Alaska State Troopers on Sunday found the bodies of a man and woman reported missing two days earlier from a Denali Highway campsite, the agency says.
The pair were reported missing 9:15 p.m. Friday from a campsite at Mile 79, according to a trooper dispatch posted online. Authorities searched the area around their vehicle and camper trailer and found “evidence suggesting an altercation involving gunfire.”
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The man and woman were nowhere to be seen.
Troopers began searching the area by air, with the help of Wilderness Search and Rescue volunteers. At about 4 p.m. Sunday, troopers heard sounds coming from a dilapidated trailer in the area and found evidence that suggested the missing couple might be inside.
Trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said she did not know what kind of sounds were coming from the trailer. “It’s unclear if anyone was alive at that time,” she said.
Authorities set up a perimeter around the trailer and made their way inside, where the two bodies were found.
Ipsen said she does not know if gunshots were heard between the discovery of the trailer and troopers’ entry, nor how long authorities waited before going inside.
“There are still a lot of details that have yet to be determined and information that I don’t have because there hasn’t been much communication out of that area,” she said.
Troopers and the Alaska Bureau of Investigation are still in the area today, gathering evidence as the investigation continues. The bodies will be autopsied by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.
Troopers have not publicly named the deceased, pending positive identification and notification of family members.
It was not immediately clear if authorities suspect the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide or if a third person might have been involved.
“At this time, troopers are still trying to figure out if someone else was involved or if this is an isolated incident,” Ipsen said.
