An Alaska Wildlife Trooper made a startling discovery in Nikiski Sunday, Feb. 25 when he happened across two deceased individuals in a parked vehicle near Hedberg Lake. Initial investigation indicates the two died of drug overdose.
According to AST Detachment A Commander, Captain Mike Zweifel, the Soldotna Wildlife Trooper was on patrol late Sunday afternoon when he discovered the vehicle with two dead inside.
“Our AWT Trooper was out checking ice fishermen on the local lakes and when he went down to Hedberg Lake, he found this vehicle kind of tucked off into a corner, went and checked on it, and found the two to these people. Inside the vehicle he saw obvious signs of drug use that was going on within the vehicle and at that time they were already deceased.”
Once the two deceased individuals were discovered by the Wildlife Trooper, investigators from the Major Crimes and Drug Units were dispatched to the scene.
An exact time of death has not yet been established, but it is assumed the two died sometime Sunday since troopers were able to determine roughly how long the vehicle had been parked near Hedberg Lake.
“We know the vehicle was probably there since about 5:00 in the morning that morning on Sunday,” said Cpt Zweifel. “And again our AWT trooper found it about 4:20 in the afternoon.”
Per the initial investigation, drug overdoses are the suspected cause of death, according to Cpt Zweifel. If there is a specific drug tied to the potential overdose that determination will not be made until crime scene data returns from a lab analysis.
An investigation into the deaths is ongoing.