Tazlina (''Tezdlen Na’'' in
Ahtna Athabascan) is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in the
Copper River Census Area, Alaska
Copper River Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore has no borough seat. On January 2, 2019, it was split from the Valdez–Cordova Census Area, along w ...
, United States. At the
2020 census the population was 244, down from 297 in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.
Geography
Tazlina is located at (62.049082, -145.415224).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (9.37%) is water.
Demographics
Tazlina first appeared on the 1980 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP). In 1990, it lost that designation and was reclassified as an unincorporated Alaskan Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA). In 2000, it regained its status as a census-designated place (CDP). The former CDP of Copperville was consolidated into Tazlina effective as of the 2010 census.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 149 people, 59 households, and 37 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 87 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.13%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 24.83%
Native American, and 6.04% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 59 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 136.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $56,000, and the median income for a family was $57,917. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $25,625 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $23,992. There were 7.3% of families and 8.1% of the population living below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.9% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
History
Murder of Mandy Lemaire
On August 22, 1991, 11-year-old Tazlina resident Mandy Lemaire was reported missing by her parents, triggering a massive search by law enforcement and townspeople.
Ten days later, a volunteer searcher found Lemaire's body in a wooded area.
Authorities suspected 61-year-old retiree Charles Smithart of the murder when another local man, Dave DeForest, told police he had observed Smithart driving near Mandy's house on the day she went missing.
Police and forensic investigators found considerable
trace evidence
Trace evidence is created when objects make contact. The material is often transferred by heat or induced by contact friction.
The importance of trace evidence in criminal investigations was shown by Dr. Edmond Locard in the early 20th century. ...
in Smithart's truck that suggested Mandy's presence in the vehicle,
and learned from Smithart's eldest daughter that he had raped her and her sisters when they were Lemaire's age.
In 1993, Smithart was tried for and convicted of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual battery on a minor, and first-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve 114 years in prison.
In 1999, the
Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court for the U.S. state of Alaska. Its decisions are binding on all other Alaska state courts, and the only court its decisions may be appealed to is the Supreme Court of the United States. The Alas ...
overturned Smithart's conviction, ruling that the lower court improperly denied his defense counsel the right to assert that prosecution witness Dave DeForest had committed the crime. All charges were automatically dismissed in 2000, after Smithart died of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
in prison, awaiting a
retrial
A new trial or retrial is a recurrence of a court case. A new trial may potentially be ordered for some or all of the matters at issue in the original trial. Depending upon the rules of the jurisdiction and the decision of the court that ordered ...
.
Tazlina and the Lemaire murder were featured on the
true-crime television series ''
Forensic Files
''Forensic Files'', originally known as ''Medical Detectives'', is an American documentary television program that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness. The show was origi ...
'', in the season 8 episode "Sphere of Influence". The television network ''
Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Ameri ...
'' aired two shows about the murder; the series ''Ice Cold Killers'', episode titled "Fear Thy Neighbor" aired in 2014; and the special "Vanished in Alaska" in 2018.
References
{{Authority control
Ahtna
Census-designated places in Alaska
Census-designated places in Copper River Census Area, Alaska
Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska