Crime & Courts

Anchorage police ID 2 people found dead after standoff as middle-aged couple

Anchorage police have identified the two people found dead in a South Anchorage home Friday morning after a SWAT standoff as a middle-aged couple.

Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in a Monday statement that police found Debra Badger, 51, and Earnest Lewis Jr., 49, in the Rancho Drive home.

[2 people found dead after SWAT standoff in South Anchorage]

"The investigation into the dynamics and motive of the shooting is still ongoing," Oistad said. "There are no further details to release at this time."

The couple's deaths appear to be from gunshot wounds, police previously said, and a firearm was found near their bodies. Police also said the incident is being investigated as a homicide.

The standoff lasted from Thursday night into Friday morning and prompted the evacuation of nearby homes. It was the second standoff in as many days, but the earlier incident ended peacefully with an arrest.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

ADVERTISEMENT