The Murder of Lanchya Zimmer

Lanchya Zimmer was only 27 years-old when she was found murdered on December 5th, 2019. The young woman was found deceased inside a vehicle in Anchorage, Alaska. On the morning Lanchya was found, Anchorage police received a call about an abandoned Mazda 6 in the 500 block of Sitka Street. The sedan in question was registered in police's database as stolen. When police arrived on the scene, they found Lanchya deceased inside the car. Her death was later declared a homicide.

Lanchya's exact cause of death has not been released, but police stated that Lanchya's body sustained traumatic injuries. It is also unclear how Lanchya is connected to the stolen Mazda her body was found inside. The car was reported as missing from the 2000 block of East Third Avenue on November 4th, 2019—over a month before Lanchya's body was found. 

On December 15th, 2019, Anchorage Daily News reported that Anchorage police were looking for a person of interest connected to the stolen vehicle. The article states, "police are looking for a person in the area [on Nov. 4] who was wearing a gray/dark green hooded jacket with black shoulders, white shoes, dark faded pants, and a full backpack." It is unclear if this person is also considered a person of interest in Lanchya's murder.

Surveillance footage of the P.O.I.

Since that December 2019 article, there has seemingly been little-to-no coverage on the investigation into Lanchya's murder. There are also very few details available about Lanchya's life or the events leading up to her death. It is unclear if the person of interest was ever identified. No suspects have ever been publicly named in Lanchya's case.

Lanchya's case remains open. If you have any information that could lead to the person(s) responsible for her death, please submit an online tip using this form.

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Sources:

[Anchorage Crimestoppers]

[Alaska News Source]

[Anchorage Daily News]