Trial begins for Arlington man who killed his friend while camping at Baker Lake
The third trial of an Arlington man accused of murdering his friend at Baker Lake in 2019 began Tuesday in Whatcom County Superior Court. Alexander Vanags, 36, previously appeared before a jury in 2024 and 2022. Both trials ended in deadlocks.
Vanags was charged with second-degree murder for the killing of his friend, 28-year-old Mark Stebakov, with a machete while the two were camping and on psychedelic drugs. Prosecutors argue that Vanags intentionally caused Stebakov’s death, while defense attorneys claim that Vanags acted in self-defense.
“You have an enormous responsibility here,” defense attorney Jennifer Cannon-Unione told jurors in her opening argument.
Cannon-Unione walked jurors through the events leading up to Stebakov’s death. She explained that over the course of the trial, they would hear from multiple drug and forensic experts, as well as Vanags himself.
Other witnesses set to testify are law enforcement officers involved in the case, the then-medical examiner, a toxicologist and a physician who examined Vanags after his arrest.
“All of this evidence can only lead you to one conclusion,” prosecutor Caleb Nagel said.
Both Vanags’ and Stebakov’s families were in the courtroom Tuesday. While there is no official timeline for the trial, last year’s court proceedings lasted four weeks and included more than 500 exhibits.