Fairbanks, February 8, 1992
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A local man identified as Josh Blevins was found dead from an apparent suicide in his cabin on Friday by a concerned neighbor. The neighbor had gone to check on the man after spotting troubling signs at the cabin. According to local sources, windows and doors had been smashed in, and large paw prints were found around the perimeter of the dwelling, leading the neighbor to suspect a bear attack. It’s not uncommon for bears to break into homes, especially when their hibernation has been disturbed and they’re foraging for food. Park rangers and a team of local hunters failed to find any bears in the immediate area, and maintain the tracks were not, in fact, from a bear. “They looked for all the world like wolf prints,” said one of the local hunters, “but no wolf is that big.” Rangers are still investigating the possibility of wildlife involvement, as any animals that have lost their fear of humans enough to invade homes could be a threat to the local community. This is the first recorded instance of such a possible encounter in over a decade. Though the local sheriff’s department declined to make an official statement, they did, however, confirm the cause of death was a single gunshot to the head. Blevins, a native of Kentucky, had only been living on the outskirts of Fairbanks for less than a year. It is unknown what brought him to the area.