A man who pleaded guilty earlier this year to murdering a Homer woman who went missing in 2019 was sentenced to 87 years in prison Wednesday. The case rattled the coastal community and prompted citywide searches leading up to an arrest in 2022.
Heather Huelsman Byrnes sat in the front row of the Homer courtroom Wednesday, listening to a judge sentence the person who murdered her cousin, Anesha “Duffy” Murnane. Byrnes traveled from out of the country to attend the hearing, and wore a light blue ribbon pinned to her shirt – Murnane’s favorite color.
Stepping up to the podium, Byrnes described Murnane as she knew her: a happy baby, flower girl in Byrnes’ wedding, an avid crafter who adored kids. Then Byrnes outlines the aftermath of Murnane’s sudden disappearance in October 2019.
“She was utterly reliable and risk-averse, so we were certain from the beginning that something terrible had happened to her,” Byrnes said. “Our hope, however small, was that she had been abducted but not murdered, and that if we searched effectively enough, we could find her in time.”
Murnane’s body has never been found. But in February, 36-year-old Kirby Calderwood pleaded guilty to murdering Murnane as part of an agreement through which state prosecutors dropped eight other charges in the case including kidnapping, sexual assault and tampering with physical evidence.
On Wednesday, Calderwood appeared in court handcuffed and wearing a yellow jumpsuit. He showed little emotion, and apologized to Murnane’s family and to his family, who sat in the courtroom gallery behind him.
“I guess I just want to apologize to Duffy’s family and my family,” he said. “I understand now how precious Anesha was to everybody, and she was one of my best friends. I just – I never intended for this to go so far. Sorry.”
Superior Court Judge Kelly Lawson sentenced Calderwood to 99 years in prison with 12 suspended and credit for time served. That amounts to an active sentence of about 87 years, minus roughly four years already served. He’ll be eligible to apply for parole after serving 58 years. He’ll be on supervised probation for ten years after his release.
When weighing Calderwood’s sentence, Lawson said she considered the nature of the crime, letters submitted by Murnane and Calderwood’s friends and family and Calderwood’s light criminal background, among other factors. The maximum sentence for murder in the second degree is 99 years; Lawson said Calderwood’s extraordinary actions warrant an extraordinary sentence.
“It is nearly impossible to reconcile the Kirby Calderwood known to his family with the Kirby Calderwood being sentenced here today,” she said. “The Kirby Calderwood before the court today murdered Anesha Murnane in an incredibly violent and brutal manner. He showed none of the care, kindness, or compassion that his family used to describe him on that day in October of 2019.”
Lawson described his actions as “shockingly violent and difficult to fathom,” and said he is “tremendously dangerous to those around him, in particular women.”
At the time of her disappearance, Murnane had been walking from her apartment in downtown Homer to a doctor’s appointment she never showed up to. For years, Murnane’s smiling face was plastered around Homer. The community conducted searches, held vigils and banded together in search of answers that would take years to arrive.
In June 2022, police arrested Calderwood in Utah. Charging documents say Homer police were contacted by an anonymous caller who said Calderwood admitted to killing and hurting Murnane before disposing of her body. Police also searched Calderwood’s Utah home and found a wristwatch matching the description of one Murnane wore, and a missing person flier for Murnane.
Byrnes, Murnane’s cousin, was the only non-lawyer to speak on the family’s behalf during the hearing. But the impact of Murnane’s death was on display among the roughly 17 people that filled their side of the courtroom.
Seventy-plus people called into the hearing remotely, and more gathered at a nearby church to watch the sentencing live. Notably absent was Sara Berg, Murnane’s mother, who died of cancer in 2024, and sought justice until the very end. In her obituary, Berg wrote that cancer or heart disease will be on her death certificate, but that the real cause is the loss of her daughter.
Byrnes read the court a letter from Berg written before her death that describes her declining health, struggle to continue daily life in Homer and pursuit of answers from law enforcement even as they sought medical care out of state.
“In Homer, I see sorrow in everyone's eyes, and I see my daughter in every house and store, remembering where every banner was placed and every vigil held,” Berg’s letter says. “However, we felt we needed to return to our hometown. As I have entered hospice care, I want to die and be buried amongst friends. We are here, but we will never be the same. She is in every breath we take.”
Murnane’s uncle, Michael Huelsman – sat in the front row. He said he was disheartened at how long it took to hold the sentencing hearing. He said Murnane’s case is just one of many that’s swept up in Alaska’s backlogged justice system.
“There were constant delays, and so I'm looking forward to that ending,” he said. “It's been a long, frustrating process.”
In the gallery, Huelsman was seated next to Ed Berg, Murnane’s stepfather, who listened to the proceedings with the assistance of headphones. Berg and Huelsman said they’re ready for this chapter of Murnane’s story to end, so they can focus on moving toward a brighter future.
In May, Murnane’s family launched Duffy’s Legacy Fund through the Homer Foundation, with the goal of supporting early childhood education in the community. Murnane held a master’s degree in education and was a trained Montessori teacher. Her stepfather, Ed Berg says he thinks his stepdaughter would be thrilled with the effort.
“I'm hoping that, long-term, she will be remembered through the work of this fund, you know, rather than the tragedy involved,” he said. “So that's what we hope the legacy will be.”
Murnane is also honored through a public bench on the Homer Spit. The bench, dedicated in 2022, features local artwork intended to honor missing and murdered people.
Heather Byrnes has suffered nightmares and sought help from religious leaders and mental health professionals since Murnane’s death. She says she knows Wednesday’s hearing won’t bring Duffy back. But she hopes it will protect others from what her family experienced.
“I believe that she is in heaven now, and she is surrounded by children,” Byrnes said. “That is absolutely what would make her happiest. So, that's the belief that I take forward. Despite all the awfulness, I want to also try and remember what a wonderful person she was.”
Murnane’s friends and family were scheduled to attend a community potluck and celebration of Duffy’s life Wednesday evening at Homer’s Bishop’s Beach.
