Troopers: Woman died of natural causes, not in moose attack

WASILLA — Alaska authorities say an autopsy has determined a 74-year-old woman found dead outside her home died of natural causes and was not killed in a moose attack.

Alaska State Troopers said the body of Pattie Cucinello was found Sunday in the driveway of her Wasilla home.

Troopers’ spokeswoman Megan Peters said investigators had suspected a moose attack because there were moose tracks at the scene.

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Peters said an autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office determined the woman died of natural causes and that the moose tracks were a coincidence.

Peters said post-mortem trauma was found on the woman’s body, but foul play is not suspected in the death. Peters declines to identify the specific cause of death.

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