Homicide Memorial
Honoring loved ones lost to homicide throughout Alaska.
Learn more about Alaska’s Homicide Memorial
About the Homicide Memorial
In 1994 the Municipality of Anchorage donated a memorial to homicide victims in our state. The memorial serves as a remembrance of victims of homicide throughout Alaska, and a symbol of hope and community for the families and friends who have lost loved ones to violent crime.
The 2026 Homicide Memorial will be held on Saturday, July 18th, at 12:00pm. The Homicide Memorial is located in Anchorage at the Hostetler Park, 335 L St. This event will be held in-person and Livestreamed via Facebook.
Resource Guide for Families of Homicide Victims – View Here
How to submit a request?
Victims For Justice adds names annually before each memorial ceremony. To request that your loved one’s name be added to the memorial wall or to be read aloud at the ceremony, please follow the process below.
Alaska Homicide Memorial Eligibility Criteria:
- Names must be submitted by a family member.
- The homicide must have occurred in the state of Alaska.
- The homicide must have occurred within the past 10 years.
- Law enforcement must determine that the case was homicide.
- The deceased person must have been an innocent victim of homicide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t someone other than a family member submit a name? This ensures that the wishes of the victim’s next-of-kin are respected. Exemptions can be made on a case-by-case basis. If you want to add your loved one’s name to the wall but you are not a family member, please call our office and ask to speak to an advocate: 907-278-0977.
Why is there a requirement that the crime happened within the past 10 years? There are two reasons:
- There is limited space on the memorial pillars.
- This time frame ensures that the memorial wall remains relevant to the community and the families affected by recent acts of homicide. By focusing on more recent incidents, the memorial wall can effectively capture the current impact of these tragedies and provide a meaningful space for remembrance.
Are there any exemptions to the 10-year deadline? The only exemption are cases where the death occurred over 10 years ago, but law enforcement did not consider the case a homicide until sometime within the past 10 years.
What is your definition of an innocent victim? The victim should not have been involved in any illegal or criminal activity at the time of the incident. The victim should not have been the aggressor in the incident.
Why is it required that law enforcement determine the case is a homicide? We understand that families may want to memorialize individuals whom they believe were victims of homicide, even if law enforcement did not determine it as a homicide; however, this requirement helps to maintain the integrity and purpose of the homicide memorial. If you believe your loved one was the victim of homicide, but law enforcement determined that they died from another cause such as suicide, overdose, or other suspicious death, we encourage you to call our office and ask to speak to an advocate: 907-278-0977
Thank you 2026 Sponsors!
Homicide Memorial History
In 2017, Victims for Justice and the Anchorage Rotary Club were awarded a Anchorage Park Foundation Challenge Grant to complete upgrades to Hostetler Park, home to the Victims for Justice Memorial. Using volunteer hours and pro-bono design consulting, Hostetler Park was transformed from a hard to access, hidden spot to a bright and welcoming place for all people. Improvements include an ADA-compliant walkway, new memorial pillars, increased lighting, natural landscaping, and improved visibility from the street.
Since the renovation in 2017 Hostetler Park has become a symbol for hope and renewal in our community. Our goal is to not only have a space to hold the names of those we’ve lost but to bring attention to the cost of violence in our community. Today more than 530 engraved names are lit up by the monument on towers. They are no longer hidden in the dark or washed away by a forgotten and neglected park. Hostetler Park was created by the generosity of individuals, groups, businesses, and foundations. You can ensure that it remains an honored space by making a contribution today. Your gift will help us maintain the park, provide an endowment for future names to be added, help us host an annual ceremony for surviving family members, and allow us to extend outreach and education efforts as violence continues to impact our state.
We thank the individuals and donors who helped us revitalize this memorial in 2017, bringing light to a formerly dark area of our community.
- Corvus Design, Inc.
- Neeser Construction
- AGGPRO
- JD Steel
- Tall Trees
- Alpine Concrete Cutting and Coring Inc.
- MegaWatt Electric
- McKinley Fence Co.
- Alaska Professional Concrete
- Swanson Steel
- RainProof Roofing
- GMC Contracting
- Anchorage Rotary Club
