Meet Donald Kilbuck

This is Donald Wy. Kilbuck:

Donald Kilbuck eating a tortilla in Homer, AK.

I met Donald in Valdez, Alaska and was surprised when he told me he'd just been released from prison.  I guess at some point in the past, his brother in law was violent toward Donald's sister, so Donald went after him with a knife. During the trial, the judge asked Donald if he had any remorse and Donald replied, "Yes. I wish I would have done him in." He then laughed out loud about it, so he got the full extent of the sentence. He says his jail cell gave him a really good view of Mt. Redoubt's volcanic eruption in 1989.

Here we are (with my friend James, in the back) in Cordova:

Donald, James, & me in Cordova, Alaska.

Donald led us to believe he knew people who would put us up in Cordova, so we took the ferry over with him. Cordova is inaccessible on the highway system, so it was a unique chance to visit a place that isn't terribly easy to visit. We weren't very welcome when we showed up at the local preacher's house during dinner. He looked very surprised to see Donald, but did not invite us in. Instead, we spent the night in at tent, in the rain, then explored town the next day.

[Originally posted on I'm Nacho Steppinstone, Feb. 6, 2004]