An Alaskan woman was allegedly strangled to death by her boyfriend — who also allegedly killed their dog — after authorities couldn’t immediately access her remote village home to respond to her emergency call due to extreme “weather conditions,” according to officials.
Marie Unok, 37, was found dead at her residence last week in the isolated village of Kotlik, Alaska after a violent confrontation allegedly unfolded between her and her 44-year-old partner, Pius Teeluk, state authorities said.
Teeluk is also accused of killing the family’s dog with a knife during the incident, according to an indictment obtained by Oxygen.com.
A grand jury indicted the Alaska man on one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of animal cruelty, officials announced on Thursday.
In the early morning hours of March 12, Alaska troopers were notified of a possible domestic disturbance at the couple’s house. Unok dialed law enforcement shortly after 1 a.m., alleging that Teeluk had threatened her with a firearm, investigators said.
”Marie reported that her boyfriend had gone crazy on her, she asked for help,” a complaint obtained by Oxygen.com stated.
According to the reports, the couple could be heard shouting at each other while dispatchers attempted to speak with Unok. The call cut off amidst the couple’s volatile exchange.
Authorities were unable to make any further contact with Unok, though they tried calling her back, officials said.
Kotlik is located on the western Alaskan coastline near the Yukon River, and, with no roads in or out, can only be accessed by air or water transportation, according to state records. It had been experiencing extreme winter conditions when Unok called authorities and, at the time, there were also no police available in or around Kotlik.
“AST was unable to immediately respond due to weather conditions,” Alaska State Troopers said in a statement.
Teeluk allegedly called troopers back hours later and reported that his girlfriend was no longer alive.
When state troopers responded — having traveling to the village via aircraft after the storm cleared — Unok was found “laying in a homemade piece of furniture that appeared to be used as a bed and/or couch,” the case’s complaint, which Oxygen.com obtained, stated.
The Alaskan woman’s official cause or manner of death hasn’t yet been released. However, Unok appears to have died by strangulation, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Teeluk was arrested on March 12 in his partner’s murder.
According to charging documents, Teeluk became angry with Unok after he came home from work and discovered she had been drinking his “home brew,” some of which he also consumed.
A spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers declined to comment on the open case when contacted by Oxygen.com on Thursday.
A judge set Teeluk’s bail at $250,000 during his initial court appearance on March 13. It’s unclear if he’s retained legal representation.
If convicted, Teeluk faces a maximum punishment of up to 99 years in prison, according to officials.