After an investigation that started after the report of the death of 56-year-old Clifford Schanrock in Mountain Village on Wednesday morning, troopers report that they have made an arrest in the case.

Weather conditions hampered efforts to first reach the village 20 miles to the west of St Marys as well as transport the victim for autopsy. Investigators and Crime Scene Technicians eventually made it to the community to cover the scene on Thursday and made an arrest. Arrested was 23-year-old Anchorage resident Anthony Beans. He has been charged with Murder II and Manslaughter.

According to the investigation and witness statements, an intoxicated Beans assaulted Schanrock after Beans tipped over a honey bucket that was in the middle of the floor and an altercation broke out. Witnesses say that the incident happened at approximately 3 in the morning on Wednesday.

After Beans tipped over the honey bucket, and the contents spilled over the floor, Bean himself fell down and after he was helped up, Schanrock came over and started arguing with Beans. Soon the men were scuffling on the floor and Beans began punching Schanrock in the face. Witnesses say they yelled for Beans to stop in the fight that lasted about five minutes with Beans straddling Schanrock punching him unconscious. Beans was eventually pulled from the injured Schanrock and pushed out of the house.

Schanrock attempted to get up after the assault but fell to the floor unconscious. He never revived. The assault was reported to the Village Police Officers at 5:41 am. VPOs, Alvin Brown and David Alexie, arrived at the scene to discover a beaten and bruised Schanrock unconscious at the residence. CPR efforts, that lasted about a half an hour, were unsuccessful in reviving him and he was declared deceased.

Troopers interviewed Beans who told troopers that he remembers fighting with Schanrock and punching him several times before leaving the residence.

The responding trooper reported that when he arrived at the residence, the contents of the honeybucket was all over the room as well as all over Schanrock, who still lay on the floor where he succumbed to his injuries.

The trooper also reported finding a nearly empty orange cooler containing a small amount of homebrew. Alcohol importation is illegal in the community of approximately 850 people.

Beans was transported from the holding facility in St Marys to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Facility and is held on $100,000 bail. His next hearing is on February 18 in St Marys.