Juneau Resident James White Sentenced to 40 years for Murder of 5½-Week-Old Baby

December 19, 2025

(Juneau, AK) - Today,Juneau Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentenced 45-year-old James White of Juneau to 75 years with 35 years suspended-40 years to serve-for the murder of 5 ½-week-old baby Kathy White on April 15, 2024.

James pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in July as part of a plea agreement. The agreement allowed the court to sentence White to between 20 and 99 years, with a maximum of 40 years of active jail time to serve.

Kathy's mother, Starlene White, told the court that before her death, Kathy was a happy baby who was loved deeply by her family, especially her siblings. She spoke of the pain she feels from Kathy's loss every day.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Mead emphasized the vulnerability of the victim, stating the sentence was "warranted given the extreme vulnerability of Kathy. She was an innocent victim in the truest sense of that word."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead of the Office of Special Prosecutions' Rural Prosecution Unit, with Juneau District Attorney's Office Paralegal Marley Hettinger. Juneau Police Department Detective Frank Dolan led the investigation. AWARE provided advocacy and support for Starlene White throughout the case.

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead, at (907) 465-3924 or [email protected].

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at [email protected] or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.