Anthony Michael Migliaccio was arraigned Tuesday after his indictment in the killing of Faith Rogers. His lawyer, Anna Ambrose, entered a not guilty plea and agreed to a readiness hearing on Dec. 28.
Rogers, a longtime substance abuse counselor in Juneau, was found dead on Sept. 21 on the Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Dei, or Brotherhood Bridge Trail. Migliaccio was arrested in connection with her killing on Nov. 24 but has been in custody since Sept. 29 for an unrelated case.
Last week, Migliaccio was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter. He was not indicted on an earlier first-degree murder charge.
If Migliaccio and Ambrose decide they are ready for trial at the Dec. 28 hearing, a jury trial would be scheduled for early February. But Judge Marianna Carpeneti said the defense might want more time, “given the seriousness of the charges.”
District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum also acknowledged that it could be a while before the case goes to trial. She said other cases like this have taken years, and there are a lot of people in custody awaiting trial due to the backlog of cases from the pandemic.
“The two homicides that have gone to trial this year in Juneau were both 2019 cases. So that gives you an idea as far as what we’re dealing with, with the backlog,” Gillum said.
Migliaccio is being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center on $500,000 bond.
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