Crime & Courts

22-year-old Ketchikan man charged with murder in stepfather’s death

A Ketchikan man died early Friday after being beaten by his stepson, who now faces a second-degree murder charge, police said.

Officers were called to a home on Carlanna Lakes Road around 3:30 a.m. after the wife of 43-year-old Peter Jensen called 911 to report that Jensen appeared to be dead on the floor of their bedroom, according to charging documents filed Saturday.

First responders “attempted life saving measures which were unsuccessful,” Ketchikan police said, and Jensen was pronounced dead shortly after 4 a.m. Police said Jensen appeared to have extensive injuries to his head consistent with blunt-force trauma, according to an online statement.

Tyler Cavanaugh, 22, lived in the home with his mother and Jensen, and he told investigators he returned home that evening and got in a fight with Jensen, the charges said.

Cavanaugh said he punched Jensen three times before he fell to the bed and Cavanaugh left the room, according to the charging documents.

After investigating, police arrested Cavanaugh, who was taken to the Ketchikan Correctional Center.

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Tess Williams

Tess Williams is a reporter focusing on breaking news and public safety. Before joining the ADN in 2019, she was a reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Contact her at twilliams@adn.com.

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