Homicide; 1800 Kalgin Street
Update on 9/22/23:
From the Attorney General’s Office:
Anchorage Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren sentenced 46-year-old Daniel Alex Rocero for the March 18, 2022, murder of Keenan Wegener in Anchorage.
Wegener’s body was discovered in a tote in a garage on Kalgin Street on March 20, 2022. The evidence at trial showed that Wegener sustained serious physical injuries and that Daniel Rocero had also placed his foot across Wegener’s chest and neck, strangling him to death.
Several of Wegener’s family and friends spoke at sentencing. They described Wegener as a caring, kind individual that would do anything for anyone. They further described the ongoing impacts that Rocero’s murder of Wegener has had on their lives.
Judge Ramgren found that Rocero’s murder of Wegener was “among the most serious” second-degree murders and did not believe that Rocero, a verified member of the Norteños gang, had much prospect for rehabilitation. The court also recognized that Rocero had been previously adjudicated as a delinquent minor in California for armed robbery and was extremely abusive to the mother of his children. He sentenced Wegener to serve 50 years for the murder and 2 years for tampering with evidence, for a composite sentence of 52 years to serve. Rocero will be on probation for 10 years following service of his sentence.
Rocero is currently in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Update on 05/17/23:
From the Attorney General’s Office:
Today, an Anchorage jury convicted 46-year-old Daniel Alex Rocero of two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Manslaughter, and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence for the murder of 27-year-old Keenan Wegener on March 18, 2022. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren presided over the trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 21, 2023, in front of Judge Ramgren. Judge Ramgren may sentence Rocero to a term of imprisonment of no less than 15 years and no more than 99 years.
This case was prosecuted by Anchorage Assistant District Attorneys Patrick J. McKay, Jr., and Braden Seward. The Anchorage Police Department’s Homicide Unit, led by Detective Jeff Elbie, did the investigation.
Update on 3/31/23:
From the Attorney General’s Office:
April 4, 2022 (Anchorage, AK) – On March 31, 2022, an Anchorage grand jury indicted 39-year-old Adam Pringle and 45-year-old Daniel Rocero on two counts of second-degree murder, one count of manslaughter, and one count of evidence tampering. Pringle and Rocero are alleged to have killed Keenan Wegener on March 18, 2022. Wegener’s body was discovered by police inside a residence on March 20, 2022.
If convicted at trial, Pringle and Rocero face sentences of up to 99 years imprisonment for each of the second-degree murder charges, up to 20 years for the manslaughter charge, and up to 5 years for the evidence tampering charge.
These charges are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Pringle and Rocero are currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Rocero’s bail is set at $75,000 cash performance, $25,000 cash appearance, plus he is required to have a 24/7 third-party custodian. Pringle’s bail is currently set at $125,000 cash performance, $25,000 cash appearance, plus he a 24/7 third-party custodian. Both defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before the Superior Court in Anchorage today, April 4, 2022.
Update on 3/23/22:
The victim has been identified as 27-year-old Keenan Wegener. Next-of-kin notification procedures have been completed.
Update on 3/21/22:
This death is now being investigated as a homicide.
Through the investigation, detectives determined two suspects were involved. 39-year-old Adam D. Pringle and 44-year-old Daniel A. Rocero were both taken into custody in the evening on March 20th. After being interviewed by detectives, they were both remanded at the Anchorage Jail on the charge of Murder II.
The victim’s name will be released once next-of-kin notification procedures have been completed.
Original on 3/20/22:
At 9:30 AM on March 20, 2022 Anchorage Police responded to a call in regards to an adult male who was deceased inside a residence on the 1800-block of Kalgin Street. While the circumstances surrounding the death are still under investigation, police have deemed this death suspicious in nature. The Crime Scene Team has responded to process the scene. Ultimately the Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
APD Case 22-8966
