Authorities have yet to release the identity of the 69-year-old Ketchikan man found dead Aug. 29 on the north side of town.
Ketchikan Police Department Lt. Andy Berntson says a report from the state medical examiner’s office is pending before the department will release the man’s name. That’s despite the fact that his family and next of kin have been informed.
A resident reported the body on the tidelands near 4700 N. Tongass Hwy. Berntson says KPD’s initial assessment didn’t indicate the death was suspicious.
“For the officers on scene, there was nothing that we would call ‘apparent or obvious,'” Berntson said.
It’s not uncommon for unsheltered residents to die of exposure in Alaska. But Berntson says the area where the man’s body was found is not a common area for homeless people to camp.
“He’s not believed to be permanently homeless, but a person that could possibly be part-time homeless,” Berntson said.
He says the investigation so far has focused on the man’s last known movements. Berntson notes that the state medical examiner’s report will provide more details on the cause of death. He says those investigations can take up to two months.
