‘Fairbanks Four’ member settles for $11.5 million in wrongful conviction lawsuit stemming from 1997 murder case

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) - Four men known as the “Fairbanks Four” were wrongfully convicted for the 1997 murder of 15-year-old John Hartman — three of the men reached a settlement of just under $1.6 million in 2023, but the fourth man did not in order to seek justice.

The fourth man, Marvin Roberts, settled a wrongful conviction lawsuit Tuesday with the City of Fairbanks for $11.5 million, according to Roberts’ attorney, Mike Kramer.

The four men — Roberts, George Frese, Eugene Vent, and Kevin Pease — had spent 18 years in prison when a man confessed to the murder of Hartman.

This confession caused a Fairbanks judge to order a post-conviction relief trial in 2015, where a deal was presented at the end of the six-week trial stating that if the Fairbanks Four agreed to not sue the City of Fairbanks, the men would be released.

Roberts was ultimately responsible for signing off on the deal so that the other men could be released.

However, in 2017, Roberts met with his attorney, Mike Kramer, who said the deal was most likely not enforceable. Roberts and his attorney filed a lawsuit against the City of Fairbanks to allow them to sue for wrongful conviction.

In November 2023, three of the “Fairbanks Four” settled for $1.59 million in an agreement with the Alaska Municipal League Joint Insurance Association, which insures the City of Fairbanks.

Roberts chose not to settle in 2023, instead choosing to move forward with the appeal.

“They were all offered, you know, $1.6 million or so each. Three out of the four took that deal,” Kramer said. “It’s hard to walk away from a million bucks, particularly when the city’s still saying ‘you’re guilty and we’re going to appeal everything in this case and we’re going to drag this out until you’re old men.‘”

According to Kramer, Roberts chose to continue with the trial in seeking justice.

“Marvin said, ‘No, I’m not taking that deal, I’m going to trial. I want justice.’ And he’s always wanted that. And so Marvin plowed ahead — we plowed ahead," Kramer said.

Roberts has since settled for $11.5 million, and in a press release from his attorney’s office, he stated, in part: “I don’t think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison. This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life.”

The case has been scheduled for trial in December 2025.

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