A Wrangell jury unanimously reached a presumptive death verdict in the matter of missing resident Brandon Peterson.
Peterson, 38, had last been seen on or about Dec. 13, 2015, at his Thoms Place cabin. A welfare check had been requested of Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department. Fire service volunteers met with him that evening, and determined him to be intoxicated but otherwise fine.
Another check was requested by relatives on Dec. 17, but Peterson was nowhere to be found. A more extensive search effort followed, at points using all-terrain vehicles, a tracking dog and boats. Foul weather hampered the effort at times, but in all around 1,000 hours were put in by the Alaska Wildlife Trooper, emergency personnel and local volunteers.
The official search was suspended on Dec. 29, though parties of friends, relatives and others have since continued.
In court on April 7, in determining whether to presume Peterson as dead, jurors heard testimony from those involved in the initial search effort in December. The three asked to testify were Alaska Wildlife Trooper Fred Burk, Chief Tim Buness of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, and search and rescue K-9 handler Steve Prysunka.
“It was summarizing the search and showing the expansiveness of the search,” explained Prysunka. He and his dog Katilli have continued to cover sections of road on the island’s southern end on a regular basis.
“Most weeks we cover a section of road,” Prysunka explained.
After hearing the testimony, jurors presumed Peterson had died by exposure on or around Dec. 14.
The Alaska Court System allows for the completion and signing of medical certification when a death occurs either without medical attendance or when official inquiry is required. A presumptive death verdict allows a death certificate to be issued, thus enabling a person’s family to deal with the estate.
Ellis explained that in such situations the death certificate would be amended in the event of a body being found, and the judgment can be vacated if the person turns up alive at a later date.
A memorial service to celebrate Peterson’s life was held by family and friends at City Park on Saturday.
The search for him will continue said his uncle, Don Van Oss, who is also a private investigator. He expects to conduct inquiries and will scour the area around Peterson’s cabin. The cabin is reportedly about three-quarters of a mile from the service road’s end, connected by a trail through muskeg patches and brush.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation,” Van Oss said. “We don’t know exactly what happened yet.”
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