REDDING, Calif. — A brother and sister have been sentenced for their involvement in a 1993 cold case murder in California.
The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office says Curtis Dean Culver and Shanna Nicole Culver, were sentenced last week for their involvement in a 1993 cold case murder of Frank McAlister in California. Both were sentenced to voluntary manslaughter, robbery in concert, and multiple assault charges. Curtis was charged with 35 years in prison and Shanna was charged with 20 years in prison.
KRCR says that on May 7, 1993, Frank McAlister, 19, was driven from Redding, California to a remote area where he was stabbed to death. His car was driven to a Costco parking lot and left there. About a year later in April 1994, KRCR says a hiker located skeletal remains that were linked to McAlister. The investigation into his death began but soon after went cold.
Almost 25 years later on January 9, 2018, the SCDAO and KRCR both say Brian Hawkins went to KRCR and confessed to McAlister’s murder. KRCR says that during the interview, Hawkins talked about a 1993 robbery and McAlister’s murder. He also told them that he had help from Curtis and Shanna.
Hawkins pleaded guilty on November 26, 2019 to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, according to the SCDAO.
Both siblings were located and arrested by the Redding Police Department. Both of the siblings, according to the SCDAO first denied any involvement, but eventually Curtis admitted he “had a knife during the robbery and hit the victim over the head with a rock after the victim had been stabbed.” Both Curtis and Shanna plead guilty in January 2022, according to KRCR. The SCDAO says Shanna was 17-year-old at the time of the murder so she first had to go through the juvenile court transfer process before continuing.
McAlister’s uncle spoke about his nephew’s murder and how devastating it was for his family at Shanna and Curtis’ sentencing, says the SCDAO.
©2022 Cox Media Group
