Murder in Copper

About Virgil Alexander

Virgil Alexander was born in rural Gila County, Arizona, growing up in the area of Globe-Miami. An ardent Arizona history enthusiast he spent much of his boyhood reading about and experiencing historic sites and the natural environment. He spent most of his free time hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. His family had horses and raised livestock, and he frequently rode on evenings and weekends.

His uncles were deputy sheriffs, one was a long-time chief-deputy, and his dad was an active reserve officer and member of the search and rescue team. Other close relatives worked in law enforcement for Border Patrol, town police, highway patrol, and state narcotics division.

Alexander continues to live in Arizona with his wife, where he is retired from mining. His work experience has taken him on extended business trips to most of the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe. He attended Eastern Arizona College, Arizona State University, and University of Phoenix. He holds a control engineering certification and a bachelor's degree in business management. He has taught academic and vocational classes for Eastern Arizona and Gila Pueblo College.

He grew up with Latino and Apache friends. He taught college classes on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, as well as doing volunteer church work, helping with Scouting, and assisting to establish an Explorer Post there. His intimate knowledge of rural and small town culture and Arizona history is reflected in his writing, and his exposure to rural law enforcement adds realism to his stories.