Juneau police have identified the man whose remains were found inside a chest freezer in Juneau’s Lemon Creek area as Ross Pasquan, as detectives investigate whether his death was concealed for financial gain or another motive.
The Juneau Police Department identified Pasquan in an update Wednesday, police said. Police did not disclose his age or say how long they believe his remains had been kept inside the freezer.
Investigators are exploring whether Pasquan’s death may have been “concealed for financial gain or other motives,” the department said.
The remains were discovered July 19 at a property in the 6500 block of Glacier Highway, according to police.
According to police, a person was clearing out the home of a recently deceased family member when they found what appeared to be human remains inside a chest freezer. The freezer was located in a locked outbuilding on the property.
Officers responded shortly before 8 p.m. and confirmed that human remains were inside the freezer, police said.
Police initially said the deceased was believed to be an adult male family member associated with the property. Investigators also said there was no missing-person report believed to be connected to the remains.
The body was transported to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and an autopsy. Police have since publicly identified Pasquan, but his cause and manner of death have not been released.
“It is unclear when the individual died or how long the remains had been stored in the freezer,” police said following the discovery.
Detectives are now attempting to establish whether someone deliberately concealed Pasquan’s death and, if so, why.
Police have not explained what evidence led them to examine a possible financial motive. They have also not disclosed whether investigators are reviewing benefit payments, bank activity, property, inheritance or another potential source of financial gain.
Police have not disclosed whether Pasquan lived at the Glacier Highway residence or explained his relationship to the deceased family member whose property was being cleared.
No suspect has been identified, and no arrests or criminal charges have been announced. The department said detectives were continuing to investigate the timeline and circumstances surrounding Pasquan’s death.