Juneau’s newly elected mayor was found dead in his home Monday afternoon. Greg Fisk was 70 years old.
His body was found by his son, Ian Fisk, around 3:30 p.m. on Monday. He called 911 and police were on scene within minutes.
Juneau police chief Bryce Johnson said the cause of death is still unknown. Officers and detectives spent hours Monday evening investigating Fisk’s house on Kennedy Street in the Starr Hill neighborhood.
“We’re going to very methodically preserve all the evidence and everything that’s at the residence to make sure we have everything documented, so that when we get the results and autopsy back we can follow up on some investigation at that point,” Johnson said.
Rumors circulated Monday night that Fisk may have been assaulted. Johnson said it’s “speculation” and other plausible theories exist, like a fall or heart attack.
Fisk’s body is being sent to the state medical examiner’s officer in Anchorage for an autopsy. Results are expected within several days.
City meetings scheduled for Monday night were canceled.
Fisk was elected as Juneau’s mayor in October, beating incumbent Merrill Sanford by a margin of 2-1. Fisheries historian Bob King was Fisk’s next door neighbor, good friend and chairman of his mayoral campaign.
“Just so sad that a person with so much promise, so many great ideas, would be snuffed so soon within his term as mayor,” King said.
Deputy Mayor Mary Becker will succeed as mayor temporarily until the Juneau Assembly determines the next steps.
Jennifer Canfield is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
Lisa Phu is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
