Joshua Bell Sentenced to 170 Years for 2022 Double Homicide

May 22, 2026

(Fairbanks, AK) - Today, Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Patricia Haines sentenced 23-year-old Joshua Bell to a composite sentence of 170 years for two counts of Murder in the First Degree for the 2022 murders of Ricardo Duperior and Rachel Wright, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Solicitation of Murder in the First Degree.

On Aug. 7, 2022, around 2:30 A.M., 28-year-old Ricardo Duperior and 18-year-old Rachel Wright were shot to death. Earlier in the evening, Bell left the residence of the murders, went to his mother's apartment, left his phone there so he could not be tracked, and then returned to the residence of the murders. He deliberately planned where to park and enter the home to avoid being caught on camera. Bell entered the residence and immediately shot Duperior.

Bell then attempted to get Kapri Willis to kill Wright. When Willis did not kill her, Bell executed Wright as she lay in bed. After the murders, Bell cleaned his car and disposed of the firearms in a vault toilet at Tanana Lakes. Bell later attempted to hire someone to kill Willis, his co-defendant and the only eyewitness to the slayings.
Willis was tried and acquitted in Aug. 2025 for his own charges stemming from the incident.

Trial commenced against Bell in Oct. 2025, with the Fairbanks District Attorney's Office prosecuting the case. The prosecution team was led by Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Mason with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Lauren Wood, Paralegal Joleen Cooper, and Law Office Assistant Sherelle Torrez. On Nov. 4, 2025, a Fairbanks jury found Bell guilty of two counts of Murder in the First Degree, one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, and one count of Solicitation of Murder in the First Degree.

For his crimes, the court was permitted to sentence Bell to active imprisonment between 65 years and 302 years. The State requested a composite sentence of 170 years flat. Bell requested a sentence of 65 years flat. Multiple factors weigh on sentencing requests and the ultimate sentence a defendant receives, including the facts of the case, statutory sentencing criteria and case precedent.

Judge Haines found a common theme to each of Bell's offenses was a notable lack of empathy. She found the murders of Ricardo Duperior and Rachel Wright were unprovoked. She further found Bell has shown a callous disregard for the value of human life on at least three occasions. Judge Haines sentenced Joshua Bell to 75 years to serve for the Murder in the First Degree of Ricardo Duperior, 75 years to serve for the Murder in the First Degree of Rachel Wright, 2 years to serve for Tampering with Physical Evidence - to be served concurrently - and 20 years to serve for Solicitation of Murder in the First Degree. The grand total of active imprisonment is 170 years.

Fairbanks District Attorney Joe Dallaire said "The brutal slayings of Mr. Duperior and Ms. Wright are as depraved as they are heartbreaking. Accordingly, we are grateful for the 170-year sentence imposed today. I am incredibly proud of the work of ADAs Mason and Wood, Paralegal Cooper, and LOA Torrez. Their professionalism and dedication in the pursuit of justice is highly commendable. I am also grateful for the strong working relationship my office has with the Fairbanks Police Department, upon whose investigation we were able to build a successful prosecution. The collaborative effort between the prosecution and the police has now ensured that Mr. Bell will remain behind bars for the rest of his life. At the same time, I acknowledge that even a 170-year sentence - as significant as that is - will never fully heal the families of Mr. Duperior, Ms. Wright, or this community from these senseless acts of violence. Our hearts go out to them and hope today's outcome at least offers some measure of closure from the incredible pain caused by Mr. Bell's crimes."

CONTACT: District Attorney Joe Dallaire at (907) 451-5970 or [email protected]

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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