lot of the Alaska Motel located in south Fairbanks. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Lawrence McMullen, 35, on the ground and observed that he was not breathing and that he did not have any pulse. Officers further observed multiple gunshot wounds to his body. Paramedics arriving a short time later were unable to revive McMullen, and he was pronounced dead upon his arrival at the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. An autopsy on McMullen's body later determined that he had been shot four times in the back and one time in the inner right thigh.

The Fairbanks Police Department's extensive investigation, which included numerous witness interviews, the review of video surveillance from multiple locations, DNA analysis on casings found at the crime scene from a laboratory in Virgina, ballistics testing at the state crime laboratory, a search of the defendant's residence, and an interview of the defendant, ultimately identified the defendant as a suspect.

Christopher Oktollik is in the custody of the Department of Corrections and is being held on a no-bail status pending his sentencing, which is currently scheduled for Oct. 20, 2025.

CONTACT: Deputy District Attorney Andrew Baldock at 907-451-5979 or andrew.baldock@alaska.gov.

# # #

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.