The State Medical Examiner's office in Anchorage have identified the remains of the man who was found in Stephan Lake last Wednesday as those of Phillip Kounduangta. He is suspected to have been the subject of the manhunt in the Big Lake Road area on June 25th.

Troopers attempted to stop a vehicle on Big Lake Road on the morning of June 25th. The driver of the vehicle did not stop and a ten-minute car chase ensued. When finally stopped, the driver exited the vehicle, fired shots and fled the area.

The State Trooper Special Emergency Reaction Team of SERT was activated and searched the area for hours. Residents in the area were cautioned to remain in-doors and to not answer the door for anyone they did not know. By late afternoon, the search for the fleeing gunman had been called off.

The evening of June 25th, a report of a swimmer in distress was called in to 911. Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers responded to the lake, found no sign of the swimmer in distress in the location he was last seen.

On June 26th, Mat-Su Dive and Rescue was called in to begin a search of the lake and several boats and divers combed the water looking for the missing swimmer. They too were unsuccessful in locating anyone.

Last Wednesday, an area resident reported that they had discovered a body in Stephan Lake. The Mat-Su Dive team once again responded to the scene and this time recovered the body and turned it over to the State Medical Examiner’s office who had also responded to the scene.

The State Medical Examiner’s office released their findings this week and report that the remains were that of 24-year-old Phillip Kounduangta. Kounduangta also fit the description of the subject pursued by authorities on June 25th, the same day that the swimmer in distress call went in.

Next of kin were notified.

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