ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Robert Hale, the 67-year-old wilderness patriarch who found fame and notoriety in Alaska as Papa Pilgrim, died Saturday night at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, the state Department of Corrections said.

Hale had been in declining health since his arrest on rape and incest charges in September, 2005. He was in hospice care in the Anchorage jail at the time of his death around 9 p.m.. A chaplain and some family members were present, a corrections official said.

The head of a family of 17, Hale moved to Alaska from New Mexico in 1998 and settled in McCarthy in 2002, where he engaged in a high-profile battle with the National Park Service over access to his remote land. He was a devout self-guided Christian who kept his family isolated from outside influences, including churches.

His family finally broke with him in 2005 and eventually reported to Alaska State Troopers that he had beaten and raped his eldest daughter repeatedly for years, keeping his actions secret from the family. Hale was indicted and arrested, and finally pleaded guilty to charges of rape, assault and incest.

At his sentencing last November, family members spilled out horrifying tales of beatings and psychological torture under Papa Pilgrim’s rule. Hale was sentenced to 14 years, under terms of his plea agreement. Lawyers said they did not expect him to live out his sentence because of poor health.

At his sentencing, Hale’s lawyer said he had been receiving medical treatment for advanced cirrhosis, diabetes and blood clots.

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(c) 2008, Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, Alaska).

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AP-NY-05-25-08 1605EDT