River John George Aspelund Sentenced to 99 Years for Murdering his Mother

May 21, 2026

(Kenai, AK) - Today, Kenai Superior Court Judge Lance Joanis sentenced 24-year-old River John George Aspelund to 99 years in prison, with no eligibility for parole, for brutally killing his mother in Sept. 2022.

A Kenai jury found Aspelund guilty of Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter, and Tampering with Physical Evidence following a trial in Aug. 2025. The evidence at trial showed that, after receiving a family member's request for a welfare check on Jeryl Ann Bates at her Nikiski residence, Alaska State Troopers responded to the residence and discovered Ms. Bates' severely injured body covered by a blanket inside the residence, with significant blood staining throughout the area. Ms. Bates' son, River Aspelund, was found lying on a bed inside the residence.

An autopsy found multiple gunshots to the rear of Ms. Bates' head, as well as two post-mortem gunshots wounds to her chest. Additionally, Ms. Bates had extensive injuries caused by a knife, including multiple post-mortem stab wounds to her abdomen and neck. The evidence showed substantial attempts to cover up the murder, including multiple empty bleach bottles and other cleaners.

The handgun and knife used in the murder were discovered beneath the driver's seat of a vehicle parked outside the residence. Video footage showed the defendant driving the vehicle and exiting and re-entering it after the murder and approximately one hour before Troopers arrived and discovered Ms. Bates. Investigators also located Aspelund's bloody fingerprints on the vehicle door, along with multiple bloody shoeprints at the scene matching the shoes he was seen wearing in the video footage. The contents of Ms. Bates' purse were scattered near her body, and bank cards bearing her name were recovered from the pants Aspelund was wearing in the footage.

In addition, substantial evidence presented at trial and during sentencing supported that the killing was premeditated. Over the two years preceding the murder, the defendant repeatedly made statements and engaged in conduct expressing an intent to kill, including that the defendant wanted to "Kill everyone. Kill myself" and that he wanted "to kill people, feel their blood, and see the life go out of them."

The court also heard evidence of the defendant's consistent refusal to take mental health medication and his persistent use of controlled substances. Judge Joanis noted these facts in finding the defendant a worst offender warranting the maximum sentence of 99 years that could be imposed, and in finding that it was necessary to restrict Aspelund's eligibility for discretionary parole considering his dangerousness and lack of rehabilitative prospects.

At sentencing the convictions for Murder in the Second Degree and Manslaughter merged into the Murder in the First-Degree conviction for which the court issued the single sentence of 99 years to serve. Judge Joanis also imposed a sentence of 1 year of prison for the Tampering with Physical Evidence conviction but imposed that sentence concurrent with the Murder in the First-Degree sentence.

This case was investigated by the Alaska Bureau of Investigations and the Soldotna Post of the Alaska State Troopers. The case was tried by District Attorney Scot H. Leaders with the assistance of Paralegal Julie Craig.

CONTACT: District Attorney Scot Leaders at 907-283-3131 or [email protected]

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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