Alaska man charged with murder in connection to 2018 Stony River death

A 41-year-old Stony River man was arrested Thursday and charged in connection with the May 2018 death of a 66-year-old Stony River man whose death was first reported to be a suicide.

According to an Alaska State Trooper dispatch, 41-year-old Jason Bobby of Stony River was arrested and charged with murder int he second degree, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and tampering with evidence in connection with the May 2, 2018 death of Deacon Evan, 66, also of Stony River.

Evan's death was first reported to Troopers as a suicide. Investigators from St. Mary's and Aniak responded, and their initial investigation found Evan's death "suspicious in nature" prompting a request for additional resources.

Investigators from the Fairbanks Police Department and a Crime Scene Technician from Anchorage determined that Evan's death "had been purposefully staged to appear as a suicide."

In the original AST dispatch from May 7, 2018, Troopers said a suspect had been developed and the case remained under investigation.

Troopers received assistance from U.S. Marshals transporting Bobby from Stoney River to Bethel where he was remanded to the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center on $250,000 bail.