ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Anchorage man accused of fatally striking a former Deadliest Catch cast member during a hit-and-run earlier this year pleaded not guilty in court on Friday.
Thirty-one-year-old JB Matha is facing 10 charges, including driving under the influence and second-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Francis Katongan, who was killed in a hit-and-run on Feb. 18 near the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Minnesota Drive.
“I think we are filled with a lot of sadness and grief. We’re still processing his death … sometimes it feels like he is away on a fishing trip,” Denise Hansen, Katongan’s older sister, said. “It’s going to be our first time seeing JB Matha in person. We just hope everything goes smoothly.”…