Left inset: Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan (Legacy Funeral and Cremation). Right inset: Ross Pasquan (KTUU/YouTube). Background: The area in Alaska where Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan lived while her husband, Ross Pasquan, lay dead in a "chest freezer," according to police (Google Maps).
An Alaska woman stashed her husband's remains in a "chest freezer" for years while continuing to collect his government and retirement benefits — telling people he had been moved to an out-of-town care facility, according to police.
Ross Pasquan's remains were discovered in a storage shed in Juneau on July 19, after a family member began "cleaning out" the property following the death of his wife, Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan, according to a Juneau Police Department press release.
Pasquan was reportedly wrapped in a tarp inside the freezer.
"On Sunday, July 19, 2026, at approximately 7:59 p.m., the Juneau Police Department responded to a residence in the 6500 block of Glacier Highway following a report of possible human remains discovered on the property," the JPD release says. "The reporting party advised officers they had been cleaning out the residence following the death of a family member when they located what appeared to be human remains inside a chest freezer in a locked outbuilding on the property."
Investigators determined the remains belonged to Pasquan, who would have been 74 at the time of the discovery. The State Medical Examiner's Office found he died of natural causes related to severe cardiovascular disease.
How long Pasquan's remains were in the freezer is unknown. Police believe they were placed there sometime between 2018 and 2025. No missing persons report related to Pasquan was ever filed, according to JPD officials.
The investigation uncovered an alleged yearslong scheme to conceal Pasquan's death and keep the money from his benefits flowing. Police said McDonald-Pasquan continued applying for and receiving benefits in her husband's name until she died, including Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend checks, Social Security benefits and retirement payments.
One retirement benefit provider was allegedly never notified of Pasquan's death and continued depositing monthly payments into his account through July , local NBC affiliate KTUU reports.
Pasquan had a history of significant health problems and his wife had served as his primary caregiver, according to his obituary. When people asked about his absence, police say McDonald-Pasquan told them he had been moved to a care facility outside Juneau.
Investigators found no evidence that anyone else caused Pasquan's death or helped his wife conceal his remains or collect his benefits, according to JPD officials. The investigation has been closed now that McDonald-Pasquan is dead.
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