Anchorage, Alaska, Usa - August, 2007
In the vast, untamed expanse of Anchorage, Alaska, a city often described as a frontier town, lived Mindy Schloss, a 52-year-old psychiatric nurse. She had moved to the state in the 1980s, intending for a brief stay, but more than two decades later, she remained, embodying a strong and independent spirit. Colleagues and friends often noted her exceptional work ethic, describing her as professional, timely, and someone who consistently gave “110 percent”. Among her closest companions was Jerry, a fellow nurse, with whom her relationship had blossomed from co-workers to best friends. Mindy would affectionately call her “mom,” reflecting the deep bond they shared.
It was a routine for Mindy to fly from Anchorage to Fairbanks twice a month for work, and during these times, Jerry would care for her cat, Willie, who required medication. The first week of August 2007 was expected to be no different. However, as the weekend approached, Jerry found herself unable to reach Mindy, her calls going unanswered. Mindy’s long-time friend, Bob Conway, was also experiencing the same unsettling silence; his calls to her cell phone resulted in a full voicemail box, which was highly unusual for her. The lack of communication deeply alarmed both of them, as Mindy was known for keeping in close touch with them above all others. A chilling premonition settled over them, signaling that something was terribly wrong.
Early the following morning, Jerry, driven by concern, went to Mindy’s home to feed the cat and inspect the house. What she observed troubled her deeply. Mindy was meticulous about her home’s appearance, almost to the point of being compulsive. Yet, the house seemed as though she had merely walked out, unprepared for the week ahead. As Jerry left, she noticed the front doorknob was unusually loose and took a moment to tighten it before locking up and heading to work. Upon reaching her office, she placed a call to Mindy’s supervisor in Fairbanks, who expressed concern because Mindy had not shown up for work that morning. This news confirmed Jerry’s fears, prompting her to immediately contact the police.
Detective Pam Vernu was assigned to the suspicious missing person case. During a walkthrough of Mindy’s home with Jerry, the detective noted that to her, the house did not appear unusual. There were no signs of a break-in or struggle. Mindy, as a traveling nurse, had beautiful and valuable carvings in her home, as well as desirable medications and prescription pads, yet none of these items had been disturbed. However, Jerry pointed out several small, uncharacteristic details that intensified her unease. There were bills half-made out on the table and an empty wine bottle on the kitchen counter. Most strikingly, in the bedroom, Mindy’s bed was immaculately made with tightly tucked corners, a stark contrast to her habit as a restless sleeper who never tucked anything in. Furthermore, Mindy’s car was missing from the garage. Jerry emphasized that Mindy, living so close to the airport, always took a taxi for her trips and would never have parked her car in storage. Jerry’s intuition screamed that something was amiss; she believed someone else had been in the house, and that Mindy had opened her door to a ruthless abductor. Mindy had reportedly confided in a friend about feeling uncomfortable around a particular man, finding him “creepy,” and it was said he was the last person to have seen her alive.
As a forensic team meticulously collected evidence from the home, Detective Vernu turned her attention to Bob Conway, Mindy’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. His work records were checked, and it was confirmed that he was out of town when Mindy disappeared, eliminating him as a suspect. The investigation then explored the possibility of Mindy’s online dating activities. While no evidence of recent online dates was found, her computer records showed she had accessed nursing-related websites until 1:30 AM on August 4th, placing her at home around that time. In an attempt to find her or her vehicle, police distributed photos to local TV outlets, which generated numerous tips, some even from as far as Texas, though none proved to be true. The Anchorage police sought assistance from FBI Special Agent Michael Thorson, who investigated Mindy’s credit card transactions to see if she had planned a trip, but found no indications that she intended to leave town. Meanwhile, Bob Conway, growing increasingly worried, continued his own search, looking through ditches and dumpsters, and contacting Mindy’s bank.
The bank’s response revealed a crucial lead: a large cash withdrawal had been made from Mindy’s debit card in the early morning hours, which was entirely out of character for her. Investigators requested surveillance footage from the bank and were distressed to see a masked man accessing her account. He was wearing a bandana and a very large, quilted winter jacket, which seemed highly unusual given that it was early August in Alaska, a time when temperatures would have been in the 60s Fahrenheit. For a fleeting moment, the man pulled down his bandana, offering a glimpse of his face from the nose down to the chin. He was also seen wearing a backpack. Despite showing the photo to Mindy’s friends, no one could identify the man.
Investigators then looked into Mindy’s recent activities, learning that she had been having work done on her home and had been getting quotes from contractors. She had argued with one contractor over his price and told friends she found him “creepy”. This contractor was tracked down but cleared. Another contractor had met with Mindy the very night she went missing, around 7 PM. He was reportedly very nervous about speaking with the police, but his story also checked out, and he claimed not to have seen anyone else at Mindy’s home.
A second withdrawal from Mindy’s bank account was made in the early morning hours, and again, surveillance video showed what appeared to be the same man in the same jacket, wearing a bandana. He performed a balance inquiry and withdrew the maximum amount of five hundred dollars. Interestingly, just a few minutes later, he returned to the ATM, looking very agitated, tugging on his bandana and adjusting his clothes. Bank security was contacted, and it was discovered that the man had left Mindy’s card in the machine, which had swallowed it for security reasons. This incident further convinced the investigators that Mindy was likely dead, as the man could not simply retrieve the card without revealing his identity.
Hoping for more clues, police sought descriptions of any cars seen leaving the bank around the time of the transactions. A witness came forward, reporting seeing a man on a bicycle near the ATM at 4:30 AM. This new detail led police to canvass Mindy’s neighborhood again. One house, located directly next door to Mindy’s, repeatedly came up in conversations with neighbors, who described it as a “problem house” with constant parties. Upon visiting the house, investigators found several young people living there, who were reluctant to provide information. Detective Vernu then spoke to the woman living on the opposite side of the problem house, sensing that she was withholding information. The next day, the woman called, expressing fear but offering more information. She met the detective at her workplace and revealed that a man named Josh, who lived next door, had approached her residence before the police arrived the previous day. He had warned her not to tell the police he lived there, explaining that he was on probation and didn’t want to be arrested. The woman had not mentioned him then, but later that night, alone at home, she heard someone on her porch and saw Josh outside her window, which terrified her enough to finally reveal his last name: Joshua Wade.
The name Joshua Wade immediately resonated with law enforcement officers in Alaska. He was infamous, having been acquitted of a brutal murder years earlier, where an Alaskan native woman, Della Brown, was savagely beaten to death with a rock. Wade had served a very short sentence only for evidence tampering in that case. Detective Vernu and many others were convinced he had murdered Della Brown and gotten away with it. Now, the question loomed: could he also be responsible for the disappearance, or even the death, of Mindy Schloss?. Information from his roommates, though scarce, indicated he traveled mostly by bike or walked, and they claimed not to have seen him lately. Those who knew him, including the mother of one of his friends, Christina Grieser, expressed significant fear, concerned he might lash out and harm someone else.
Investigators became increasingly convinced of Wade’s involvement. A week after Mindy and her vehicle were last seen, on August 9th, a local truck driver contacted police. He reported seeing the back of a car that resembled Mindy’s near the airport. Upon closer inspection, he identified the license plate, confirming it was indeed Mindy’s car, parked unusually far from the airport where Mindy would typically take a taxi. Police searched the car but found no sign of Mindy. Surveillance video from the parking lot revealed a man driving Mindy’s car at approximately 12:45 AM on August 4th. He was seen parking the car, wiping it down for fingerprints, and then walking away, appearing to wear a backpack that resembled the one seen in the first ATM transaction video. Inside the car, a shoe impresSione was found in dirt on the side, suggesting someone had been lying down. Mindy’s purse was also found, but her ATM card was missing.
To gather more crucial evidence, a scent transfer machine was used to collect scent from the steering wheel and gear shift of Mindy’s car, focusing specifically on isolating the scent of the driver. Despite skepticism about scent dogs tracking a weeks-old trail contaminated by traffic and weather, the FBI brought in canines. The results were astonishing: A tracking dog, presented with scent from Mindy’s car, walked from the ATM, about three and a half blocks, directly to Mindy’s house, sniffed at her door handle and stairs, and then proceeded to the house immediately next door – Joshua Wade’s home. The dog’s signal indicated the scent led there. Detective Vernu, initially disbelieving, witnessed a second tracking demonstration. A dog, presented with scent from the second ATM location, tracked it an incredible three and a half miles through the middle of Anchorage city, directly to Joshua Wade’s house.
With a search warrant, investigators, including a SWAT team due to Wade’s dangerous classification, descended on his home. Although Wade was not there, significant evidence was uncovered. A jacket was found that appeared to match the one worn by the individual in the ATM video. Lab examination of the jacket revealed a Credit Union One receipt for a $500 withdrawal, precisely matching the time and place of one of Mindy’s ATM transactions. This discovery was seen as a remarkable mistake by the criminal. Further searching of the home led officers to an attic access in a closet, where a lady’s watch fell from the inside door jamb. Jerry confirmed it was Mindy’s watch, a gold piece with a very small circumference, consistent with Mindy’s petite frame. For Jerry, this discovery confirmed her deepest fear: Mindy was no longer alive. The urgency to find Mindy’s body escalated, as impending snow threatened to conceal it permanently, making a homicide prosecution much more difficult without a victim’s body.
The DNA results from the steering wheel of Mindy’s car confirmed a match to Joshua Wade. Immediately, the public was informed that he was a person of interest in Mindy Schloss’s disappearance. Posters with a reward for his arrest were placed throughout town, and two major billboards were erected in Anchorage. A massive manhunt ensued, one of the largest in Alaska’s history, as law enforcement agencies felt immense pressure and concern that Wade, still at large, might lash out. For about a week, Wade eluded capture, consistently staying a few minutes ahead of investigators in a frustrating game of cat and mouse. Finally, the photograph from the bank ATM, showing Wade in a hat and bandana, was released to the public.
An old girlfriend of Wade’s named Lisa recognized him in the ATM photo but initially refused to cooperate further. However, another woman in Wade’s circle, Christina Grieser, was about to provide a more promising tip. She called police, reporting that she had been driving Wade around in recent weeks and that he had left a backpack in her car. When she and her mother went through it, they found bank receipts and a cell phone. On the phone, Christina had seen a picture of a hand holding a Glock .45 caliber handgun, which she believed to be Joshua’s hand and his gun. Christina was urged to contact the police immediately, which she did, handing over the backpack. Investigators then asked her to participate in recording conversations with Wade, but she refused due to fear for her life. Police warned her to be careful, as Wade knew she had his backpack and was likely looking for her. Moments later, Christina’s mother received a call from her daughter: Joshua was outside her house.
The man police believed murdered Mindy Schloss had arrived at Christina Grieser’s home, angrily demanding his backpack. He tried to convince her to give him a ride to a safe place away from the police, but she refused. He grew suspicious and began to walk away. Christina, showing incredible courage, got into her vehicle and followed him through the neighborhood, calling a direct number for one of the SWAT officers to report his location. Officers quickly converged on the area, but to their dismay, Joshua Wade had already entered a nearby apartment building. A standoff ensued, with Wade holding two people hostage. The police’s primary goal was to arrest him to prevent further harm.
After tense negotiations, Wade finally surrendered, opening the apartment door and being taken into custody. Despite the relief, investigators knew Wade would be a difficult subject, as he was familiar with the legal system. During interrogation, he remained silent, asking for his lawyer. Officers then informed him he was arrested for two counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and access device fraud, explaining that it involved using someone else’s ATM card without permission. In a calculated move, they feigned having spoken to Mindy, claiming she had told them he didn’t have permisSione to use her card. A pregnant pause followed, and Wade displayed a smirk; his eyes, it was observed, seemed to relive what he had done. He then reportedly realized their statement was a trick, because he had killed her. He challenged them, asking if they were “trying to play games” with him, a response that, to the investigators, seemed to convey a belief that he would get away with it again, just as he had before. The interview was terminated, but the investigators were left with the strong conviction that he was Mindy’s killer.
Without Mindy’s body, prosecutors could only charge Wade with bank fraud at that point. The frantic search for her continued, with the cold weather setting in and leaves dropping, threatening to cover her remains with snow forever. Six weeks after Mindy’s disappearance, and just as it seemed Wade might once again escape a murder conviction, an electric company employee discovered the remains of a woman in a wooded area, more than an hour’s drive from Anchorage. It was Mindy Schloss. The scene was horrifying; she was found lying on her back in the middle of the woods, prompting thoughts of how terrified she must have been. A thorough forensic examination was conducted, revealing a .45 caliber federal cartridge shell casing found underneath her head, matching the caliber of the gun seen in Joshua Wade’s possession. With heavy hearts, Detective Vernu delivered the devastating news to Bob Conway and Jerry.
Though Mindy’s body was found, there was no direct physical evidence to place Joshua Wade at the body site. To bridge this gap, scent dogs were brought back to the cul-de-sac not far from where her body was discovered, a location assumed to be where the car had been parked. A dog presented with Wade’s scent ran onto the trail that led to the area where Mindy’s body was found, then returned to the road and ran down it, indicating the exit path Wade would have taken in the vehicle. A second dog, presented with Mindy’s scent, tracked from the cul-de-sac directly to where her body was found, then sat down, as if marking the end of the track. The sight of the dog tracing Mindy’s final path in eerie silence deeply affected the officers and FBI agents present.
Investigators still needed to complete the picture, specifically by placing Joshua Wade inside Mindy’s home on the night she disappeared. During the initial search of Mindy’s house, the crime scene team had used tape lifts to collect everything from the floor. Lab examiners painstakingly went through the collected material, including a significant amount of cat hair, to find human hair. Finally, they located a hair that matched Joshua Wade’s DNA profile, successfully placing him inside Mindy’s house. On May 18, 2008, ten months after Mindy’s disappearance, Wade was charged with her murder.
While in jail, Wade reconnected with Lisa, his former girlfriend who had identified him from the ATM photo. He convinced her to marry him, a move against jail policy, evidently hoping that as his wife, she would not be compelled to testify against him. Although their jailhouse marriage was declared invalid, investigators wondered what secrets Lisa held. She initially refused to cooperate, but after appeals to her sense of responsibility as a mother, she called police the next day, stating, “I have everything he confessed to me”. Lisa detailed a conversation she had with Wade in jail. He recounted that he was flat broke and decided to burglarize Mindy’s next-door home during a party. Mindy had surprised him coming out of her bedroom. Wade stated he was not going back to jail and could not have a witness. He made Mindy lie on the bathroom floor and tied her up. He then returned home to retrieve his gun, zip ties, and garbage bags. He put the garbage bags on his feet and taped them to avoid leaving evidence, then returned, put Mindy in her car, laid her in the back seat, and covered her with a blanket. He drove for over an hour outside of town, forced her to walk into the woods, had her kneel under the pretense of cutting her restraints, and then killed her by shooting her in the back of the head. He then meticulously made her bed and vacuumed her house to conceal his involvement.
In the fall of 2009, two years after Mindy’s murder, Joshua Wade’s hearing began in an Anchorage courtroom. Both Bob Conway and Della Brown’s mother were present every day. In a bid to bring closure, Wade was offered a plea deal: if he confessed to killing Mindy Schloss and accepted responsibility for Della Brown’s death, the death penalty would be taken off the table. To the immense relief of Della Brown’s mother, Wade agreed to the plea deal, finally admitting he had killed her daughter. Accordingly, Joshua Wade was sentenced to a term of 99 years without the possibility of ever being released.