BETHEL -- A woman found dead in an unheated, unoccupied Bethel house Friday evening may have died from exposure, police said Tuesday.
Joanne Mills, 63, was found by her family in the house on Seventh Avenue in the Western Alaska hub community, police said. Her relatives alerted police just before 6 p.m. She was not homeless, Police Chief Andre Achee said.
When police arrived, it was about 17 degrees inside the home, he said. It wasn't clear how long Mills had been there. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It appears that she may have died from the weather," he said. "There are no signs of any foul play in this incident."
The remains are being transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Anchorage for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Police are continuing to investigate.
Bethel Winter House, or Uksumi Uqisvik, which provides a safe place during the cold months for those who are on the streets, is set to open Dec. 1.