DailyKenn.com
SOLDOTNA, Alaska — John “Skip” Dove Jr., 78, a Vietnam War veteran, avid golfer and longtime resident of Soldotna, was found stabbed to death in his home off Sports Lake Road on Tuesday afternoon, August 5, 2025 — a day after troopers conducted a welfare check at the request of his tenant.
Alaska State Troopers responded Monday evening after a concerned family member of his tenant, 31-year-old travel nurse LaShaunda Lewis of Virginia, reported that she was crying and behaving unusually.
Troopers found Dove deceased with multiple stab wounds, his body cold—indicating he had been dead for some time. Lewis was found injured, with self-inflicted stab wounds, and taken to Central Peninsula Hospital. Investigators retrieved a bloodstained kitchen knife and a walking stick among other potential weapons in the residence.
Court and investigative documents reveal Lewis had declined offers for mental health assistance during the welfare check. A video recovered from Dove’s phone captures her whispering, “he tried to kill me,” though she did not explicitly accuse him of a threat. In a fragmented account, Lewis said there had been “a struggle,” but she could not recall the details clearly. Authorities have said Lewis never denied killing Dove.
On August 7, the Alaska Bureau of Investigation confirmed that Lewis murdered Dove and that her wounds appeared to be self-inflicted. She has been formally charged with one count of domestic-violence murder in the first degree and two counts in the second degree.
Source headlines:
Virginia nurse charged with murder of Soldotna landlord
Traveling nurse charged with murder of 78-year-old Southcentral Alaska man
Appomattox, Virginia’s LaShaunda Lewis accused of stabbing Soldotna, Alaska’s John Dove Jr.
Department of Public Safety: Update on Soldotna death investigation
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