Big Lake man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2016 shooting of Wasilla teen

PALMER — Damien Peterson, 20, of Big Lake pleaded guilty to the June 27, 2016 killing of 16-year-old Wasilla boy Frank Woodford on Thursday.

Peterson had been charged with second degree murder but pleaded down to manslaughter in exchange for the guilty plea.

Woodford died from a gunshot wound to the chest suffered when he and Peterson and another teen, Austin Barrett, one of five charged in the November 2016 murder of David Grunwald were in Woodford’s bedroom.

State troopers responded to the scene on June 27 to find Woodford on the floor of a downstairs bedroom at the residence with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was still alive at the time police arrived and when asked, told troopers he did not shoot himself. When Woodford was told by medics on-scene his wound was fatal and police needed to know what happened, troopers stated Woodford reiterated that he did not shoot himself. He was medi-vaced to Anchorage and later pronounced dead.

According to the report, Barrett told police he was looking at a tablet when he heard a sound similar to a gunshot. Peterson told police Woodford picked up the gun and it went off shortly afterward.

Damien Peterson’s younger brother Devin Peterson is among those charged on a lesser count in the Grunwald murder.

Damien Peterson is expected to be sentenced on the manslaughter charge in May.