February 15, 2023
(Anchorage, AK) – Today, 24-year-old Yurel Nichols was sentenced by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Jack McKenna to serve 35 years in prison for the first-degree murder of Paula Zorawski. Nichols pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Oct. 19, 2022.
On Sept. 22, 2016, Nichols and his co-defendants Savon Berry, Michael Fitzgerald, Tommy Higgs III, and Alonzo Steward attempted a home-invasion robbery to steal marijuana and money. After Ms. Zorawski answered the door, she was shot and killed by Nichols. He and his co-defendants fled the scene, and Nichols was apprehended by police several weeks later in Texas.
By agreement, Nichols pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a sentence of 80 years with 45 years suspended. He will be placed on supervised felony probation for 10 years.
At sentencing, Judge McKenna accepted the agreement of the parties, noting that first-degree murder is “the most serious crime we have” and that the sentence was going to require Nichols to spend the bulk of the prime of his life incarcerated. He acknowledged the harm that Nichols’ conduct caused to Ms. Zorawski’s family.
Nichols is in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections.
CONTACT: Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Patrick J. McKay, Jr., at (907) 269-6300 or patrick.mckay@alaska.gov.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6379.
