John McClelland Missing Person Case

Sep 01, 2020

Jan 12, 2024

John

McClelland

65

61

73 inches

240 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the late summer of 2020, 61-year-old John William McClelland, a resident of North Pole, Alaska, vanished under perplexing and suspicious circumstances. He was last seen in the North Pole area, and his last confirmed activity was the use of his debit card to purchase diesel fuel for his truck at a gas station in Fairbanks, Alaska, on the evening of August 14, 2020. Following this, McClelland, who was on parole, uncharacteristically failed to show up for his job as a painter and handyman and missed a required check-in with his parole officer. This abrupt silence and deviation from his established routine raised immediate concerns among those who knew him. The alarm was officially sounded when his brother, residing in Michigan, contacted the Alaska State Troopers on August 20, 2020, to request a welfare check. This request was prompted by a series of strange text messages purportedly from McClelland, which claimed he was seriously ill and in need of thousands of dollars. The investigation into McClelland's disappearance quickly focused on his roommate, Aaron Mitchell Hague. When questioned, Hague initially told investigators that McClelland was in the hospital, a claim that was soon proven to be false. Authorities discovered that in the days following McClelland's last known whereabouts, Hague had used McClelland's debit card for significant personal purchases, including video gaming equipment and other items. He was also found in possession of McClelland's Jeep, which he claimed to have purchased, though the title remained in McClelland's name. Suspicions mounted as McClelland's brother's attempts to call him went unanswered, and hospitals in the area had no record of him as a patient. Shortly after being interviewed by the Alaska State Troopers, Hague abruptly moved out of the residence he shared with McClelland, violating the terms of his own probation, and fled the area. The case took a darker turn when Hague was arrested in Gresham, Oregon, in March 2021 for the murder and identity theft of another man, Anthony Alcorn. Investigators believe Hague lured Alcorn to Oregon with the promise of a job, killed him, and assumed his identity to evade questioning in McClelland's disappearance. In May 2022, a grand jury in Fairbanks indicted Hague for the murder of John McClelland, with financial gain being the suspected motive. During his trial in Alaska, Hague admitted to causing McClelland's death but claimed it was in self-defense, a narrative the jury ultimately rejected. In April 2026, a Fairbanks jury found Aaron Hague guilty of manslaughter, second-degree theft, and tampering with physical evidence in connection with McClelland's death. Despite this conviction, the body of John McClelland has never been found. The overview of this case reveals a tragic and calculated crime where a man seeking to rebuild his life was betrayed and ultimately lost, his remains still missing, leaving his loved ones without closure.

Aug 14, 2020

North Pole

Alaska

Fairbanks North Star Borough

No

90708

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK20058230

2020-08-20

Alaska State Troopers

6907

Brown

Green

Green

No

07/04/2026