Press Release

Lawana Barker Sentenced for Drug Distribution Homicide

July 14, 2025

(Kenai, AK) – On July 10, Superior Court Judge Lance Joanis sentenced 61-year-old Lawana Barker to eight years with four years suspended followed by seven years of probation for convictions for Criminally Negligent Homicide, Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 4th Degree, and Theft in the 3rd Degree.

On Aug. 11, 2023, Ms. Barker called the Alaska State Troopers to report that62-year-old Michael Rodgers of Nikiski was dead in his home. The Medical Examiner concluded that Mr. Rodgers died from the acute toxic effects of methamphetamine with a cardiac event. Investigation by Alaska State Trooper Investigator Kevin Gill discovered that Ms. Barker, who had just met Mr. Rodgers, had procured the methamphetamine that killed him and introduced him to how to smoke it for the first time.

Ms. Barker was charged with the Alaska Manslaughter statute, which criminalized the delivery of a controlled substance that directly leads to the death of a person. She pled guilty to a lower charge on Criminally Negligent Homicide. It was noted at her sentencing how deadly drugs are like the methamphetamine that killed Mr. Rodgers, and had Mr. Rodgers not been introduced to drugs by Ms. Barker, he would not have died that day.

Questions: Contact Assistant District Attorney Jon Iannaccone at Jon.Iannaccone@alaska.gov.

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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.