As a victim of childhood sexual and physical abuse, Jason Vukovich decided to target pedophiles in Alaska to seek revenge. Now, he is serving a 28-year prison sentence.
Jason Vukovich was sentenced to 28 years in jail for beating and robbing three sex offenders (Image: Youtube)
There are growing calls to release the so-called “Alaskan Avenger” vigilante who tracked down and attacked several registered sex offenders.
Jason Vukovich said he felt an “overwhelming desire to act” after experiencing horrific sexual and physical abuse at the hands of his adopted father during his childhood.
Vukovich, who called himself the “Avenging Angel”, went on to beat and rob three sex offenders – Wesley Demarest, Charles Albee and Andres Barbosa – which led him to be slammed with a 28-year jail sentence.
While one of his victims wants Vikovich to serve his full sentence, the others have called for his release.
During his prison stint, the Alaskan Avenger has since publicly denounced his actions and has urged other victims to seek therapy over retribution.
Vukovich was born in Anchorage on June 25, 1975, to a single mother. She later remarried Larry Lee Fulton, who went on to adopt his step-children. However, Vukovich says Fulton sexually and physically abused him throughout his childhood.
“Both of my parents were dedicated Christians and had us in every church service available, two or three each week,” Vukovich later wrote in a letter to the Anchorage Daily News.
“So you can imagine the horror and confusion I experienced when this man who adopted me began using late, late night ‘prayer’ sessions to molest me.”
Years later Vukovich’s brother Joel testified to their step-father’s abuse, describing in detail how he would beat them with pieces of wood and whipped them with belts.
“We’d roll over on the bunk beds and be up against the wall,” he said. “It was my job to go first, so he would leave Jason alone.”
Wesley Demarest (left), Charles Albee (middle) and Andres Barbosa were attacked by Vukovich (Image: Department of Public Safety)
Their step-father was charged with second-degree abuse of a minor in 1989, although he evaded serving any time in prison.
The abuse continued until Vukovich was 16 years old, when he and his fed-up brother ran away. The two underaged boys moved to Washington state without identification or money, which led to them to live a life of thievery.
Vukovich has chalked up his criminal behavior as a manifestation of the self-hatred acquired during his abusive childhood. “My silent understanding that I was worthless, a throw-away,” he said. “The foundations laid in my youth never went away.”
He went on to obtain a criminal record, including theft and possession of a controlled substance, across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. He eventually returned to Alaska in 2008.
At one point, he was accused of assaulting his then-wife, which he denies. In 2016, he decided to read through the sex offender registry. He found three men convicted of sex crimes related to children whom he decided to target.
He went on to find the addresses for the men: Charles Albee, Andres Barbosa, and Wesley Demarest. He first knocked on Albee’s door on the morning of June 24, 2016. He went on to threaten the 68-year-old to sit on his bed, where he slapped him several times across the face while informing him that he knew of his crimes. Then, he robbed him and left.
Two days later, Vukovich did the same thing to Barbosa, however this time he brought two female accomplices. The three arrived at around 4 a.m. when they demanded the 25-year-old while holding a hammer, instructed him to sit down, punched him in the face before threatening to “bash his dome in.”
A later bail memorandum revealed that Vukovich claimed he was there to “collect what Barbosa owed” while the two women filmed the incident with a cellphone. Then, the three robbed him, stealing several items including his trick, and left.
The last incident went on to be the most violent. Demarest says he heard somebody breaking into his home at around 1 a.m. Vukovitch knocked on the door and managed to get inside.
“He told me to lay down on my bed and I said ‘no,’” Demarest recalled. “He said ‘get on your knees,’ and I said ‘no.’”
Vukovich then struck Demarest in the face with his hammer while telling him: “I’m an avenging angel. I’m going to mete out justice for the people you hurt.”
He then stole several items, including a laptop, before fleeing. Demarest recalls waking up in a pool of his own blood before calling the police. Authorities were able to quickly identify Vukovich while sitting nearby in his Honda Civic with a hammer, stolen items and a notebook with the names of the three assault victims.
Vukovich was arrested on the spot and later charged with 18 counts of assault, robbery, burglary, and theft. He initially pleaded not guilty before striking a deal.
Vukovich ultimately pled guilty to first-degree attempted assault and a consolidated count of first-degree robbery, dismissing over a dozen additional charges.
He was sentenced in 2018 to 28 years in prison, including five suspended and five on probation. He wrote a letter explaining his crimes in the Anchorage Daily News.
“I thought back to my experiences as a child… I took matters into my own hands and assaulted three pedophiles,” he wrote. “If you have already lost your youth, like me, due to a child abuser, please do not throw away your present and your future by committing acts of violence.”
Vukovich went on to appeal, citing his PTSD, but lost the case in October 2020. Although some have branded him a hero, Judge Erin Marston ruled: “Vigilantism won’t be accepted in our society.”
Vukovich’s final victim Demarest advocated for him to complete his full sentence as he would prefer he “wasn’t walking around while I’m alive.” One article quipped about Demarest’s reaction: “One must wonder if his victim feels the same.”
Demarest, 70, suffered a traumatic brain injury after the assault and now struggles to speak coherently, which led him to lose his job. “It just pretty well destroyed my life,” he said. “So, he got what he wanted, I guess.”
Vukovich’s attorney Ember Tilton noted how thousands have pledged their support for his client’s release in online petitions.
The Change.org petition has 33,593 signatures as of Aug. 31, 2024, which is just shy of its goal of 35,000 signatures.
The supporters denounce the cycle of violence exacerbated by the prison system.
“I don’t think he needs to be punished,” Tilton said. “He’s already been punished. This whole thing started out as the punishment of a child who didn’t deserve to be treated this way.”
Vukovich has urged others who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse to embark on a healing journey instead of seeking vengeance.
“I began my life sentence many, many years ago, it was handed down to me by an ignorant, hateful, poor substitute for a father,” he wrote. “I now face losing most of the rest of my life due to a decision to lash out at people like him. To all those who have suffered like I have, love yourself and those around you, this is truly the only way forward.”
