A preliminary report from the State Medical Examiners office says a man who died at the Anchorage Jail Friday was the victim of a homicide.
The report says 53-year-old Mark Canul was found unresponsive in his cell on Friday afternoon. An initial autopsy report released by the State Medical Examiner’s Office revealed Canul’s cause of death was strangulation.
“Their office is conducting further testing that may reveal additional details of the death at a later date,” a statement from the Department of Corrections read.
According to the documents the cell was covered in blood. Canul’s cellmate, 20-year-old James Clinton, admitted to the killing.
Clinton told investigators he “snapped” and that he killed Canul because he was “running his mouth.” He also told investigators Canul had stolen his identification.
Clinton was in jail for the charge of trespassing, arrested at the Downtown Bus Accommodation Center on Dec. 7. Canul was arrested on Nov. 22 for causing a disturbance at the Walgreens on Lake Otis Parkway.
According to the Department of Corrections there were no security cameras monitoring the cell they shared.
Clinton now faces a charge of first-degree murder.
