January 23, 2026
(Juneau, AK) – On Jan. 21, 2025, Isaac Friday, age 33, was sentenced to 20 years with 13 years and 11 months suspended after pleading Guilty to Manslaughter for the death of Jade Williams. Friday will serve 6 years and 1 month of prison time and then be released on supervised probation for 7 years.
This case stems from the Aug. 2017 death of 19-year-old Jade Williams. At the time, Jade Williams and Friday were in a dating relationship. The two were at her house in Kake, drinking with numerous friends. Later that night, Friday ran to a neighbor’s home, indicating that Jade was on her kitchen floor and was not breathing. Despite life saving efforts, Jade was declared deceased. The autopsy revealed that Jade died from asphyxiation due to strangulation. Friday denied causing Jade’s death.
Over the next two years, Juneau AST investigated Jade’s death. In late 2019, an indictment against Issac Friday was returned by a grand jury charging Friday with Jade’s murder. On March 4, 2025, Friday entered a plea of Guilty to Manslaughter for the death of Jade Williams. Yesterday, Friday was sentenced pursuant to the agreement between the parties.
Judge Carpeneti accepted the parties agreement, and noted that the death of any 19-year-old is a tragedy. Judge Carpeneti also noted that not only did Jade’s immediate family, including her father and grandmother, suffer immense grief, but so did the entire community of Kake.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Rachel K. Gernat and was investigated by the Juneau office of the Alaska State Troopers.
CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney Rachel K Gernat at rachel.gernat@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6300.
# # #
Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.
