Crime & Courts

Washington man accused of murder in Yakutat stabbing

A fight in Yakutat between two Washington state residents ended with one stabbed to death and the other arrested for murder, Alaska State Troopers say.

John L. Stapleton, 46, was arrested for second-degree murder Monday after an investigation revealed he and 61-year-old John Fergerson Sr. got into a fight and Stapleton stabbed Fergerson, according to a dispatch from troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Both men were from Washington, Stapleton from Kent and Fergerson from Bremerton.

Troopers traveled to Yakutat from Palmer on Sunday after the Yakutat Police Department requested their assistance. Fergerson's body was being transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Anchorage for autopsy.

It wasn't immediately clear how the two men knew each other or came to be in Yakutat.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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