Patrick Dearth disappeared in November 1993, and for more than three decades, his case remained one of Alaska’s cold cases. No leads. No closure. No answers for his family. Then on January 22, 2025, something extraordinary happened: Christopher Popps, a 54-year-old Michigan man, called Alaska State Troopers with an anonymous tip claiming he had murdered someone in the Fairbanks area back in 1993. His information was specific enough that investigators were able to locate human remains in a barrel along the Steese Highway. A medical examiner confirmed those remains belonged to Patrick Dearth, solving a mystery that had haunted Alaska’s investigative community for more than three decades.
The question on everyone’s mind is simple but profound: why would someone confess to a crime after 33 years of silence? Popps was indicted on second-degree murder charges on June 25, 2026, and arrested by Michigan State Police shortly after. He’s currently held in custody pending extradition to Alaska. Whether it was a guilty conscience, a life-changing event, or something else entirely that drove Popps to finally come forward, we may never fully know. What we do know is that Patrick Dearth’s family finally has answers, and justice, though delayed by three decades, has arrived.
Cold cases remind us that mysteries can be solved when someone steps forward, and that the weight of guilt can persist through the years. This case is a testament to both the persistence of law enforcement and the power of a conscience that finally demands to be heard. What do you think drove Popps to confess after all these years?
