WA man sentenced to 99 years for murder of Ketchikan doctor
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (KTUU) - Washington man Jordan Joplin has been sentenced for the 2017 murder of Ketchikan surgeon Dr. Eric Garcia.
Joplin received 99 years in prison, the maximum sentence for murder charges in the state of Alaska.
Judge Michael Wolverton called Joplin’s acts “brazen and craven”, saying that the case has stood out to him after more than 40 years on the bench due to the “intentional and careful planning” of the murder.
The sentencing handed down Tuesday comes ten months after a jury found the Washington State man guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree theft in the 2017 death of the man who was his romantic partner for six years.
An autopsy found the 58-year-old surgeon died from a fatal dose of morphine, methadone, lorazepam and diazepam. After Garcia’s death, Joplin stole several expensive belongings from Garcia’s home, including electronics, a coin collection, jewelry, and an large collection of liquor with a value exceeding $320,000.
Detectives later learned that Joplin had arranged for shipping containers to be delivered from Garcia’s residence to his own in Washington. Investigators found Garcia’s cell phone and wallet at Joplin’s home.
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