Still no break in missing teen case

PALMER — Police say that after exhaustive discussions with witnesses who were on scene that night, they have found no evidence of foul play in the disappearance of Trenton Tunohun.

Tunohun, 17, fled into the woods with a friend on July 27 after police arrived to investigate a disturbance at the Matanuska River Bridge. Tunohun hasn’t been seen since.

Police say they got wind that Tunohun hadn’t returned home the day after he disappeared. They tried to find him in Palmer but didn’t. That day at noon a two-day search effort convened. At various times searchers used boats, helicopters, ATVs and search dogs to comb the area between the Matanuska River and the Sherrod and Swanson elementary schools.

“After a thorough two-day search, no clues or signs of Trenton were found in the search area,” police report.

Since Tunohun went missing, the rumor mill has been running full speed in Palmer with various theories of Tunohun’s disappearance, none of which seemed to come with much proof.

Detective Sgt. Kelly Turney with the Palmer Police Department, when asked about the possibility that Tunohun fell into the river, said that the professional opinions of searchers was that there was a good chance he did. But police can’t say for sure.

“There’s no indication that he did go in the water. There’s no indication of anything. That’s the problem,” Turney said. But, regarding the rumors, he said, “Nobody killed anybody. I know that for sure.”

Police say that through their investigation they have been able to piece together the night. They say Tunohun and his friends were drinking with two adults, who police identify as Jody M. Johnson, 33, and Troy A. Johnson, 36, both of Palmer.

“There was a reported verbal, then physical, domestic disturbance between the two adults. During the domestic disturbance one of the juveniles present, not Tunohun, brandished a firearm in an attempt to stop the disturbance. The firearm was not fired and it was recovered on scene later by the responding officers,” a police press release states.

Troy Johnson was taken to the hospital that night for treatment of injuries he’d received in the fight. Police say one of the teens, again, not Tunohun, reported he’d also been injured.

Court records show both Johnsons have relatively minor criminal history. Troy has open cases for driving on a revoked license, petty theft and violating conditions of release. Jody has an open shoplifting case and an unresolved petition to revoke her probation on a 2005 theft and fraud case.

Toward the end, the police press release resorts to bold type and capital letters to say that after talking to everyone who was there that night they have found no indication of foul play.

Police say they continue to investigate Tunohun’s disappearance. They are calling people who knew Tunohun and looking into who provided the alcohol that night and where the gun came from.

“There have been no final determinations as to any criminal charges in this investigation,” police report.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.