A man arrested after a fatal stabbing in West Juneau could stand trial as early as March.
Kevin Scott Nauska’s attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf during an arraignment hearing in Juneau Superior Court on Thursday.
Nauska, 19, was arrested after the Dec. 3 incident at the Cedar Park housing development on Douglas Island. Juneau Police allege Nauska got into a fight with two other men over a piece of property and stabbed both of them. Jordon J. Sharclane, 37, died and his son, Michael Sharclane, 19, was seriously injured.
On Dec. 11, a Juneau grand jury indicted Nauska on a charge of manslaughter, but the panel could not reach agreement on whether there was enough evidence to charge him with second-degree murder. A manslaughter conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Nauska’s bail was lowered to $50,000 cash during Thursday’s hearing. Bail was earlier set at $100,000 cash during Nauska’s first appearance in court. At the time, he was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and a single count of first-degree assault, in addition to manslaughter. Nauska is being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez considered Nauska’s lack of previous criminal history, but he also noted the potential of Nauska as a flight risk to avoid prosecution for such a serious allegation.
