Alaska State Troopers on Monday confirmed that the remains discovered in a burned home near Wasilla on Saturday are those of a doctor who was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material.
A preliminary investigation has determined that 46-year-old Ryan McDonough was found in the house destroyed by a fire Saturday evening, the Department of Public Safety said in an online update.
“The investigation is ongoing, but investigators considered a number of factors, including a thorough review of the physical scene, before making this determination,” troopers spokesperson Tess Williams said in an email.
The State Medical Examiner Office was working to determine how McDonough died, Williams said.
McDonough, who was facing 10 charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, had been unaccounted for since the fire on West Discovery Loop near Wasilla, troopers said. The home’s other residents were safe, they said.
The origin and cause of the fire was ongoing, troopers said.
McDonough, a former member of the Alaska State Medical Board, was arrested Thursday after an investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement, according to troopers and court records.
He pleaded not guilty and was released from jail after his wife paid his $50,000 cash bail on Friday, according to a database of state court records.
McDonough, an interventional cardiologist, was fired from his job at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and Mat-Su Medical Group on Thursday after the health care provider learned of the charges, a hospital spokesperson has said.
A spokesman for Gov. Mike Dunleavy said McDonough resigned from the State Medical Board last month. Dunleavy appointed McDonough to the board in August.
Troopers identify remains found in burned home as Wasilla cardiologist
