On January 11th, New Stuyahok man, James Weedman entered a plea of guilty to Murder II and Sexual Assault II in the August 2020 death of 25-year-old Angelina Chunak.

As a result of his guilty plea to the charges, Weedman faces between 40 and  80 years for the murder charge and a mandatory 10 years for the Sexual Assault II charge.

Alaska State Troopers were notified on Saturday, August 8th, 2020 that Chunak had been missing for approximately one day after being seen between 1:30 am and 2 am that day. The next day troopers were notified that Chunak’s remains had been located facedown in a recreational swimming pond to the west of the village.

Troopers responded to the village and opened an investigation into Chunak’s death. They found that the victim had suffered trauma to her head and neck. Belongings and blood from the victim would be found along the roadway near the airport on Monday, August 10th, 2020. 

James Weedman would soon become a person of interest after Chunak’s family told investigators that he had been stopping by frequently in the preceding weeks looking for Chunak. Efforts that day did not turn up Weedman’s whereabouts. Later that Monday, Weedman’s four-wheeler would be located at the village’s boat dock. When found, it was found to have blood on it.

A search warrant was requested and granted on Tuesday, August 11th, 2020 for Weedman’s home. When they went to the residence Weedman was there. He agreed to be interviewed and told troopers that he had given Chunak a ride early Saturday morning.

Soon, Weedman agreed to take investigators to the location where Chunak had been slain and pointed out additional pieces of clothing. He admitted to strangling Chunak and then transporting her remains to the pond on his four-wheeler.

He was arrested and transported to Anchorage that day.

Weedman is scheduled to be sentenced in Dillingham Court on June 15th and 16th in front of Superior Court Judge Christina Reigh.

  Alaska, angelina chunak, dillingham, james weedman, murder, new stuyahok, sentencing, sexual assault