The Butcher Baker: 7 Shocking Facts About Robert Hansen And The Cold Case Breakthroughs Of 2025

The legacy of Robert Christian Hansen, known chillingly as "The Butcher Baker," remains one of the darkest chapters in Alaskan history, yet the case is far from closed. While the serial killer died in 2014, the long, painful process of identifying his 17 confessed victims continues, proving that the pursuit of justice is relentless. As of December 11, 2025, forensic science, specifically the use of advanced genetic genealogy, is providing answers decades after his reign of terror over Anchorage's strip-club district, offering closure to families who have waited nearly half a century.

Hansen's crimes—abducting women, flying them in his private plane to the remote Alaskan wilderness, and hunting them like game—shocked the nation and redefined the profile of the American serial killer. This deep dive explores the man behind the mild-mannered bakery owner, the methodology of his horrific crimes, and the modern scientific breakthroughs that are finally bringing his forgotten victims out of the cold and into the light of identification.

Robert Christian Hansen: A Complete Biography and Profile

Robert Christian Boes Hansen was born on February 15, 1939, in Estherville, Iowa. His early life was marked by extreme shyness and a severe stutter, which led to intense bullying and a deep-seated sense of inadequacy. This trauma is often cited as a foundational element in his later psychological development, fostering a need for absolute control and dominance. Hansen’s interest in hunting began early, a passion that would later twist into a deadly obsession.

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After a brief stint in the military and a conviction for arson in 1960, Hansen moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1967. He married, had two children, and opened a successful business, Hansen's Bakery, earning him the deceptive nickname, "The Butcher Baker." By all outward appearances, he was a respected, quiet member of the community, a facade that allowed him to operate undetected for over a decade.

• Full Name: Robert Christian Boes Hansen
• Nickname: The Butcher Baker
• Born: February 15, 1939, Estherville, Iowa
• Died: August 21, 2014 (Age 75), Alaska Department of Corrections (US Penitentiary in Kenai)
• Spouse: Darla Hansen
• Children: Two (a son and a daughter)
• Occupation: Bakery Owner (Hansen's Bakery)
• Years Active: Believed to be 1971–1983
• Location: Anchorage, Alaska
• Known Victims: Confessed to 17 murders and 7 kidnappings (charged with 4 murders)
• Motive: Sexual sadism, hunting women for sport, control
• Sentence: Life sentence plus 461 years

The Chilling Methodology: From Strip Club to Wilderness Hunt

Hansen’s victims were almost exclusively sex workers, exotic dancers, and women living on the margins of society in the Anchorage strip-club district, a choice that he likely made because he believed their disappearances would go unreported or uninvestigated. His method was as unique as it was terrifying. Hansen would lure or abduct the women, often under the pretense of offering money or a ride, and take them back to his home where he would sexually assault them.

The second, more sinister phase of his crime involved using his skills as a pilot. Hansen owned a small private plane, a Piper Super Cub, which he used to fly his victims hundreds of miles into the remote Alaskan wilderness, often near the Knik River and Eklutna Lake. Once there, he would release the terrified women and then hunt them with a rifle, treating them as if they were big game. This hunting ritual was the ultimate expression of his need for control and dominance.

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The investigation into Hansen was largely spurred by the escape of one victim, Cindy Paulson, in 1983. Paulson, a sex worker, was abducted, assaulted, and managed to escape his car, immediately reporting the crime to the Anchorage Police Department. Initially, her story was dismissed by local authorities due to her profession. However, the discovery of a body near the Knik River and the persistence of Alaska State Troopers, particularly Detective Glenn Flothe, eventually led the FBI to become involved.

Detective Flothe, working alongside FBI profiler John Douglas, was instrumental in creating the psychological profile that eventually pointed investigators toward Hansen. The search of Hansen's home uncovered a hidden map in his attic, marked with small "X's" indicating the burial sites of his victims—a chilling blueprint of his hunting grounds. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Hansen confessed to 17 murders and 7 kidnappings in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, leading authorities to the remains of 12 bodies.

The 2025 Breakthroughs: DNA and Genetic Genealogy Close the Case

Decades after Hansen’s conviction in 1984, the cold case continues to evolve, thanks to massive advancements in forensic technology. The most significant recent developments revolve around the use of genetic genealogy, a technique that was not available during the original investigation. This method involves creating a DNA profile from unidentified human remains and uploading it to public-access genealogy databases to find distant relatives, building a family tree to trace the victim’s identity.

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The ongoing effort by the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the Alaska State Troopers has been successful in providing names to victims previously known only by grim nicknames. One of the most prominent recent identifications is that of Robin Pelkey.

The Identification of Robin Pelkey (Horseshoe Harriet)

Robin Pelkey, who was only 19 years old, was living on the streets of Anchorage when she was killed by Hansen in the early 1980s. Her remains were found in 1984 near the Knik River, but she remained unidentified for nearly four decades, known only as “Horseshoe Harriet” due to the location where her body was discovered.

In August 2021, a new DNA profile was successfully generated from her exhumed remains and uploaded to a public genealogy database. Utilizing close family matches, investigators were able to trace her family line and confirm her identity as Robin Pelkey. The subsequent public announcement, while occurring a few years ago, represents a continuous, active phase of the Hansen investigation that is still yielding results for other unidentified victims.

This use of genetic genealogy highlights the profound and lasting impact of Hansen’s crimes, demonstrating that the pursuit of justice does not end with a conviction. The investigation is a testament to the dedication of modern cold case teams to identify the remaining victims, such as Joanna Messina, Paula Goulding, and Sherry Morrow, all of whom were victims of the Butcher Baker. Each new identification brings a measure of peace to a family and restores the dignity that Hansen ruthlessly stole from his prey, ensuring that the victims are remembered by their names, not just as statistics in a horrific crime spree.