Jonathon Paul Flora was 32 when he was killed while on duty in Anchorage, Alaska, on September 8, 1975. In the pre-dawn hours officers responded to a burglary alarm at the Methadone Drug Treatment Center at 403 West 8th Avenue. Flora examined a broken window, holstered his sidearm, and began to climb through when a single shot from inside struck him in the head, fatally wounding him.

Scene details placed the killing during an active burglary: alarms sounded around 2:00 a.m., officers had converged by about 2:16 a.m., and investigators found a forced door and cash scattered on the floor. The suspect identified was Donald Andrew Morgan, who had escaped custody and was linked to a string of armed robberies; he was captured and charged in connection with the burglary and Flora’s death. Court records note guilty pleas to first-degree murder and escape and a life sentence with parole eligibility after 35 years.

If anyone knew Officer Flora or has information about that night, please share what is remembered.