Major Whatcom County cases are heading to trial this fall. What to watch for
As Whatcom County Superior Court continues to work through a backlog of cases, some high-profile arrests are slated to finally go to trial in front of a jury this fall. Here are three major cases to keep an eye on:
Alexander Vanags
An Arlington man accused of killing his friend in 2019 while the two were on psychedelic drugs while camping at Baker Lake will have his third trial this fall.
Alexander Vanags, 36, killed his friend, 28-year-old Mark Stebakov, on April 13, 2019 while the two were camping at Baker Lake and on psychedelic drugs. Vanags was already put on trial twice, most recently in March. Both trials ended with deadlocked juries and a mistrial being declared.
According to prosecutors, Vanags intentionally caused Stebakov’s death when he slashed him at least 14 times with a machete while the two were on LSD. Vanags’ attorneys argued that he acted in self-defense and was therefore not guilty of second-degree murder.
While the state may choose not to retry someone multiple times, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Pratt said that because of the severity of the crime, prosecutors “need to see the case through to trial.” He said the prosecutor’s office always weighs the financial resources needed for the trial against the nature of the charges.
Whatcom County Prosecutor Eric Richey said this will not be the first time his office has prosecuted a defendant for a third time following hung juries.
The trial is currently scheduled for Sept. 22, though that will change unless the case is transferred to a different judge due to the current judge’s availability.
Tana Reneau
The trial of a Blaine woman accused of torturing and sexually assaulting four children known to her is slated for Sept. 15.
Tana Perkins Reneau, 53, was charged with 11 felonies on June 5, 2023. She pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on $500,000 bail in the following weeks. Since then, her trial date has been pushed back 13 times. Court records state that the continuances were requested so that more evidence could be obtained.
Reneau taught in the Kennewick School District for 13 years before moving to Blaine in 2011. She ran multiple times for a seat on the Blaine School Board, though she was never elected, and she served on multiple curriculum and technology adoption committees in Blaine schools. She was also involved with North Whatcom County Young Life ministry.
James Singleton
A Texas man who fatally assaulted his partner with a hammer in June 2024 will go before a jury on Oct. 20.
James Anthony Singleton, 37, of Dallas struck his roommate and intimate partner, 74-year-old Nolan Dennett of Bellingham, multiple times while high on methamphetamine, killing him. He was charged with premeditated first-degree murder.
Singleton had been living with Dennett for about a month, according to court records, and the two “had been ‘doing crystal’ two to three times throughout the week.” He told police that Dennett was being “overly aggressive and dominant” before Singleton assaulted him, and that he’d given Singleton a deadline to move out.
Singleton’s trial has been pushed back six times, most recently due to “ongoing negotiations” and defense attorneys looking into expert witness services.
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM.