April 21, 2023
(Anchorage, AK) – Yesterday, an Anchorage jury returned guilty verdicts for Al Apaola Leafa Jr. for the deaths of Randy Ropati, 28, and Kikono Savo, 38, in separate shootings in Anchorage in 2020.
Leafa Jr. was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and tampering with physical evidence.
On the morning of Nov. 21, 2020, Leafa Jr. walked into an apartment on North Lane in Mountain View around 10:30 a.m. and opened fire on a young man. He shot Randy Ropait five times with a .357 revolver before walking out the front door. Less than an hour later, Leafa walked into another apartment several blocks away and shot a woman, Kikono Savo, in the chest with the same revolver. Video from neighboring cameras showed the defendant leaving each residence a minute after each shooting.
Leafa Jr. faces a sentence of 30 to 99 years on each of the murders. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 24, 2023, before Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren.
CONTACT: Anchorage Deputy District Attorney, Trina Sears, at (907) 269-6300 or trina.sears@alaska.gov.
# # #
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.
