Alaska State Troopers received a call requesting a welfare check on Jeryl Bates in Nikiski on Tuesday night and responded to the residence at 9:02 pm.

When they arrived, they would find Bates deceased inside the home. A preliminary investigation would uncover evidence that the death was suspicious in nature and the Alaska Bureau of Investigation Soldotna Major Crimes Unit was called in as were crime scene technicians from the Alaska Crime Lab.

Their investigation would result in 20-year-old River Aspelund being taken into custody and charged with Murder I, and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

He was transported to Kenai and remanded to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility on the charges.

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