Robert Hansen: The Butcher Baker Who Hunted Women for Sport

Alaska is known for its breathtaking landscapes, towering mountains, and endless wilderness. But in the 1970s and 1980s, those vast, desolate spaces became the hunting grounds of one of America’s most terrifying serial killers — Robert Hansen, the so-called “Butcher Baker.”

For more than a decade, Hansen abducted, tortured, and murdered women in Anchorage, taking them into the remote wilderness, releasing them, and then hunting them down like animals. His crimes were overshadowed by the more notorious serial killers of his era — Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy — but in sheer brutality, Hansen stood among them.

A Quiet Man with a Dark Secret

On the surface, Robert Hansen seemed ordinary, even respectable. A small, soft-spoken man, he owned a bakery in Anchorage and was known as a skilled hunter, boasting trophy kills of big game. He was married, had children, and appeared to be just another hardworking businessman.

But behind his quiet demeanor lurked deep-seated rage, especially toward women. As a teenager, he had been painfully shy, acne-ridden, and bullied for his stutter. He later claimed that he had been rejected by countless women, fostering a resentment that would eventually turn into something far more dangerous.

The Hunting Grounds

Hansen’s killing spree began in the early 1970s, though some believe he may have committed his first murder even earlier. His victims were often young women — many of them sex workers or dancers — whom he lured into his car by offering money or promising them safety. Once in his grasp, they were taken to his home, where he would sexually assault and torture them.

For some, that was the end of their nightmare. Hansen would occasionally release women after raping them, either because he felt sorry for them or didn’t see them as a “threat.” Others were not so lucky.

Hansen would sometimes fly his victims in his private plane to remote areas of the Alaskan wilderness. Once there, he would strip them naked, set them loose, and give them a brief head start — before he followed with his rifle. He turned murder into a game. Like hunting deer or bears, he stalked his human prey through the dense forests, shooting them down as they ran for their lives.

The Investigation That Almost Didn’t Happen

For years, women went missing in Anchorage, but police paid little attention. Many of the victims were sex workers, runaways, or dancers, women who lived on society’s margins. Their disappearances barely made the news.

But in 1983, everything changed when one woman escaped.

Cindy Paulson, a 17-year-old sex worker, was picked up by Hansen and taken to his home. He chained her up, sexually assaulted her, and told her he planned to fly her out into the wilderness. But in a stroke of luck, Cindy managed to flee when Hansen left the room, running barefoot through the streets until she flagged down a truck driver, who took her straight to the police.

Cindy gave a detailed description of Hansen, his house, and even his airplane. But when police questioned Hansen, the well-liked bakery owner, he had an alibi — his friends vouched for him. The case was dropped.

The Butcher Baker Unmasked

It wasn’t until a team of detectives and FBI profilers — led by John Douglas, the inspiration for Mindhunter — began investigating a pattern of murders in the area that Hansen’s name came up again. Authorities had discovered multiple bodies in the wilderness, some with gunshot wounds, and the method matched Cindy’s account.

A search warrant was finally executed for Hansen’s home. What they found was chilling:

- A map with Xs marked in remote locations — believed to be burial sites.

- Jewelry belonging to victims, kept as trophies.

- A rifle that matched the bullet wounds found on bodies.

Confronted with the evidence, Hansen confessed. He admitted to killing at least 17 women but claimed he didn’t remember all their names. Many believe the true number was much higher.

Justice, but No Closure

In 1984, Robert Hansen was sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison. He spent the rest of his life behind bars before dying in 2014.

For the families of his victims, justice was served — but the horror of what he did never faded. The idea of a man turning human lives into sport, hunting them in the icy wilderness of Alaska, remains one of the most disturbing stories in true crime history.

Even now, people wonder how many victims are still out there, buried in the endless, frozen woods of Alaska, their stories forever lost to the wilderness.

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