Alaska Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting 72-Year-Old Great Uncle After Fight Over Snowdrift In Driveway

An Alaskan man recently was arrested in connection with the death of his 72-year-old great-uncle who lived next door after the two got into a dispute over snow, authorities said.

Francis James Roberts was charged with first-degree murder after police said he fatally shot Francis Edgar Roberts, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

According to a sworn affidavit obtained by the outlet, the victim’s wife, Katherine Roberts, told troopers there was a large snowdrift in the driveway of the couple’s Yukon River village home so she and her husband had someone come and remove it because they had to go to the airport.

After the pair returned on March 3, they discovered the snow back on their property and the couple got into a dispute with the shooting victim’s great-nephew over the snow.

The affidavit states the suspect shoved Katherine Roberts to the ground and while she was telephoning authorities for help from their home her husband showed up suffering multiple gunshot wounds.

The elderly man was airlifted to a medical facility in Fairbanks, where he later died.

The affidavit alleges that before the victim succumbed to his injuries, he was able to identify his great-nephew as the person who shot him.

The suspect was booked into the Fairbanks Correctional Center and was being held on $5 million bail.