On Friday afternoon, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of local Nome resident John Penetac, Jr. The 51-year-old passed away on July 6th. The cause of death is unknown.
Earlier Friday morning, around 11:30am, an Alaska State Trooper dispatch reported a deceased man’s body being found near the area known as Cavota Pond. He was recovered by EMS and then pronounced dead at 6:57pm — on July 6th. It’s a pattern that may sound familiar: the cause of death is unknown, but foul play is not suspected. The man was identified as 51-year-old, John Penetac, Jr., of Nome, whose funeral was held this afternoon.
Megan Peters is a Public Information Officer for the Alaska State Troopers. She says this incident wasn’t posted until today on the Trooper dispatch because it was neglected for more than two weeks due to unknown reasons. Peters reiterated that foul play is not expected at this point.
Troopers are still awaiting autopsy results from Anchorage, which have yet to be released.
