The State Medical Examiner’s Office has completed the autopsy of a 13-year-old girl who was killed in Kake earlier this week, according to the Department of Public Safety, which is handling the investigation through its Bureau of Investigation’s Major Crimes Unit.
DPS spokeswoman Megan Peters said the autopsy for Mackenzie H. Howard was completed Friday, but the results are not being released yet since they are still waiting for a report from the examiner’s office on the cause and manner of death.
Howard’s body was found inside a Kake church on Tuesday evening, the apparent victim of homicide, lead investigator Rex Leath said Thursday. Candlelight vigils are being held in Howard’s honor across the state this evening.
As officials await the examiner’s office report, investigators remain in the small village of Kake conducting interviews, Peters said.
Peters did not say if any suspects have been identified in the case yet. Officials have not released any information on how Howard died, saying the information is sensitive and they don’t want to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (20)
Add commentTragic! RIP Mackenzie !
Tragic! RIP Mackenzie !
I can only imagine how hard this must be
To happen to such a truly innocent young lady in such a tight knit community. My prayers are with the whole community of Kake during this hard time. I commend the law enforcement officials involved for not disclosing information to satisfy the public. It must be so hard as it is to investigate considering the circumstances that exist that have been disclosed to the media.
A friend put it well earlier by stating that everyone must respect the investigation in order to fully respect the family. May this little angel rest in peace.
I can only imagine how hard this must be
To happen to such a truly innocent young lady in such a tight knit community. My prayers are with the whole community of Kake during this hard time. I commend the law enforcement officials involved for not disclosing information to satisfy the public. It must be so hard as it is to investigate considering the circumstances that exist that have been disclosed to the media.
A friend put it well earlier by stating that everyone must respect the investigation in order to fully respect the family. May this little angel rest in peace.
As our hearts go out to the family & community try and remember
Many of our community were in Kake so please try and remember...The picture of her was taken hours before she was murdered ... Jeffrey Jackson said Mackenzie and her parents helped out at the funeral for his dad, Clarence Jackson, on Tuesday. He remembers seeing her in a skiff filled with flowers as his father’s casket was being transported in another skiff to Grave Island where he was buried.“It was just hours before she passed,” he said.
So we have a time line people, where were you during this time line and midnight and did you see ANYTHING? Please if you think you had seen Mackenzie at anytime with anyone she did not know or knew or was uncomfortable with please speak up!
It is totally inappropriate
It is totally inappropriate to have comments on a story like this.
None of the comments have
None of the comments have been inappropriate....
LibHater
Maybe you should have waited a few more LIFETIMES before insulting an entire village with your post. Your words are not only inappropriate but could be very hurtful to those we should be comforting. Your first words show that even YOU knew this is the wrong place to post your comments but you did it anyway.
And there you have it.
And there you have it.
So What
LibHater does that somehow make it ok?
I agree your comment didn't need to be said on this article.
I don't understand your point at all. There are drug problems right here in Juneau and we have cops. People get killed and more right here.
I think JE should close comments on the articles about this because some people feel the need to push their own agendas instead of just giving support.
Other, more 'professional'
Other, more 'professional' news sites never have comments on sensitive articles like this. It's just common sense.
LibHater
Enough already!
Whatever....
Juneau empire needs to start screening what people put on here,
maybe this person was one of the drug dealer cause he is not living there now.
Sorry for how your acting on here, this is very heartbroken what happen to this sweet girl.
LibHater
So as a resident of Kake who is just looking at articles about this tragic event, I get to see how we are all alcoholics and drug addicts. You should have thought twice before posting something that is entirely irrelevant to the matter of this situation. Instead you choose to insult my home and my family. Yes there are people here who struggle with addictions just as there are people who do everywhere. There is no vpso here right now because he was fired, not because we cannot afford one, and we as a community would actually appreciate some sort of law enforcement here. So thank you for your bright words of encouragement for a hurting community, I truly hope her parents don't have to read your hateful, judge mental, insulting words on this article about their sweet baby that was taken from them. You should feel ashamed of yourself.
Peace to all
Sending healing peaceful thoughts and prayers to all.
Peace to all
Sending healing peaceful thoughts and prayers to all.
Peace to all
Sending healing peaceful thoughts and prayers to all.
A beautiful young girl...
so, so sorry for all the people who are hurting. The people of Kake are held warmly in the hearts of all of us in SE.
Peace and condolences to the families
May the families and loved ones have peace and prayers.
Peace and condolences to the families
May the families and loved ones have peace and prayers.
Tragedies always result in soaring emotions
I must have missed something but I think that for the most part, people are respectful when commenting on sensitive articles such as this one. The JE does a good job at monitoring the content and the people who need to voice their feelings have a forum to do so. The JE does disable commenting on certain articles. I hope that if the community members who are reading what others are writing, know that our prayers are with them. Words cannot express the sorrow I feel when thinking of what everyone close to this angel must be enduring. Hopefully everyone can respect the memory of this young lady and not use the JE as an outlet for inappropriate comments. You may be anonymous to the other readers but the JE can surely delete and block anything that is out of line.