Ross Pasquan died of natural causes, but investigators say his wife concealed his death while benefits continued in his name.
JUNEAU, Alaska — A Juneau woman concealed her husband’s death and continued applying for and receiving benefits in his name while his remains were kept in a chest freezer, police said after completing a months-long investigation.
The Juneau Police Department said Oct. 2 that Ross Anthony Pasquan, who would have been 74 when his remains were discovered, died of natural causes related to severe cardiovascular disease. Investigators found no evidence that another person caused his death. Police said Pasquan’s wife, Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan, concealed his death while continuing to obtain Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends, Social Security benefits and retirement payments in his name. McDonald-Pasquan died of natural causes on July 14, 2025.
Police cautioned that they could not determine exactly when Pasquan died or how long his remains had been stored in the freezer. Investigators believe the remains were placed there sometime between 2018, when the freezer was manufactured, and McDonald-Pasquan’s death in July 2025. That means the possible window spans as much as seven years, but authorities did not conclude that Pasquan’s remains were necessarily inside the freezer for the entire period.
The case began July 19, 2026, when a person cleaning out McDonald-Pasquan’s property in the 6500 block of Glacier Highway went to Juneau police at about 7:59 p.m. The person reported finding a locked chest freezer inside a storage shed. After locating a key and opening the freezer, the person saw a tarp-wrapped object that appeared to contain human remains, closed the freezer and contacted police, according to the department.
Officers and investigators went to the property and confirmed that human remains were inside the freezer. The remains were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage and were positively identified as Pasquan on July 25. Pasquan had not previously been reported missing, police said. Earlier in the investigation, authorities had not ruled out the possibility of homicide while they awaited identification, medical findings and other evidence.
The medical examiner ultimately determined that Pasquan’s death resulted from severe cardiovascular disease and was natural. Witnesses told investigators that he had significant health problems and that McDonald-Pasquan had been his primary caregiver. According to police, witnesses said McDonald-Pasquan explained her husband’s disappearance by telling people he had moved to a care facility outside Juneau.
Investigators reviewed financial records and interviewed witnesses as they examined what happened after Pasquan’s death. Police said the evidence supported their finding that McDonald-Pasquan concealed the death while continuing to apply for and receive benefits in his name. Authorities have not publicly established the total amount of money received because they could not determine when Pasquan died.
Deputy Police Chief Krag Campbell told KTOO that the available evidence showed benefits including Permanent Fund Dividend, Social Security and retirement payments continued to be sought after Pasquan’s death. Police also learned that one retirement benefit provider had never been notified that Pasquan had died. That provider continued depositing monthly payments into his account through July 2026, about a year after McDonald-Pasquan died and through the month Pasquan’s remains were discovered.
Police said they found no evidence that anyone else helped conceal Pasquan’s remains or assisted McDonald-Pasquan in collecting benefits. Investigators also found no evidence that another person was responsible for his death. Because McDonald-Pasquan was already dead by the time the remains were found, authorities did not bring criminal charges against her.
The department has closed both the death investigation and its investigation into the collection of benefits. Police said the medical examiner’s findings established that Pasquan died naturally, while McDonald-Pasquan’s death meant there could be no criminal case against her over the alleged concealment and benefit collection. Authorities have not established a reliable date for Pasquan’s death or the precise amount of time his remains were kept in the freezer.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.