The Murder of Mindy Schloss



Authorities targeted Wade as a person of interest almost immediately. His record, his temper and his proximity to Mindy Schloss' home made him a good suspect for the murder. Schloss had already been the vocal object of Wade's attention, though she didn't know it. In the days leading up to her murder, as Wade's situation worsened, he mentioned wanting to have sex with Schloss.

The critical evidence against Wade was discovered after police dogs detected his scent in Schloss' car. According to the Anchorage Daily News, "Investigators used the dog evidence, which linked Wade to the ATMs, Schloss' house and her car found near the airport, to get a search warrant for Wade's house." Portions of the killer's chosen restraint, zip ties, were found both in Schloss' bedroom and in Wade's house.

During the subsequent search investigators discovered an abundance of evidence linking Wade to the killing, including similar zip ties and one of Wade's jackets that contained an ATM receipt for a withdrawal from Schloss' checking account.