Jury finds Aaron Hague Guilty of Manslaughter, Theft, and Tampering with Physical Evidence in Fairbanks 'No Body' Homicide Prosecution

April 8, 2026

(Fairbanks, AK) - Yesterday, a Fairbanks jury returned guilty verdicts against 37-year-old Aaron Hague for Manslaughter, Theft in the Second Degree, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. For his convictions, Hague faces a sentence of up to 20 years on the manslaughter charge and up to 5 years on each of the other two felony charges. The jury acquitted Hague of the charge of Murder in the First Degree.

On Aug. 20, 2020, the Alaska State Troopers received a request to perform a welfare check on a 61-year-old North Pole probationer and parolee named John McClelland. The request came at the behest of McClelland's brother Dan who resided in Michigan and who had received suspicious text messages purportedly sent from McClelland that indicated that McClelland was sick in the hospital. The messages also requested that Dan wire McClelland over eight thousand dollars. At around the same time, McClelland stopped showing up for work and also stopped reporting to the probation and parole office.

At the time McClelland went missing, he was living with Hague at a residence in North Pole. Hague quickly became a person of interest in McClelland's disappearance. Hague told the troopers that, like Dan, he had received text messages from McClelland that indicated that McClelland was sick in the hospital. When asked to show the troopers the messages, however, Hague said that he lost the phone that they were sent to. Hague also told the troopers that he last saw McClelland when he dropped him off at an urgent care facility in Fairbanks. The troopers' investigation determined that never happened, however.

On Aug. 26, 2020, the day after being interviewed about McClelland's disappearance by investigators from the Alaska State Troopers, Hague fled Fairbanks, ultimately hitchhiking to Anchorage. Upon his arrival, he went to his cousin's apartment. While there, he told his cousin that he and his roommate got into it and "murder happened" and then attempted to steal his cousin's passport. Hague then began staying at a temporary homeless shelter in Anchorage that was located in the Sullivan Arena. While residing there, Hague assumed the identity of his younger brother. During the time that Hague lived there under a false name, he befriended a man named Anthony Alcorn. Alcorn, who was originally from Ohio, looked very similar in appearance to Hague. In Oct. 2020, Hague took Alcorn's Ohio identification card and used it to fly under Alcorn's name to Seattle, Washington.

Upon Hague's arrival in Seattle, he took a train to Portland, Oregon. Once there, he assumed the identity of Anthony Alcorn and began to live and work under that name. In Jan. 2021, he met a girl while riding on the Max line train and the two became romantically involved. Hague told her that he was Russian. Hague told her that his American name was Anthony Alcorn and that his Russian name was Anton Vovk. On March 14, 2021, while Hague and his girlfriend were camping underneath a bridge in Gresham, Oregon, Hague told her that in the past he had stabbed someone in the throat.

On March 30, 2021, Gresham Police Department detectives located Hague near the Gresham Central Transit Center and arrested him. Upon being arrested, Hague told the detectives that his name was Anthony Alcorn. A search of Hague's person and personal property at the time of his arrest revealed Anthony Alcorn's social security card, Anthony Alcorn's Alaska identification card, a debit card in the name of Anthony Alcorn, Hague's social security card, and Hague's Alaska driver's license.

At the trial, the state called forty-two witnesses to testify. Through these witnesses, it was shown that Hague benefitted financially from McClelland's death. In the days following McClelland's disappearance, Hague purchased almost $3000 worth of property with McClelland's debit card. With McClelland gone, Hague also found himself in sole possession of McClelland's Jeep, GMC truck, boat, and trailer. During that same period, Hague also filed an unemployment insurance claim in McClelland's name.

Following the presentation of the state's case, Hague took the stand and acknowledged that John McClelland was dead and that he caused his death. Hague testified that he did not murder McClelland, however, but shot him in self-defense - a claim the jury later rejected. As of this writing, the body of John McClelland has never been found.

In a related case, Hague has been charged by the state of Oregon with murder in the first degree and identity theft. The allegations in that case allege that in March of 2021, Hague, with the promise of a good paying job, lured Anthony Alcorn from Anchorage to Gresham, Oregon where he killed him in a wooded area in order to perfect his theft of Alcorn's identity to avoid prosecution for McClelland's death in Alaska. The charges in Oregon are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty. Trial in the Oregon case is expected to occur later this year.

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Baldock and Assistant District Attorney Katherine Gonsalves, who both prosecuted the Fairbanks case, thank the Alaska State Troopers and the Gresham Police Department for their hard work in investigating the crimes. They also thank Fairbanks District Attorney's Office paralegals Allison Watega and Jaci Jividen for their exemplary work in preparing the case for trial.

Hague, who was on felony probation at the time he committed these offenses, is in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections and is being held on a no-bail status pending his sentencing, which is currently scheduled for Aug. 11, 2026.

Following his sentencing, Hague is expected to be transported to Oregon to stand trial for his charges there.

CONTACT: District Attorney Joe Dallaire at 907-451-5970 or [email protected]

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.