BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An Arlington man convicted of killing his friend near Baker Lake nearly seven years ago was sentenced Wednesday, March 11.
Court documents state that 36-year-old Alexander Vanags will spend 16 months in prison with three years of community custody.
It comes after a jury found Vanags guilty of first-degree manslaughter last month in his third trial.
Police say Vanags killed his friend, Mark Stebakov, while they were camping near Baker Lake in April 2019.
According to the police report, Vanags called authorities to report the killing, claiming that he fought back in self-defense after Stebakov attacked him.
Vanags originally faced a second-degree murder charge, but the jury decided that he acted recklessly and didn’t intend to kill Stebakov.
Wednesday’s sentencing ends a years-long court saga that had two previous trials both end with a deadlocked jury.
