A McGrath woman died of blunt force and sharp object injuries inflicted by a man she lived with, Alaska State Troopers said Tuesday.
Troopers arrested 46-year-old Glen Holmberg in connection to the death of 50-year-old Carol Whalen. The two lived together, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.
Holmberg is facing a charge of second-degree murder.
According to charging documents filed Tuesday by Bethel District Attorney Tom Hoffer, both Holmberg and Whalen had been at their home with a neighbor on Saturday afternoon. When the neighbor left around 4 p.m., Whalen was alive, the charges said.
Holmberg told his neighbor around 10:30 a.m. Sunday that Whalen wasn’t responsive, the charges said. The neighbor called troopers after he went to the home and found Whalen dead, according to the charges.
Troopers said Holmberg had blood on his body and clothing when they arrived. It appeared Whalen was dragged from a mattress to the bathroom, according to the charging documents.
After completing an autopsy Monday, the State Medical Examiner Office declared Whalen’s death a homicide and said she died from “blunt force and sharp object injuries,” noting “significant head trauma and significant blood loss,” according to the charging documents.
It was not immediately clear what may have motivated the killing. Troopers did not provide additional details as to the nature of Holmberg and Whalen’s relationship.
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