Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson speaks to reporters about the cause of death of Mayor Stephen "Greg" Fisk during a press conference at the Juneau Police Station on Wednesday. Local, state and national reporters were on hand for the report that Fisk died of natural causes.

Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson speaks to reporters about the cause of death of Mayor Stephen "Greg" Fisk during a press conference at the Juneau Police Station on Wednesday. Local, state and national reporters were on hand for the report that Fisk died of natural causes.

Autopsy report: Fisk died of natural causes

Juneau police on Wednesday announced preliminary autopsy results indicate Juneau Mayor Stephen “Greg” Fisk died at home of natural causes, ending speculation that foul play was involved.

Fisk’s body was found with multiple injuries, including a bloodied face and bruising on other parts of his body, but those injuries were a result of falling and not an assault, Juneau Police Department Chief Bryce Johnson said.

“When people fall, they sustain injuries, and it can look like there was an assault that took place, and that’s why that the first thought was that an assault took place but it was consistent with a fall,” Johnson told reporters during a press conference at the police station Wednesday.

Police believe Fisk, who at 70 had a history of heart problems, likely blacked out from a medical episode and was unable to protect his face as he fell, resulting in the injuries. Johnson said Fisk struck several items around the room where he stumbled and collapsed, including a countertop.

The autopsy puts the time of death around 6:30 a.m. Monday, police said.

The Fisk family has been notified of the preliminary results. A full autopsy report is not expected for another two to eight weeks.

Fisk was discovered lying on the ground in the front room area of his Kennedy Street home at about 3:30 p.m. Monday after his son, Ian Fisk, went to check on him. Fisk had missed several appointments that day and did not return phone calls.

With injuries involved, rumors quickly flew that the mayor was attacked.

“The first person on scene was the son, and when he saw there was blood — he could see injuries — so the first assumption was someone had done something to him,” Johnson told reporters. “So we proceeded not knowing the cause of death, not knowing if it was something nefarious. And we had an obligation to do that, to rule out all possibilities.”

JPD did not release any information about the possible cause of death or the injuries, except to say they could have been caused by any number of things from a fall to an assault. A nationwide media hoopla ensued, with major news outlets such as ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, Good Morning America, Reuters and the New York Times reporting on or inquiring about the mayor.

On Wednesday, Johnson defended JPD’s handling of the case, saying police could not speculate on what the injuries were prior to receiving the autopsy results. He chalked the media attention up to the “intriguing” nature of the story and “people being people.”

“There was a time period in which we didn’t have any answers, and people being people, they run with the unknown for a couple of days,” Johnson said of the media attention. “It’s Juneau, Alaska, it’s an exotic location, it’s a newly elected mayor, and so it was an intriguing story.”

The police department had earlier issued a statement saying the rumors of an assault were speculative, and the chief in interviews had emphasized there were “lots of possibilities” as to what could have caused Fisk’s injuries.

Fisk, a fisheries consultant, was just elected as Juneau’s new mayor in October. He defeated incumbent mayor Merrill Sanford by gaining 66 percent of the vote.

There’s no word yet on when services will be held. Fisk’s body was sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage on Tuesday for the autopsy, which was completed Wednesday morning.

•••

Original story:

An autopsy for Juneau Mayor Stephen “Greg” Fisk, who died unexpectedly at his home Monday, indicates the 70-year-old newly-elected politician died of natural causes, according to a Juneau Police Department statement.

According to medical examiners, the injuries on Fisk’s body as noted by police Tuesday were consistent with either “falling or stumbling into objects.”

The final autopsy report, which will include toxicology results, is not expected for another two to eight weeks, police said.

Fisk was found by his son, Ian Fisk, around 4 p.m. Monday at the elder Fisk’s Kennedy Street home on Starr Hill in downtown Juneau. Usually there would be nothing suspicious about a 70-year-old man dying at home. In Fisk’s case, rumors started almost instantly around the neighborhood and online alleging foul play. The autopsy report released Wednesday indicted no sign of foul play.

Earlier this week, and without a known cause of death, rumors intensified, gaining attention from national TV networks and talk shows.

JPD spokeswoman Erann Kalwara said Tuesday she and JPD Chief Bryce Johnson had received some 35 interview requests from outlets such as ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, Good Morning America, Reuters and the New York Times.

Fisk’s body was sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for the autopsy, which happened this morning, according to Dawnell Smith, a spokeswoman for the office.

Fisk, a fisheries consultant who was just elected as Juneau’s new mayor in October.

• This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.

Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson speaks to reporters about the cause of death of Mayor Stephen "Greg" Fisk during a press conference at the Juneau Police Station on Wednesday. An autopsy on Fisk was performed by a state medical examiner in Anchorage on Wednesday with JPD officers in attendance. The preliminary autopsy report indicates the cause of Fisk's death was natural causes.

Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson speaks to reporters about the cause of death of Mayor Stephen “Greg” Fisk during a press conference at the Juneau Police Station on Wednesday. An autopsy on Fisk was performed by a state medical examiner in Anchorage on Wednesday with JPD officers in attendance. The preliminary autopsy report indicates the cause of Fisk’s death was natural causes.

Mayor Greg Fisk talks about his first week on the job during an interview on Oct. 23. Fisk was found dead in his house on Monday.

Mayor Greg Fisk talks about his first week on the job during an interview on Oct. 23. Fisk was found dead in his house on Monday.

More in News

Jasmine Chavez, a crew member aboard the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, waves to her family during a cell phone conversation after disembarking from the ship at Marine Park on May 10. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Ships in port for the week of Sept. 28

Here’s what to expect this week.

Workers install Hesco Barriers along the Los Angeles River to protect against El Niño flooding in 2016. Similar barriers along the Mendenhall River are being considered by Juneau city leaders. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)
Building blocks toward flood prevention being sought by city, community group

Four-mile levy using giant sand barriers proposed to Assembly; neighborhood group seeks own solutions.

Supporters of Mayor Beth Weldon and Juneau Assembly candidate Neil Steininger wave signs to motorists on Egan Drive at the Douglas Bridge intersection on Tuesday morning. Both are well ahead in their two-candidate races in the first batch of ballots tallied Tuesday night, with official results scheduled to be certified on Oct. 15. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Leaders in mayoral, Assembly races cautiously ponder issues ahead as more ballots tallied

Mayor Beth Weldon, Assembly hopeful Neil Steininger have solid leads; Maureen Hall a narrower edge

Juneau Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen (right) and Deputy Clerk Diane Cathcart await the arrival of election materials as early ballots are counted at the Thane Ballot Processing Center on Tuesday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ship-Free Saturday losing, Weldon leads mayor’s race, school board recalls failing in early election results

Unofficial partial count shows Steininger, Hall leading Assembly races; school board incumbents also ahead.

Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau is among the state prisons housing inmates whose names were included in material improperly accessible to the public on a website for months, according to officials. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Update: Inmate records improperly online for months contained fictitious health data, company says

Investigation rebuts illegal health data leak accusations by ACLU, which still finds fault with explanation

Dan Kenkel sets up an election sign outside City Hall as in-person voting begins at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Juneau’s municipal election. Voting locations and ballot dropoff boxes are open until 8 p.m. tonight.
Election Day arrives with Assembly, school board, municipal bond and cruise ship items on ballot

In-person voting and dropoff boxes open until 8 p.m.; initial results expected sometime after 10 p.m.

The Donlin Gold airstrip, with the camp at the far end on the right, is seen from the air on Aug. 11, 2022. The mine site is in the hilly terrain near Southwest Alaska’s winding Kuskokwim River. The mine won a key permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2018, but a federal judge ruled on Monday that the environmental study on which that permit was based was flawed because it failed to consider the impacts of a catastrophic dam failure. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Federal judge faults environmental analysis for planned huge gold mine in Western Alaska

Regulators failed to consider impacts of a dam failure when issuing Donlin mine permit, judge rules.

(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Three women arriving on flights arrested on drug charges in two incidents at Juneau’s airport

Drugs with a street value of more than $175,000 seized during arrests, according to JPD.

Most Read