Trooper Communications Department Says Mary Jo Evans Died In Caribou Fire, Though Body Not Found

Troopers Say Evans Was Seen At The Caribou & Didn't Leave 

Updated Journal Report: Thursday December 4th 

The preliminary investigation indicates this fire was accidental in nature. It started in the utility room of the hotel and the cause is believed to be utility related. -- Alaska State Troopers 

The Department of Public Safety's Communications Department has clarified what they believe they now know about the Caribou Hotel fire last month, and the death of a Valdez woman who they believe was killed by the fire.

They have not found any physical evidence of her body they say, but in the past few days, Troopers have, for the first time, publicly presented the concept that there was other evidence that 86-year-old Mary Jo Evans was in the building when it burned in mid-November. 

Troopers initially told the Journal they had found "no human remains" at the site when they searched with dogs on Wednesday, November 26th. But now they say that didn't mean she didn't die there in the blaze. 

The Country Journal requested specific clarification about the investigation on the evening of December 1st, by email, after hearing rumors that at least two cadaver dogs and equipment had been at the site, and that local people believed a body had been found.

Within two minutes after asking for confirmation on those rumors on the evening of December 1st, the the Troopers responded with a one word sentence that "no human remains" were discovered:

Story On December 1st With Official Trooper Response 

By the next day, however, the comments presented to KTUU on the evening news were far more complex, saying that investigators knew Mary Jo Evans had been killed in the fire and that she had been seen at the hotel. The Journal wrote the Department on December 4th, with specific questions keying off the KTUU report, and received the following answers:

QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNTRY JOURNAL 

Responses by: Tess Williams, Information Officer II, Alaska Department of Public Safety On December 4th, 2025

 

1. Do investigators believe a missing woman from Valdez is dead? Mary Jo Evans is believed to be deceased at the scene.
2. Was “Evans and her car” seen at the hotel as mentioned on KTUU?  Surveillance footage showed Evans entering the hotel, but there is no evidence that she ever left. Her car was located at the scene and was damaged in the fire.
3. Was there actually previously unknown “security camera footage” as reported on KTUU? Where?  Investigators routinely obtain security or surveillance footage during investigations that may help them determine what happened at a scene. Evans was a guest at the hotel when it caught fire. She was seen on surveillance footage entering the hotel but there is no evidence that she ever left.
4. What were the “investigative efforts” both fire marshals and Troopers took that revealed she had been there as mentioned on KTUU? Surveillance footage showed Evans entering the hotel, but there is no evidence that she ever left. Her car was located at the scene and was damaged in the fire.
5. “DPS is convinced Evans died in the fire” as of December 2nd. Why would DPS say on December 1st, only hours before that there were “no human remains”? Officials from the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office and Department of Public Safety responded to the scene on Nov. 26, 2025 and searched extensively, including with dogs from MAT+SAR and by hand excavation. However, due to the duration and intensity of the fire, they were unable to locate any human remains. 
6. “There is no evidence we’ve been able to find of Mary leaving the hotel…” What efforts were made to find such evidence? Investigators have collected multiple witness statements, reviewed surveillance footage and conducted a thorough examination of the scene. 
7. "She was positively seen inside of the hotel.” Please clarify. The investigation has been ongoing and a thorough review of evidence allowed investigators to confirm that Evans was a guest at the hotel and had entered the hotel before it caught fire.