Joshua Rukovishnikoff, Sr. sentenced to 9 years in prison for manslaughter in Saint Paul

(Anchorage, AK) – On Tuesday, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Josie Garton sentenced Joshua Rukovishnikoff, Sr., 54, to 9 years of incarceration for the 2021 strangulation death of his wife, Nadesda Rukovishnikoff, in Saint Paul. Judge Garton also imposed a further two years suspended sentence. Rukovishnikoff will be on probation for five years upon his release from prison.

Following a trial, Rukovishnikoff was convicted by an Anchorage jury on January 25, 2024, of involuntary manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. On September 22, 2021, after a night of drinking that resulted in a verbal argument, Rukovishnikoff strangled Nadesda Rukovishnikoff for approximately 1 to 4 minutes. Rukovishnikoff claimed he was acting in self-defense and told St. Paul public safety officers that Nadesda brandished a bat at him. At trial, the jury rejected the defendant's claim of self-defense and convicted him of involuntary manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

In sentencing Rukovishnikoff, Judge Garton found that although alcohol played a role in his actions, it did not mitigate the violence of Rukovishnikoff's actions. She noted that isolation from the community was a significant factor in his sentencing and stressed the need to deter and protect the community. While recognizing that alcoholism is a disease with a spectrum of addiction and recovery, Judge Garton found that alcohol often played a role in Rukovishnikoff's long criminal record.

Assistant Attorney General Sam Vandergaw of the Office of Special Prosecutions and Assistant Attorney General and Tribal Liaison Anne Bruno of the Criminal Division Central Office prosecuted this case. The case involved a joint investigation between the Saint Paul Police Department and Alaska State Troops.

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