Man sentenced to 20 years for 2018 Yakutat murder

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the strange murder of a fishing partner in October of 2018, with an additional 25 years of suspended time and a decade of probation.

John Stapleton, 51, was convicted on charges of second-degree murder for causing the death of John Ferguson, according to the Department of Law.

Both men were residents of Washington who were visiting Alaska at the time of the killing.

According to the department, Stapleton and Ferguson traveled from Washington state to Yakutat in October of 2018 to go fishing. In the early hours of Oct. 15 of 2018, Yakutat Police received multiple 911 calls from a woman requesting assistance at the National Weather Service’s housing quarters. When they arrived, officers found an unresponsive man on the floor of the quarters with multiple stab wounds to his chest later identified as Ferguson.

During the course of their investigation, police officers contacted an intoxicated Stapleton, who denied any altercations with Ferguson. Alaska State Troopers were called in to assist with the investigation, and Stapleton admitted to troopers that he had pushed Ferguson while holding a knife in his hand.

Members of Ferguson’s family -- including his twin brother -- were in the courtroom to face the man who killed their loved one, delivering impact statements and requesting the maximum sentence for Stapleton. Many wore shirts emblazoned with the quote “The hardest goodbyes are the ones you didn’t see coming”, reflecting their sudden and unexpected loss.

Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentencing reflects not only his 2018 crime, but other instances of criminal behavior which reflect anger management issues and a habit of drinking to excess. Judge Mead found that Stapleton’s prospects for rehabilitation were limited due to these factors, and stated he was “on notice” for these behaviors.

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