What started as a missing person’s case for the Anchorage Police turned into a death investigation Thursday afternoon. The deceased person in question was 25-year-old Nome-Beltz alumna Martina Painter.
After 11pm on Wednesday evening, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) was contacted by a family member of Ms. Painter. The family member filed a missing person’s report claiming Painter had gone out for the evening with a friend but had not returned home.
Thursday afternoon, around 3pm, APD homicide detectives located Martina’s vehicle in a parking lot near University Lake Park in Anchorage. A deceased female was the only one found inside the car.
According to those who knew Painter, she drove a blue Dodge Dart, and KTVA reports that a blue four-door sedan was towed away from the scene Thursday night. An autopsy conducted today in Anchorage concluded that the lone occupant of the car was Martina Painter.
This is still considered an open investigation until the cause of death can be determined. APD detectives have conducted several interviews and are not currently looking to speak with anyone else regarding this incident.
