Police say the woman found dead outside Wednesday morning is 24-year-old Michelle Felber, an Anchorage resident.
A man walking through a wooded lot just north of Dowling Road, near its intersection with Quinhagak Street, discovered Felber's remains and flagged down an off-duty officer, police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said.
Parker said one of Felber's family members reported her missing Monday after the family hadn't seen her for at least two months. The police spokesman said it was likely a coincidence Felber's body turned up just two days after the report.
"The family members contacted one another and realized they hadn't seen her in a couple months," Parker said. "The detectives were able to tell by the state of the body she had been there for an extended period of time."
Parker said he did not know whether that meant Felber had been there for a matter of weeks or months.
"The longer human remains stay outside, the more difficult it is to tell how long they've been there," he said.
The cause of Felber's death is unknown, so far, pending the results of an autopsy, Parker said.
Court records show Felber pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief in 2011 and misdemeanor theft in 2012.
Michelle Felber's brother, Kristopher Felber, is currently incarcerated after pleading guilty in 2006 to second-degree murder, among other charges, for a police chase that ended when he hit another car head on, killing a man. A judge sentenced Kristopher Felber to serve 66 years behind bars.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
By CASEY GROVE