A Willow man accused of killing another man before turning the gun on himself in an April shooting in Talkeetna died Wednesday night in Anchorage.
Billy Kidd, 57, spent 11 days in the critical care unit of an Anchorage hospital before dying around 10:22 p.m. of injuries sustained in the shooting that left 33-year-old Andrew Lafrance dead, Alaska State Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen said.
"Based on the investigation thus far, it appears Kidd shot and killed Lafrance and then shot himself," troopers wrote in an online dispatch Thursday.
Shortly before 1 a.m on April 18, the Palmer Police Department received a cellphone call from a caller who said someone had just been killed "and the police would have to come see for themselves to learn more," the original trooper dispatch said.
Some hours later, using information provided by the cellphone service provider, Talkeetna-based troopers were able to locate Lafrance and Kidd at a home in the Montana Creek area of Talkeetna, troopers said. Lafrance was pronounced dead at the scene. Kidd was flown to Anchorage to be treated for his injuries.
Kidd has since been identified as the person who placed the 911 call, troopers wrote.
Ipsen said it remains unclear what caused the fatal shooting, as Kidd remained in critical care until his death and was unable to speak with authorities after the shooting.
"As far as investigators know there were only two people there when it happened, and now both of them are dead," Ipsen said.
Although troopers believe Kidd was the shooter, Ipsen said the case isn't closed.
"Just because he's dead, it doesn't means the investigation stops," Ipsen said. There are still reports to write and an autopsy to be conducted on Kidd.
"It's just a matter of making sure he is the shooter," Ipsen said.