A 37-year-old Eagle River man was killed in a "physical confrontation" in the Bristol Bay village of Levelock Friday, where a friend said he was commercial fishing for the summer.
Alaska State Troopers were called to Levelock Friday night for a reported stabbing.
Ellis Lee Kaloke was found dead at the scene, troopers said in an online dispatch Sunday.
What happened is unclear: Troopers wrote only that "a dispute occurred between a homeowner and the visitor which escalated into a physical confrontation."
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-wordpress-client-uploads/adn/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/16102436/Ellis_Lee_Kaloke.jpg)
Troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain said an investigation continues. Troopers have not named the other person or people involved or announced any criminal charges.
Kaloke grew up in Eagle River and graduated from Chugiak High School in 1999, said his friend Stephen "Pops" Cutshall Sunday.
"He was a very, very excellent guy," he said. "He'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it."
Kaloke had been working summers fishing in Bristol Bay for a couple years, Cutshall said. He lived in the Anchorage area for the rest of the year, where he was into pursuing his hobbies of remote control cars, hiking and trucks. He also did handyman work, according to Cutshall.
Cutshall said he'd known Kaloke for 20 years.
He was the kind of guy you'd call to help you move apartments — hardworking, caring and dependable, Cutshall said.
"I'm just in shock," he said. "I still can't believe it."