I actually heard about this crime when it occurred about 15 years ago. Heck, Joe Vogler, as pointed out in this program, was just about the most famous person in Alaska. So how does somebody that well know disappear for so long? Yeah, his remains were found in the ground but only after the killer was found and spilled the beans to a cell-mate. All the experts couldn't find him nor was there much, if any, evidence at his residence. For somewhat of a dumb-ass killer, this guy covered his tracks really well. Too well, for most "conspiracy theorists," who had a field day with this one up in Alaska.
You see Joe got the U. S. government's attention with his drive to get "independence" for Alaska. He and his supporters did/do not want their status as a state in the Union. They'd rather have their own country or state. So when Vogler went to the United Nations in 1993 to get a petition to start independence procedures, he disappeared shortly after returning home. That's the big reason his friends and supporters support the "conspiracy" thing.
Meanwhile, most of the show is about Fairbanks, plus some of Volger, of course, and Manfried West, the man who admitted murdering the politician. Yes, Vogler was a politician, founder and leader of the Alaskan Independence Party. He ran for governor three times but lost each time. Later, a Republican switched to the AIP and won election. That encouraged Joe that perhaps his dreams for Alaskan independence may still be alive. (They still are, according to this program, but with Joe dead, they suffered a major setback.)
This episode of City Confidential gave one a good feel for Fairbanks and the surrounding area, and the people who inhabit it. It's definitely a strange part of the world - for both climate and citizens. "If you look for Fairbanks on he map," intones narrator Paul Winfield, "look for nowhere - Fairbanks is right in the middle of it." You get huge extremes in both categories. The weather ranges from 85 degrees to minus 50; the people either run to get here to go for the gold enjoy the scenery or they come here to hide from their past down in the "lower 48." It's that latter group that make life tough for the police in Fairbanks. Manfried West fits in that category.
You see Joe got the U. S. government's attention with his drive to get "independence" for Alaska. He and his supporters did/do not want their status as a state in the Union. They'd rather have their own country or state. So when Vogler went to the United Nations in 1993 to get a petition to start independence procedures, he disappeared shortly after returning home. That's the big reason his friends and supporters support the "conspiracy" thing.
Meanwhile, most of the show is about Fairbanks, plus some of Volger, of course, and Manfried West, the man who admitted murdering the politician. Yes, Vogler was a politician, founder and leader of the Alaskan Independence Party. He ran for governor three times but lost each time. Later, a Republican switched to the AIP and won election. That encouraged Joe that perhaps his dreams for Alaskan independence may still be alive. (They still are, according to this program, but with Joe dead, they suffered a major setback.)
This episode of City Confidential gave one a good feel for Fairbanks and the surrounding area, and the people who inhabit it. It's definitely a strange part of the world - for both climate and citizens. "If you look for Fairbanks on he map," intones narrator Paul Winfield, "look for nowhere - Fairbanks is right in the middle of it." You get huge extremes in both categories. The weather ranges from 85 degrees to minus 50; the people either run to get here to go for the gold enjoy the scenery or they come here to hide from their past down in the "lower 48." It's that latter group that make life tough for the police in Fairbanks. Manfried West fits in that category.
