Shaquille Carawan, a 20-year-old man from Alaska, has been apprehended and charged with the brutal murder of two 18-year-old girls, Novely Rivers and Abigail Olson. The bodies of the teenagers were found under suspicious circumstances earlier this month, as reported by the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Carawan is facing a slew of charges, including two counts each of first and second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, misconduct involving a controlled substance, and providing alcohol to minors in a community where alcohol is banned.
The exact circumstances surrounding the murders have not been made public by law enforcement. However, it was disclosed that the girls met a violent end. The bodies of Rivers and Olson were discovered in a residence in Hooper Bay, a small town on Alaska’s southwestern coast, on the morning of October 2. The state medical examiner’s office determined that the teenagers died from multiple knife injuries.
Following the discovery, state troopers appealed to the public for assistance. The City of Hooper Bay and the Native Village of Hooper Bay offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible for the deaths. The authorities stressed their interest in first-hand information about the crime. Although it remains unclear if a tipster contributed to the charges against Carawan, a subsequent press release acknowledged that local tips and information aided the investigation.
Investigators connected Carawan to the victims through text messages, which suggested that he had planned to supply Rivers and Olson with marijuana and home-brewed alcohol on the day they were killed. A second warrant was obtained to search Carawan’s residence after confirming the registration of the other phone number involved. At Carawan’s residence, investigators found evidence related to the murders, including shoes with blood in the treads and a knife hidden between a refrigerator and a wall, which matched other evidence found at the crime scene.
Carawan reportedly confessed to the murders and was arrested. During a hearing, a judge found probable cause to keep him in custody. The court set bail at $1.5 million and ordered Carawan to have no contact with the victims’ families. He is currently being held at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 17.
A GoFundMe page was set up to remember Rivers and Olson. The page describes the girls as “two radiant young souls taken from us far too soon” and “extraordinary lives [that] inspired countless hearts.” The prosecutor expressed concern for the safety of the community and requested a significant monetary posting to keep Carawan in custody.