Anchorage jury finds man guilty in gold shop triple murder

An Anchorage jury on Monday found a 49-year-old man guilty on all charges tied to a triple murder that took place in a Spenard gold shop during 2017, officials said.

A prior jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict during the first trial for Anthony Pisano in 2020. A judge declared a mistrial and a second trial began in August.

Jurors found Pisano guilty on three charges of first-degree murder, six counts of second-degree murder and one felony charge of third-degree assault, according to Patty Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Law.

Prosecutors say Pisano fatally shot 31-year-old Steven Cook, 48-year-old Kenneth Hartman and 31-year-old Daniel McCreadie in September 2017 in The Bullion Brothers gold shop. Pisano was also accused of assaulting Michael Dupree, who owned the shop with Cook.

During the lengthy trial, attorneys painted sharply different images about what happened the day of the murders.

Pisano’s attorney Kevin Fitzgerald posed the crime as a whodunit and blamed the only other survivor: Dupree. He said Pisano shot McCreadie and Hartman out of self defense.

Dupree has not been charged with a crime.

Prosecutors described the killings as a botched robbery motivated by financial desperation.

Pisano had been introduced to Dupree and Cook by a member of the Anchorage Police Department to help the business owners with security services at the gold shop that opened in 2015, attorneys for both sides said during opening statements.

He had roughly two decades of military service and had launched a business selling weapons and providing firearm training, Fitzgerald said. Pisano had retired from the military months before the shooting and accumulated nearly $100,000 of debt, Assistant Attorney General Krystyn Tendy said.

Pisano developed a close relationship with Dupree and Cook and frequently spent time at the store, both attorneys said.

Dupree, Cook and Pisano were inside the store when the shooting occurred and McCreadie and Hartman both headed toward the shop from their apartments, located in the same building, after they heard gunfire, the attorneys said.

Prosecutors said Pisano shot Cook, then Dupree wrestled the weapon from him and ran outside to call 911. Pisano shot McCreadie and Hartman because they were witnesses, prosecutors said.

Pisano called several of his police friends, his wife and Dupree after he left the scene, attorneys said. He drove to the police training center near Dimond Boulevard and Jewel Lake Road to talk with officers and he was later arrested.

Fitzgerald was not immediately available for comment Monday afternoon.

The jury heard closing arguments Nov. 2 and a verdict was reached Monday, Sullivan said.

Pisano is scheduled for sentencing on May 23.