Jean-Pal Borge

On January 29, 2015, police in Anchorage, Alaska, received multiple calls reporting shots fired in an East Anchorage business parking lot. Officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to the area near Bragaw Street and San Jeronimo Court, where they found the body of Jean-Pal (Jeanpal) Borge, a 20-year-old White male. He had been fatally shot. The crime scene was located in the parking lot of the Costco on Debarr Road.

The investigation soon revealed that Jean-Pal’s death was the result of a drug-related robbery. According to charging documents, the incident began as a plan to steal a quarter-pound of marijuana from him. A struggle broke out when one of the suspects allegedly snatched the drugs without paying. Jean-Pal exited his black SUV and pulled out a gun. A witness told police that one of the suspects then pointed a pistol equipped with a laser sight at Jean-Pal and fired a single shot to his forehead. Investigators found Jean-Pal’s body several yards from his vehicle, which had its driver's door ajar. A torn plastic bag containing marijuana in Ziploc bags lay near him.

Using cellphone records and witness interviews, Anchorage police detectives identified their suspects within days. On February 8, 2015, authorities announced that they had arrested and charged 19-year-old Makur Chan in the killing. Chan was also implicated in a separate fatal shooting that had occurred just four days earlier, on January 25, which claimed the life of 18-year-old Charles Gustav Steinhilpert III.

Makur Chan faced two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree robbery for his alleged roles in both homicides. An accomplice in Jean-Pal’s death, 18-year-old Nathaniel Kile Jr., was also arrested and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery. According to court documents, Kile admitted to detectives that he was present during the robbery and saw Chan fire the fatal shot.

As of February 2015, the investigation into the homicide was ongoing. The Anchorage Police Department asked anyone with additional information to contact them at 786-8900. Anonymous tips could be provided to Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or online at www.anchoragecrimestoppers.com.