Trevor Stefano, the man who police say shot a man at a Government Hill home on Wednesday, had been released from prison in 2018, after having served time for a drug-related murder he committed in Spenard in 2006 when he was 19 years old.
Stefano has been now charged with attempted murder, first- and third-degree assault, and misconduct involving weapons in the shooting in which he used a pistol to gun down an Anchorage lawyer at his home, which also serves as the lawyer’s office. The lawyer survived but was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
Stefano, born Dec. 7, 1986, is now 38. After the Department of Corrections decided he was making good progress on his rehabilitation, he was released from prison in Fairbanks after serving 12 years of a 40-year sentence (15 suspended), and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor for the rest of his sentence.
He got married and moved to Anchorage, where, in July of 2019, he was arrested for domestic violence and was found to be in contact with felons, including his brother, in violation of his ankle monitor agreement.
Read all about his first murder conviction and release at this link.
“Stefano manipulated and directed the victim to request the charge be dropped. The victim indicated that what she had told the police was true and she was fearful of him and worried that he would kill her or have her killed,” the court record shows. He later was divorced.
“Stefano appealed his termination from electronic monitoring. His appeal was denied by a probation officer, who explained that: (1) Stefano had been given permission to have only telephonic contact, not in-person contact, with his brother Connor; and (2) although the domestic violence charges were dismissed, the officer had heard Stefano’s ‘inappropriate statements to [his] wife’”’ in the recorded calls from prison,” the record shows at the detailed case description at FindLaw.com.
Stefano has additional court records with the state, some involving protective orders.
According to reports, one of the Wednesday victims in the house on Government Hill said she had dated Stefano briefly and said he was stalking her. She was grazed by one of his bullets but needed no hospitalization.
Stefano, who was stopped by a volley of police bullets, and the lawyer he is accused of shooting were both critically injured and required complex surgeries.
The criminal justice/social worker/parole system/public defender complex is seriously defective. Why is it that the party or parties responsible for the release of this guy are never identified so they can be held accountable to the public?
Was his release proposed by a public defender, counselor, correctional staffer, parole board or combination of the above? Who actually approved his release? The public should be able to find out.
This article needs more moderation than my comments. How is one 38, being born in 1968.
Typo fixed. Thanks. – sd
RELEASED FOR MURDER! SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THERE’S A CHANCE! 🤣
Born in 68 but is only 38? I was born in 72 and I thought I was 52. Someone lied to me.
Good catch. It was 86 not 68. Thanks – sd
40 years for taking the life of another?!?! And that is reduced?!?!
With Capitol punishment carried out swiftly after a speedy trial, this incident never happens, the domestic abuse never happens, etc.
“After the Department of Corrections decided he was making good progress on his rehabilitation, he was released from prison in Fairbanks after serving 12 years of a 40-year sentence (15 suspended), and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor for the rest of his sentence.”
For those who would like to know how the political/judicial/”corrections system works; the legislature makes the laws which get the guy sentenced. The judge follows these laws as far as s/he feels they need too. The corrections side keeps the prisoner then MUST release the prisoner according to the judges ruling. So, if the prisoner is sentenced to X amount of time, the legislature has enshrined the “good behavior” rule, plus additional time off if the prisoner completes various classes in say, anger management ect.
If you want to blame someone don’t blame corrections, we have to follow the judges rulings as s/he has interpreted from the legislature. So the one here to point the finger at are the humanists in Juneau who hire the “prosecutors”, “public defenders”, and “judges”.
We have three black robes out here right now that absolutely love criminals and give them a slap on the wrist for what, in the Lower 48, would get them serious time.
A drug killing? Should have done minimum 50-life, but Alaska will give you 35 years. Here in Bethel, premeditated, first-degree murder max 35 years, do your time plus all available classes, no disciplinary problems you’ll do 14 years, with last 3 in half-way house and out the door. Most other states you’d pull a death sentence or at least life without parole.
Why only 12 years?
Corrections Department said he was making progress on his rehabilitation. – sd