Alaska State Troopers last week charged a Homer man with second-degree criminal trespassing after finding him at an Anchor River homestead he had been evicted from earlier this month.
Troopers issued Keith Evans, 57, a summons to appear in court on the charge. After contacting him, troopers allowed Evans to take his horse and saddlebags from the property and released him. Last month, homestead owners Dwight and Debra Glanville reached a settlement with Evans for him to leave the family’s property near Mile 164 Sterling Highway on the Anchor River. The Glanvilles had allowed Keith Evans’ father, Bill Evans, to stay on their property. The son had been caring for his father, but after Bill Evans died July 3, the Glanvilles asked that Keith Evans leave. Other people had been staying at the property, too. Bill Evans’ body had been on the property for several days after he died before friends recovered and buried his remains.
The Glanvilles had blocked a bridge going from the highway and over the Anchor River to the homestead with gravel and a bulldozer. In an agreement with Evans through an Alaska Legal Services lawyer, the Glanvilles set a date of Aug. 6 for Evans to move. Michael Hough, the Glanvilles’ lawyer, said on Tuesday that earlier this month the Glanvilles removed the blockade. Evans also was given more time to remove his possessions, including his horse, but after Evans failed to leave, Judge Margaret Murphy on Aug. 14 granted a writ of assistance for the Glanvilles to have Evans evicted.
According to a criminal complaint, on Aug. 16 Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Daniel Cox, head of the Anchor Point Post, E Detachment, and Court Services Officer Carl Peterson went to the property. In the complaint, Cox said he’d received a report that Evans had been seen at the Glanville homestead on the evening of Aug. 15. Cox wrote that about 11:10 a.m. last Thursday, he and Peterson saw Evans’ horse and dog there, and knew that Evans never left the animals alone. Cox and Peterson searched a shed, a trailer, a motorhome and other structures, but initially did not find Evans. Eventually they found Evans hiding in a shed near a garage. Cox wrote that Evans told them he knew he was not supposed to be on the Glanville property and that he had been evicted.
Hough said the Glanvilles inspected the house and property. Because of water damage and odors, the house will probably have to be demolished or burned, Hough said.
Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.
