Anchorage Grand Jury Indicts McClam for Manslaughter
Update on 4/7/26:
From the Attorney General's Office:
April 7, 2026 (Anchorage, AK) – Today, Roderick McClam, 35, pled guilty to Manslaughter, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, and Driving Under the Influence for the Sept. 2022 killing of Robert Malone and for the injuries sustained by Earl Malone and Andrew Malone. McClam, while under the influence of alcohol and cannabis, crashed into the Malone’s vehicle at the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Denali Street.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2022, McClam had been drinking at Al’s Alaskan Inn before getting into a borrowed Jeep Commander and driving away. As McClam was driving himself home from the bar, just before 4:00 am, McClam failed to stop at a red light and crashed into the driver’s side of the Malone’s vehicle. Robert Malone sustained fatal injuries. Earl and Andrew Malone were also injured in the crash. Roderick McClam sustained no injuries. Following the crash, McClam attempted to flee and was stopped by bystanders on scene. Bystanders also assisted the injured until emergency services arrived.
Officers assigned to the Major Collision Investigation Unit (MCIU) with the Anchorage Police Department completed a thorough investigation. McClam’s Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) was .16, twice the legal limit, one hour following the crash. McClam’s blood, seized through a search warrant, showed he had recently ingested cannabis. Traffic cameras followed McClam’s path of travel prior to the crash. McClam exhibited multiple signs of impaired driving, including a failure to maintain his lane of travel, wide turns, and his failure to stop at multiple stoplights. McClam performed poorly on standardized field sobriety testing. McClam, captured in audio recordings on scene, claimed to be fit to drive despite the crash and admitted to alcohol use.
Based on his guilty pleas, McClam will proceed to open sentencing before The Honorable Peter Ramgren on August 6, 2026. For this conduct, McClam faces 15-20 years on both the Manslaughter and Assault in the First-Degree guilty pleas; 3-5 years on the Assault in the Third-Degree plea; and up to 1 year on the DUI plea. McClam has agreed and admitted to the State’s proposed aggravating factors in this case, which include the fact that someone other than the defendant sustained injuries, that he created a risk of imminent physical injury to three or more persons, and that he was on bail for another charge at the time he committed the offense. Specifically, at the time of the offense, McClam was on release for a felony drug charge in Alaska and on probation for separate robbery, burglary and weapons offenses out of Georgia.
This case was prosecuted by Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Ashley D. McGraw with paralegal assistance by Aryel Dilley.
Update on 10/7/22:
From the Attorney General's Office:
An Anchorage grand jury issued a supplemental indictment for one charge of manslaughter against Roderick McClam after the victim, Robert Malone, succumbed to his injuries on Sept. 26, from a vehicle collision.
McClam allegedly caused the collision on Sept. 10, at the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Denali Street. McClam provided a breath sample of .160 g/210 liters of blood alcohol content about an hour after the collision. The legal limit in Alaska for non-commercial drivers is .08.
A grand jury previously indicted McClam on two counts of assault in the first degree, assault in the third degree, and misconduct involving weapons in the third degree. The District Attorneys Office charged McClam with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.
McClam is in custody at Anchorage Correctional Complex. McClam faces up to 20 years on the manslaughter and first-degree assault charges, up to five years on the third-degree assault and third-degree weapons misconduct charges, and up to one year on the driving under the influence charge. McClam is scheduled to be arraigned before the Anchorage Superior Court on Oct. 10, 2022 for the supplemental charge.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Roderick McClam is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Update on 9/27/22:
The driver of the GMC Safari, 51-year-old Robert G. Malone, has succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the crash that occurred on September 10, 2022. Malone passed away on September 26th; next-of-kin notification procedures have been completed.
The driver of the Jeep, Roderick McClam, had already been indicted by a Grandy Jury in relation to this crash. The District Attorney will make the decision regarding the filing of additional charges now that this collision is a fatality.
Update on 9/21/22:
From the Attorney General's Office:
An Anchorage grand jury indicted Roderick McClam on two counts of assault in the first degree, one count of assault in the third degree, and one count of misconduct involving weapons in the third degree for a vehicular collision on Sept. 10, 2022, at 3:43 a.m.in the intersection of Denali Street and E. Northern Lights Blvd.
In the other vehicle, Robert and Earl Malone sustained serious injuries from the collision; and Andrew Malone suffered minor injuries.
McClam submitted to a chemical breath test, which revealed a breath alcohol content of .160 grams per 210 liters of breath. The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office also filed a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence.
McClam is in custody at Anchorage Correctional Complex. McClam faces up to 20 years on the first-degree assault charges, up to five years on the third-degree assault and third-degree weapons misconduct charges, and up to one year on the driving under the influence charge. McClam is scheduled to be arraigned before the Anchorage Superior Court on September 22, 2022.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Roderick McClam is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Update at 9:45 AM:
Initial indications are that a GMC Safari was being driven westbound on Northern Lights when it entered the intersection with Denali Street on a green light. At the same time, a Jeep Commander was being driven northbound on Denali Street when it entered that same intersection on a red light; the two vehicles collided.
There were three occupants in the GMC. The adult male driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The adult male front seat passenger was transported to a hospital with serious injuries that he is expected to survive. The teenaged male juvenile in the rear passenger seat was not injured.
When officers contacted the driver and sole occupant of the Jeep, 32-year-old Roderick L. McClam, they saw signs of impairment. After conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), the decision was made to charge McClam with Driving Under the Influence. McClam was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on the charges of DUI and two counts of Assault I. McClam did not appear to be injured.
All lanes are now open. Thank you for your cooperation while we worked the scene.
Update at 5:00 AM:
At 3:46 AM on September 10, 2022, APD responded for a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Denali Street and E Northern Lights Boulevard. One of the persons involved was transported to a hospital with what are believed to be life-threatening injuries.
The Major Collision Investigations Unit (MCIU) has responded to process the scene; a drone may be used in their investigation. Both the northbound and southbound lanes of Denali Street are closed for a couple of blocks at Northern Lights. Westbound Northern Lights is closed between Eagle and Denali. Please use an alternate route.
Original at 4:15 AM:
All westbound lanes of Northern Lights are closed at Gambell while officers investigate a vehicle collision with injuries. Please avoid the area if possible.
APD Case 22-29492
