Jason Vukovich The Alaskan Avenger

Jason Vukovich, also known as the "Alaskan Avenger," was a victim of physical and sexual abuse. He underwent a childhood of beatings and rape at the hands of the man who was supposed to be his caretaker, his stepfather, Larry Lee Fulton. Fulton married Jason's mother and adopted him at the tender age of four.

The childhood abuse led Jason down a dark path to becoming the hammer-wielding "Alaskan Avenger" on the hunt for pedophiles. He is now serving 23 years at the Spring Creek Correctional Center for assaulting three pedophiles.

This is the story of Jason Vukovich, who became known as a "Hammer-Wielding Pedophile Hunter," "Alaskan Avenger," and more.

Jason Vukovich was born on June 25, 1975, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Jason and his half-brother Joel were physically and sexually abused by Larry. Details of his stepfather's abuse include beating Jason with different items like belts and a custom-made two-by-four. Larry also loved to go into his room at night and sexually assault Jason and Joel in their beds.

Years later, Joel testified about the abuse they suffered at Larry's hands during Jason's trial.

"We'd roll over on the bunk beds and be up against the wall. It was my job to go first so he would leave Jason alone."

In 1989 Larry was charged with second-degree abuse and molestation of a minor and convicted but only received a three-year suspended sentence from Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone.

Larry Lee Fulton was allowed to go back home, where he continued his abuse of Jason. No one came to check on the family, and at 16, Jason Vukovich and his brother ran away.

Jason Vukovich fled to Washington state. As a minor, he had no identification and found he had no way to support himself legally. That is when he started leading the life of a petty criminal.

Jason's criminal record reveals the life of thievery, fraud, and controlled substances spread from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, and eventually back home to Alaska in 2008, where Vukovich was also accused of assaulting his ex-wife, which he denies.

Later, in a note from prison, Jason Vukovich described how he felt at this point in his life.

'I gave my existence no value or concern. I became a thief and a liar and went on to make many poor choices throughout my life.'

A Boiling Point Is Reached & The Alaskan Avenger Is Born

Now back in Alaska in 2016 and in and out of jail for his petty crimes, Jason Vukovich began reading Alaska's Sex Offender Registry. He started creating a list of men on the Sex Offender Registry convicted of sexual crimes against children. Thoughts of avenging his childhood consumed him.

Jason Vukovich had a notebook that contained the list of offenders he had found on Alaska's Sex Offender Registry. Three of those names were Charles Albee, Andres Barbosa, and Wesley Demarest.

On June 24, 2016, Jason knocked on the door of 68-year-old sex offender Charles Albee who was convicted in 2003 of second-degree abuse of a minor.

When Albee opened the door, Jason pushed his way in and ordered Albee to sit on the bed. Jason told Albee he knew what he had as he had found him on the registry. Jason proceeded to slap Albee's face several times, then robbed him and left.

Days later, on June 27, at about 4 am, Jason knocked on the second man's door on his list. It was 25-year-old Andres Barbosa, who, according to the registry, was convicted of a charge in 2014 of possession of child pornography.

When Barbosa answered the door, Jason standing there with two women asked if he was Andres Barbosa. Barbosa replied yes, he was, and Jason threatened him with a hammer, and he and the two women entered the home.

Jason called Barbosa a pedophile and made him sit down in a chair, and began to punch him in the face while threatening to "bash in his dome" with the hammer.

While Jason was punching Barbosa, one of the women was filming it with her cellphone, and the other one was stealing items from Barbosa's apartment and his truck. Jason informed Andres that he was there to collect what Barbosa "owed."

The Violence Escalates

Jason's third victim, Wesley Demarest, also 68, who was convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a minor in 2006, would feel the wrath of the "Avenging Angel."

It was about 1 am on June 29 when Demarest was awakened by his roommate, who told him that someone had just smashed one of their windows. Jason was standing behind him and ordered him to leave the room.

Vukovich ordered Wesley onto his bed, and Wesley denied. Then, Vukovich asked Demarest if he was the registered sex offender Wesley Demarest and Demarest said yes, he was.

Jason then asked Demarest if he thought he had paid for his crimes. Demarest replied yes, but Jason stated, "No, you didn't pay for it enough."

Again he ordered Demerest to get into his bed, and Demarest refused.

Jason then ordered Wesley onto his knees, but again Wesely refused to comply, so Jason began hitting him in the head with his hammer while saying:

"I'm an avenging angel, I'm going to mete out justice for the people you hurt."'

Demarest's victim was a small girl only in kindergarten, for which he only served nine months in prison and three years in a sex-offender treatment program for sexually assaulting her. It hardly seems enough considering what he did to that child.

Wesley was beaten unconscious as Vukovich stole his laptop and some other items as he had done with his past two victims. He then fled the scene.

Wesley regained consciousness and called 911 to report the incident. The police quickly found Jason Vukovich sitting nearby in a Honda Civic along with the notebook containing the names and addresses of his three victims and arrested him.

Jason was charged with first-degree assault, third-degree assault, and first-degree burglary. In 2018 Vukovich pled guilty to these charges to have over a dozen other charges dismissed. 

He was sentenced to 28 years in prison, another 5 to be suspended, and then to serve five years on probation.

In 2017 Jason wrote a letter to the Anchorage Daily News where he wrote about the regrets he had for his actions and the childhood experiences that motivated him to bring about these attacks.

Jason Vukovich wants his story to be a deterrent to anyone considering "Vigilante Justice" he says there is no place in an ordered society for that. He never received any professional help in dealing with the abuse he received as a child. That led to feelings of worthlessness which eventually led him down the path of crime and serving time in jail for those various crimes.

Sympathy For A Victim?

In an interview, Demarest stated:

"All I've been doing for 11 years has been regretting every moment of my crime, and not a day has gone by that I don't think about it."

Of the attack, he had this to say:

"Mentally, I'm still baffled."

Demarest also cried about losing his job due to the injuries he sustained during the attack. Here is what he said:

"It just pretty well destroyed my life. So, he got what he wanted, I guess."

You have to wonder if this man has any self-reflection and thinks about the life of a very young girl that he forever destroyed.

Demarest also Stated that he was relieved Jason Vukovich was behind bars, and he wished that it would stay that way. Ironically he had this to say:

"I prefer if he wasn't walking around while I'm alive."

I would have to wonder if Demarest's victim felt the same, only to have her attacker freely walking around. I will save my sympathy for her as well as other victims of pedophiles.

Jason Vukovich and his story have become a sensation on the internet. Most people you ask will agree, the man is a hero.

Convicted pedophiles do not seem to pay the price that their tiny victims endure for their lifetime. Most childhood victims like Jason do not receive the help they should have been given and learn to process the horrors that happened to them.