Investigators with the Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit on Wednesday morning, Sept. 5, arrested in Anchorage a woman connected with the Demian Sagerser shooting. Nancie Modeste, 26, of Anchorage, has been charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony. Alaska Bureau of Investigations investigators allege Modeste helped burn the clothes of her boyfriend, Demarqus Green, 20, the man charged with murdering Sagerser, 40, on July 7.

According to an Alaska State Troopers press release, when investigators searched Modeste after her arrest, they found three plastic bags containing numerous smaller baggies of what investigators said was crack and powder cocaine packaged for distribution, totaling 32.6 grams or 1.14 ounces.

In Modeste's car, investigators also found 85.7 grams or 3 ounces of crack and powder cocaine, scales, drug packaging materials, cutting agents and three handguns. Investigators said one of the handguns had been reported stolen to the Anchorage Police Department on Sept. 3 and another firearm had the serial number obliterated. Modeste has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm, investigators said.

Investigators allege Green had gone to Sagerser's home to buy marijuana and shot him twice in the chest and back at Sagerser's cabin near Mile 149 Sterling Highway on David Avenue north of Anchor Point near Stariski. A game camera Sagerser had set up earlier showed a man in a red jacket entering and then leaving the cabin about 7 p.m. July 7.

Green later admitted he was that man, Alaska Bureau of Investigations Investigator Austin MacDonald wrote in an affidavit. Green said Modeste, his girlfriend, had gone to Sagerser's cabin with him. Green denied shooting Sagerser.

The affidavit says that Jimmy Lamont Stevenson, a friend of Green, loaned him Stevenson's cell phone. He told investigators that Green said he'd bought marijuana from someone and that the person disrespected him and he "had to take care of business."

An unnamed associate of Green, Stevenson and Modeste told investigators that Modeste told the associate Green was a murderer and she told Green to change his clothes and helped burn them and other evidence, MacDonald wrote in the affidavit.

A friend of Sagerser, Cimmaron Tangman, found his body at about 8:20 p.m. July 7 after he'd gone to the cabin to drop off a box of sheetrock mud. Tangman had been doing sheetrock work for Sagerser in exchange for marijuana, MacDonald wrote. Tangman told investigators Sagerser sold marijuana out of his David Avenue home and grew it elsewhere. Tangman reported the shooting at about 1 a.m. July 8. Tangman knew about the game camera and looked at images before turning it over to Alaska State Troopers.

Investigators found two spent 9-mm bullets at Sagerser's cabin that had been fired from the same weapon.

According to MacDonald's affidavit, surveillance videos at a Kenai Wal-Mart showed Green, Stevenson and Modeste entering the store at about 1 p.m. July 7. Store records showed Modeste used a Quest debit card issued by the State of Alaska Department of Public Assistance, buying $21.59 in items. The card was issued to Green in June. A third man also was seen in the Wal-Mart video with the group, Guisekai Johnson.

Johnson told investigators that while he was in Soldotna he ran into Green, who he knew from Anchorage. Johnson, Green, Stevenson and Modeste later camped together on the Kenai Peninsula. Johnson told investigators that Green told him he was going to Anchor Point to buy some marijuana and drove off with Modeste in the red Chevrolet. Green came back with about an ounce of marijuana which he shared with his friends, Johnson told investigators.

Investigators and Anchorage Police arrested Green on Aug. 31 and served a search warrant on his 13th Avenue house in Anchorage. They found a 9-mm Smith and Wesson handgun. Both Green and Modeste are being held at the Anchorage Jail.

Modeste also was charged with third- and fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and second- and third-degree misconduct involving weapons. Three additional charges of third-degree misconduct involving weapons and second-degree theft have been forwarded to the District Attorney's office.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.