Anonymous Tip Leads to Murder Charge in 30-Year Cold Case

WHO:

NY Post - Christopher Popps is the individual charged with murder.

Fox News - Patrick Orville Dearth is the victim in the case.

WHAT:

NY Post - An anonymous confession led to the reopening of a cold case involving the disappearance of Patrick Orville Dearth.

Fox News - Christopher Popps allegedly sent multiple anonymous tips confessing to the 1993 killing of Patrick Orville Dearth.

WHERE:

NY Post - The case involves a disappearance that occurred in Alaska.

WHEN:

Fox News - The killing of Patrick Orville Dearth occurred in 1993.

WHY:

NY Post - The anonymous tip provided new information that helped investigators trace the alleged killer.

HOW:

Fox News - Troopers traced the anonymous tips back to Christopher Popps.

(UPDATED July 20, 2026 12:38 UTC)

Christopher Popps has been charged with the murder of Patrick Orville Dearth, who went missing in Alaska in 1993. The case was reopened after investigators received multiple anonymous confessions from Popps, leading them to trace the tips back to him. This new information has provided crucial leads in solving the long-standing cold case surrounding Dearth's disappearance.