(Juneau, AK) – A Juneau jury found 43-year-old Fenton L. Jacobs guilty of murder in the second degree, two counts of assault in the third degree, and harassment in the first degree. The jury found the defendant not guilty of murder in the first degree.
At trial, the evidence showed that at approximately 10 p.m. on May 1, 2019, Jacobs threatened two men with a knife while in the Foodland IGA parking lot. Several hours later, at approximately 12:15 a.m. on May 2, 2019, Jacobs stabbed 47-year-old Scott Campbell five times with a roughly 4-inch knife, causing severe injuries to Campbell’s abdomen, which led to his death several hours later. The stabbing occurred in downtown Juneau near the intersection of Front and Franklin Streets. Although Jacobs and Campbell engaged in a verbal disagreement earlier in the night, no evidence at trial indicated that the two men knew each other prior to that evening. After Juneau Police Officers detained Jacobs, he spat blood and saliva on an officer.
The jury trial began in mid-May and concluded in early June, with jurors returning a verdict on June 3, 2022.
Superior Court Judge Amy G. Mead presided over the jury trial. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2022. Jacobs faces up to 99 years in prison for the murder in the second -degree conviction, up to 5 years in prison for each of the assault in the third-degree convictions, and up to 1 year for the harassment conviction.
CONTACT: Juneau District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum and Assistant District Attorney Katherine H. Lybrand prosecuted the case. They may be reached at Jessalyn.gillum@alaska.gov or katherine.lybrand@alaska.gov.
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