A missing person case for Anchorage police turned into a death investigation on Thursday.
A graduate of Nome-Beltz Junior/Senior High School, Martina Painter, 25, was found dead Thursday afternoon. She was the only person in a blue four-door Dodge Dart located in a parking lot near University Lake Park in Anchorage.
A family member had contacted Anchorage Police Department about 11 p.m. Wednesday and filed a missing person’s report, claiming Painter had gone out for the evening with a friend but had not returned home.
An autopsy conducted today in Anchorage concluded that the lone occupant of the car was Martina Painter. The cause of death has not been determined. An investigation is ongoing.
Anchorage homicide detectives have conducted several interviews and are currently not looking to speak with anyone else regarding this incident.
A Facebook profile matching Painters said she had previously worked at Norton Sound Health Corporation, Nome. It also said she had attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
