Homicide; 4200-block Peterkin Avenue

Update—4/21/23

From the Attorney General’s Office:

Yesterday, an Anchorage jury returned guilty verdicts for Al Apaola Lefa Jr. for the deaths of Randy Ropati, 28, and Kikono Savo, 38, in separate shootings in Anchorage in 2020.

 Leafa Jr. was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and tampering with physical evidence.

On the morning of Nov. 21, 2020, Leafa Jr. walked into an apartment on North Lane in Mountain View around 10:30 a.m. and opened fire on a young man. He shot Randy Ropait five times with a .357 revolver before walking out the front door. Less than an hour later, Leafa walked into another apartment several blocks away and shot a  woman, Kikono Savo, in the chest with the same revolver. Video from neighboring cameras showed the defendant leaving each residence a minute after each shooting.

 Leafa Jr. faces a sentence of 30 to 99 years on each of the murders. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 24, 2023, before Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren.

Update---11/24/20---1:30 p.m.:
The victim in APD Case 20-36691 (200 block of North Lane Street) has been identified as Randy Ropati (28 years old). Next of kin procedures have been completed.

Update---11/23/20---10:50 a.m.:
The victim in APD Case 20-36695 (4200 blk of Peterkin Avenue) has been identified as Kikono Savo (38 years old). Next of kin procedures have been completed.

UPDATE---11/22/20---8:45 AM:
Throughout the course of the investigation, Detectives were able to positively identify the suspect for the North Lane Street homicide investigation as 26-year-old Al Leafa Jr. Based on evidence collected in a separate investigation, Detectives determined that Leafa Jr. was also responsible for the Peterkin Avenue homicide that same day. Detectives have determined that although these incidents involved the same suspect, they are isolated. Officers with the Investigative Support Unit (ISU) located Leafa Jr. and took him into custody without incident to be further questioned by Detectives.

Al Leafa Jr. was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on multiple charges, including two counts of Murder I, two counts of Murder II, and two counts of Evidence Tampering.

The identities of the deceased will be released pending next-of-kin procedures.

APD Cases: 20-36691 and 20-36695

Update---11/21/20---5:05 PM:
The adult female victim has died as a result of her injuries. This is now being investigated as a homicide. Based on the preliminary investigation at this point, Detectives believe this to be an isolated incident.

Detectives have developed a suspect description and are asking for the public's assistance in locating him. The suspect has been described as a heavyset Pacific Islander male, age range in the 30s, around 5'8" to 6'0" tall, with black hair, possibly tattoos, and wearing dark clothing. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. Do not approach.

Anyone with information about this investigation, including suspect information and/or surveillance footage, is asked to call 9-1-1. If you'd like to give an anonymous tip, please contact Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com

The victim's identity will be released pending next-of-kin procedures.

APD Case: 20-36695

Update---11/21/20---12:30 PM:
On 11/21/20 at around 11:28 a.m., officers with the Patrol Division responded to reports of a shooting that occurred in a residence at the 4200 block of Peterkin Avenue.

Upon arrival, Officers located one adult female victim with a gunshot wound to the upper body. She was immediately transported by medics to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation and there have been no arrests at this time.

Peterkin Avenue is shut down between N Hoyt Street and N Park Street. There will be a large police presence in the area as the investigation continues. Please avoid the area. If you need to be in the area, please follow officer’s instructions.

If anyone has information about this incident, including surveillance footage, please call 3-1-1. If you'd like to remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com

APD Case: 20-36695

Original---11/21/20---11:54 AM:
On 11/21/20 around 10:39 a.m., officers with the Patrol Division responded to reports of a shooting that occurred in a residence at the 200 block of North Lane Street.

Upon arrival, Officers located one adult male victim with shots to the upper body. He was immediately transported by medics to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. The circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation, but Detectives have cause to believe that this incident is isolated and unrelated to the homicide that occurred yesterday. There have been no arrests at this time.

There will be a large police presence in the area as the investigation continues. Please avoid the area. If you need to be in the area, please follow officer’s instructions.

If anyone has information about this incident, including surveillance footage, please call 3-1-1. If you'd like to remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com

APD Case: 20-36691