The body found Tuesday night near Eklutna Lake is that of a Houston man missing since December and he was the victim of homicide, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.
Troopers reported Loy Suthammavong, 30, missing on Dec. 6 after his family had not seen him for several days, troopers said in a written statement. That same day, as investigators were looking for Suthammavong, police officers and firefighters found a vehicle on fire in Anchorage that was later determined to belong to Suthammavong, troopers said.
Investigators said the fire was arson, and an autopsy this week showed that Suthammavong was the victim of a homicide, troopers said. A person on snowshoes found his body Tuesday night two or three miles down Eklutna Lake Road.
"From the onset, circumstances surrounding the apparent disappearance of Suthammavong (were) suspicious and resulted in investigators considering a variety of factors," the troopers wrote in the statement.
One factor included Suthammavong's conviction on two felony drug charges, troopers said.
Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said she could not comment on the cause of Suthammavong's death or why troopers believe he was the victim of homicide. She also refused to explain the troopers' assertion that his death was related to the drug conviction.
"It's something that made his disappearance suspicious," Peters said.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
By CASEY GROVE
Anchorage Daily News