JPD: Man in freezer died of natural causes, wife concealed death to receive his benefits

Ross Anthony Pasquan died sometime between 2018 and last year, according to police; his wife, Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan, collected his benefits until she died last summer

A property at Switzer Village Mobile Home Park on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, where a man was found in a chest freezer on July 19, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

A man whose remains were discovered in a freezer in July died of natural causes sometime in recent years, and his wife concealed the death while continuing to receive benefits in his name until her death last year, the Juneau Police Department announced Friday.

JPD, in an information release announcing it has completed its investigation of the incident, stated Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan acted alone in concealing the death of her husband, Ross Anthony Pasquan, who would have been 74 years old when he was discovered.

Pasquan was discovered July 19 in a storage shed next to a residence at Switzer Village Mobile Home Park by a person cleaning out the property, according to JPD. The person discovered what appeared to be human remains wrapped in a tarp in the locked freezer.

"Based on the freezer being manufactured in 2018 and McDonald-Pasquan’s death in July 2025, investigators believe Pasquan's remains were placed in the freezer between those dates," the release notes. "Investigators were not able to establish a reliable timeline and could not determine when Pasquan died or precisely when his remains were placed in the freezer."

The State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Pasquan died of natural causes related to severe cardiovascular disease, according to the release.

Pasquan grew up in Juneau, and served in the National Guard before working in construction and then as a cement truck driver, said Mike Notar, a longtime friend, in an interview with the Juneau Independent after the remains were discovered.

Witnesses told JPD that Pasquan had a history of significant health problems and McDonald-Pasquan served as his primary caregiver, according to the release.

"Witnesses said she explained his absence by telling them he had been moved to a care facility outside Juneau," the release adds.

McDonald-Pasquan, after her husband’s death, continued to apply for and receive Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends, Social Security benefits and retirement benefits in his name, according to JPD.

"Investigators also learned that a retirement benefit provider had not been notified of his death and was still depositing monthly payments into Pasquan’s account up until July 2026," the release notes.

McDonald-Pasquan died of natural causes on July 14, 2025.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.