A Decade Later, Benton County DA Revisits the Murder of Anna Repkina

A Case That Drew National Attention...

Jun 18, 2026

www.corvallisnow.com

This past week, the Benton County District Attorney’s Office revisited the murder of Anna Repkina in a social media post, reminding us of a case that some people here still remember… and one that others may have never heard of.

In the post, prosecutors reflected on the investigation and prosecution that followed Repkina’s death. This case drew national attention, including a special on CBS’s 48 Hours, and ultimately led to the conviction of William Hargrove. A decade after the crime, the case remains the most notable homicide in recent Benton County history.

For newer residents, the case may not sound familiar. But in the spring of 2017, a logging road west of town became the center of an international murder investigation that stretched from Corvallis to Moscow.

Anna Repkina was a young Russian woman who had dreamed of building a life in the United States. Friends and family described her as bright, adventurous, and excited about the future. Through the internet, she met William Hargrove, a man living in Corvallis. What started out as an online relationship became serious enough that Repkina packed her belongings, left her home in Moscow, and traveled more than 5,000 miles to begin a life with him.

Anna had hopes she was moving toward a future filled with promise. Investigators would later discover a very different reality.

According to prosecutors, Hargrove had been carrying on relationships with two women at the same time. While building a life with Anna, he was also involved with another woman in Albany. As the two relationships became increasingly difficult to maintain at the same time, investigators say Hargrove found himself facing pressure to make a choice.

On April 17, 2017, a discovery was made near Alsea. Repkina’s body was found on a secluded logging road in western Benton County. The location was isolated, surrounded by forest, and far from the life she had imagined when she came to Corvallis.

How had a woman from Moscow ended up dead on this remote forest road?

Detectives from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office began reconstructing Repkina’s final days. Through interviews, digital records, messages, and forensic evidence, investigators gradually assembled a timeline that pointed toward Hargrove.

The case that emerged seemed almost too bizarre to be real.

Prosecutors alleged that Hargrove lured Repkina to the remote location and killed her. The motive, they argued, centered on his inability to reconcile the competing relationships in his life. As investigators dug deeper into his communications and behavior, they uncovered evidence that would eventually become central to the case.

Among the details that later captured public attention, locally and nationally, was Hargrove’s apparent fascination with time travel following the murder. According to reporting and testimony highlighted during CBS’s 48 Hours investigation of the case, Hargrove spoke about wishing he could go back and change what he did.

The episode (which we linked below so you can watch it for free online) features footage of local landmarks, including The Peacock, downtown, KFC, and the Benton County Courthouse. It also includes interviews with local residents who knew William Hargrove in Corvallis and Albany.

Court hearings, evidence presentations, and news coverage revealed more details about the crime, making it one of the area’s most closely watched cases.

Eventually, a jury convicted Hargrove of murdering Repkina. The verdict brought some closure, but it could not undo what had happened… and it still left some people in Albany with questions.

In 2020, CBS’s 48 Hours devoted an episode to the investigation titled The Murder of Anna Repkina. The program examined the relationship, the investigation, and the prosecution. The episode continues to air and remains one of the more frequently revisited murder cases featured by the long-running true-crime series.

It feels like the plot of a crime novel.

Now, almost ten years later, the case is still remembered through court records, television documentaries, and now a renewed reflection from the Benton County District Attorney’s Office. The crime remains the most tragic and unforgettable criminal case in Benton County history.

You can watch the 48 Hours episode here on YouTube for free.