At 6:53 PM on June 12, 2018, Anchorage Police responded to reports of a child choking at a residence on the 5200-block of Taku Drive. Upon arrival officers began CPR on the victim until medics arrived and took over. The 6-year-old boy was transported to the hospital where he died two days later.

APD Homicide Detectives immediately began an investigation which is normal practice for a child death case. Through the course of the investigation the death was determined to be suspicious in nature.

On Friday, May 3, 2019, the child’s caretaker, 32-year-old Richard A. Vickery, was indicted by a grand jury for the charges of Murder II, Manslaughter, and Criminal Negligent Homicide. That same day a warrant for those charges was obtained for Vickery. On May 6th Vickery turned himself in at the Anchorage Police Department; he was arrested and remanded at the Anchorage Jail.

Case 18-23560