A Whatcom County jury on Thursday found 36-year-old Alexander Vanags guilty of first-degree manslaughter in the 2019 death of his friend, Mark Stebakov, near Baker Lake. Jurors cleared Vanags of second-degree murder but decided his actions were reckless enough to support a manslaughter conviction. Sentencing is tentatively set for March 17, when Vanags could face the statutory maximum of life in prison.
The verdict caps a long, winding courtroom saga that left two earlier juries unable to reach a decision. This time, jurors were asked to decide whether Vanags meant to kill Stebakov or whether his reckless behavior caused the fatal outcome, according to My Bellingham Now. Prosecutors argued the killing was intentional. The defense countered that Vanags was fighting for his life and acted in self-defense.
What investigators say happened at the campsite
Vanags was first charged in April 2019 after Stebakov’s body was found at a remote campsite north of the end of the Baker Lake road. Charging papers say Stebakov suffered multiple stab wounds and died from blood loss, and officers reported finding a machete and a revolver near the scene, as reported by HeraldNet. Prosecutors have said both men were using LSD before the killing and that Vanags later drove away and called 911 from a nearby gas station to report what happened.
Those early court filings set up the key disputes that would follow: who started the violence, how the weapons were used, and whether the fatal stabbing was a deliberate act or a chaotic, drug-fueled confrontation gone wrong.
Third trial tested forensics and witness accounts
The case reached a third jury this winter after mistrials in 2022 and 2024, and both sides once again dug into forensic and toxicology evidence alongside witness testimony, according to The Bellingham Herald. Prosecutors leaned on photos, messages and other exhibits they said undermined any self-defense claim.
Defense attorneys pointed to injuries Vanags reported and argued he had been attacked first. In the end, jurors rejected the murder charge but decided there was enough evidence of recklessness to convict on first-degree manslaughter.
What the manslaughter conviction means
Under Washington law, first-degree manslaughter is defined as recklessly causing another person’s death and is classified as a Class A felony in the state’s Revised Code. That makes the statutory maximum life in prison, but published guidance and prior state filings note that the standard sentencing range for a first-time offender convicted of first-degree manslaughter is typically far lower, often about 6.5 to 8.5 years if there are no aggravating factors, according to the Washington Attorney General’s office.
At the March 17 sentencing hearing, the judge will be able to weigh any aggravating or mitigating circumstances before deciding how far within, or outside, that usual range Vanags’ punishment should fall.
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