Body of missing 19-year-old woman found in Alaska

Police in Anchorage, Alaska, identified a recently found body as a 19-year-old indigenous woman who went missing in January.

The body was found and reported to the Anchorage Police Department on April 20, and on Friday the department announced that the body belonged to Kelly Hunt, 19.

Ms. Hunt, the police said, arrived in Anchorage on Jan. 6, stayed at a residence until the next morning and was reported missing on Jan. 11.

A medical examiner is still working to figure out the cause of Ms. Hunt’s death. Police said in a Friday release that no arrests had been made in the case.

Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case confirmed to KTUU-TV that Ms. Hunt was indigenous and a member of the wider Alaska native community, though he did not specify what, if any, tribal affiliation she may have had.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, posted Tuesday on X, “The news of Kelly Hunt … is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s unacceptable that cases like Kelly’s continue. Progress has been made in addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, but there is much more to be done. … My deepest condolences go out to Kelly’s family and her entire community as they navigate this devastating loss.”

Ms. Hunt, a college freshman and resident of Shaktoolik, 400 miles northwest of Anchorage, went there on her way back for the rest of the term at Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, according to KNOM-FM.

Some advocates believe the police took too long to act.

“They work under this assumption that this person’s going to show up. But what happens when they don’t?” Antonia Commack, an advocate for missing and murdered indigenous people, told the radio station.

Chief Case said in a release, “From the day she was reported missing, the Anchorage Police Department began actively working to locate Kelly Hunt. … While we cannot discuss specific details, we can say that detectives have pursued this case with urgency and a commitment to accuracy.”

Mr. Case added that the police department acknowledges “the loss for family members and for the community. This case remains under investigation, and therefore, we are limited in what information we can share. We ask for understanding and patience from the community as detectives continue to conduct this investigation with urgency and accuracy.”