Press Release

James Baker Sentenced to Serve 45 Years for 2015 Eagle River Murder

May 12, 2017

(Anchorage, AK) – Yesterday, 35 year old James Baker was sentenced to serve 45 years in prison for causing the death of 56 year old June Mary McCarr and for attempting to kill four other people on March 8, 2015. In August 2016, Baker pled guilty to murder in the first degree and a consolidated count of attempted murder in the first degree. Baker entered into a plea agreement with the State which allowed Superior Court Judge Michael Corey to sentence Baker to a sentence of up to 80 years in prison. Judge Corey sentenced Baker to serve 35 years for the murder charge and another 10 years for the attempted murder charge. Judge Corey also suspended 25 years of prison time and placed Baker on probation for 10 years.

On March 8, 2015, officers from the Anchorage Police Department responded to several 911 calls in Eagle River. Officers found June Mary McCarr in a vehicle. She had been shot and killed in the vehicle. Baker had picked up five people in Anchorage and drove them to Eagle River. When they got to the top of Mile High Drive, Baker parked. After approximately 15 minutes, Baker retrieved a firearm from the trunk of the vehicle and began shooting. Baker shot McCarr several times and struck two other men – Roy Boswell and Kurtis Reed.

Boswell left the area alone. Reed, Alexandria Ewan, and Samuel Davis left the area together. Baker left the area in the opposite direction on foot. He dumped his firearm off of a trail and then went to the Carrs Store in Eagle River. Baker called police from the store to report that his vehicle had been stolen. He also dumped his shoes and jacket in the trash.

CONTACT: District Attorney Clint Campion at (907) 269-6300 or clint.campion@alaska.gov.

More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.