2 days ago
'He was trying to help': Guest dies in stabbing at Anchorage hotel
Jun. 10—A 27-year-old was arrested Monday in the fatal stabbing of a man Saturday night at the Chelsea Inn Hotel in the Spenard neighborhood.
Anchorage police said officers found 25-year-old Michael Kaskey in the lobby with what court documents described as a stab wound in his abdomen. He was pronounced dead despite lifesaving efforts from medics, they said. The hotel's owner said Kaskey was a guest helping control access.
Matthew Alexie, 27, was arrested Monday on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering, police said.
The stabbing occurred after Alexie, along with three others, approached the hotel on Saturday night, according to a sworn statement filed by Officer Troy Clark with the criminal complaint.
Kaskey was collecting a $20 fee at the front door, it said.
Kaskey confronted a woman in Alexie's group after she came through the door and didn't pay, the statement said. Alexie could be seen on surveillance video holding a large knife as the group approached the hotel, it said.
A witness said Alexie tried to get between the woman and Kaskey, who pushed Alexie, Clark wrote. The witness said they saw Alexie "push" Kaskey back, the statement said, at which point Kaskey fell and rolled down the stairs.
Alexie was pushed out of the hotel, according to the complaint. Surveillance video didn't show the pushing or stabbing but did show Alexie afterward, "posturing, while holding the knife," Clark wrote.
The hotel's owner said the fee was established to limit the number of non-guests coming inside to use the bathroom or loiter inside. He said there may be 20 or 30 people in the parking lot some evenings.
Police distributed photos of Alexie and the Chevrolet Suburban he left in to officers, the statement said. The police department did not publicly provide a detailed account of the incident until Monday evening.
Police spokesman Chris Barraza on Tuesday said the timing of the account reflected when additional information was available and when the update was approved by the homicide unit.
Officers tracked the Suburban to a Government Hill address, the statement said. That's where Alexie was arrested on Monday, Barraza said.
Alexie was jailed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex as of Tuesday. His first court appearance was Monday afternoon.
The Chelsea Inn and surrounding area have been the scene of numerous murder or attempted murder investigations in recent years including fatal shootings on Memorial Day in 2023 and in October 2020.
The building managers and owners are cooperating with the police investigation, Barraza said.
Owner Soo Seo said Tuesday that Alexie was known to staff and they may have been trying to keep the group out on Saturday night when the encounter occurred.
Seo said he has struggled with managing the numbers of people who congregate in his parking lot, in numbers he described as 20 or 30 at times. He said he would like to see additional police patrols in the area.
Kaskey was a guest who volunteered to help the front desk staff the night he was stabbed.
"He was trying to help," Seo said.
