Alaska News

Troopers: Man’s body found off Petersburg dock, foul play not suspected

The body of 24-year-old Jase Payne was found Monday night near a dock in the Southeast Alaska community of Petersburg, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers had gotten a report just before 7 p.m. Monday that Payne was missing. He was last seen earlier that day on the dock of Rocky Point Resort, about 10 miles south of town, according to troopers.

"Family members had been conducting hasty searches of the nearby Wrangell Narrows with no results," said a trooper dispatch posted online Tuesday. Troopers and local police also searched the area "with no results," according to the dispatch.

At 11 p.m., troopers got word that Payne's body had been found.

"After the tide had gone out and gone down was when his body was found," said Tim DeSpain, troopers spokesman. "It was right off the dock."

DeSpain said Payne's body would be sent to the Alaska Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and the medical examiner would determine the cause of death. He said troopers did not suspect foul play, but declined to comment on what they believed led to Payne's death.

"It does not seem suspicious is the only thing I can say," DeSpain said.

A man who answered the phone at Rocky Point Resort Tuesday declined to comment and deferred questions to troopers.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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